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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to working trim for use with locks and more particularly to working trim for use with mortise locks.
In the past, one embodiment of working trim utilized a threaded square spindle which extended out from an adapter plate having a bushing portion thereon which was attached to the door. An internally threaded adjustable shank, on which the door knob was mounted and retained thereon by a knob retainer, was threaded on the spindle until it fit snugly in the bushing. A set screw threadly extended through the shank and was tightened against the spindle with the set screw bottoming against one of the flat sides of the square spindle. In use, by turning the door knob the latch bolt of the mortise lock could be operated due to the interconnection of the knob, adjustable shank, and spindle.
The threaded spindle and shank provided a means for adjusting for various door thicknesses. However, the torque, by repeated turning of the door knob, could result in the set screw damaging the spindle and the knob and shank adapter might loosen up. This problem could be compounded if the set screw was not bottomed on a flat side of the spindle, but rather, bottomed on one of the corners of the square spindle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of this invention to provide an improved working trim for locks.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide working trim for a lock which does not rely on a set screw to fasten the operator to the spindle.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide working trim for a lock which is less susceptable to wear and the operator becoming loose.
These and other objects of the present invention may be accomplished through the provision of working trim for a lock which includes an adapter plate mounted on a door. A noncircular spindle extends from the door through the adapter plate. A shank adapter is slidably received on the spindle for rotation therewith and retaining means is provided for axially retaining the shank adapter on the spindle in one direction, with the adapter plate retaining the shank adapter in the other direction. The lock operating means is mounted on the shank adapter for rotation therewith.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a vertical side view, partially in section, of the working trim constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing it in relationship to a door and mortise lock.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the working trim partially in section.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the adjustable lock nut.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1, a mortise lock 2 is mounted in a suitable cutout in a door 4. An adapter plate 6 is mounted against the outside face of the door 4 and includes an externally threaded bushing portion (not shown). An adapter plate 8 is mounted against the inside face of the door 4 and also has an externally threaded bushing portion 10.
The right-hand portion of the working trim, as shown in FIG. 1 is conventional and will not be described in great detail. However, it may include a rose or escutcheon plate 12 mounted on the door 4 by means of a sleeve 14 threaded on the bushing portion of the adapter plate 6. A shank adapter 16 is pinned to a swivel spindle assembly 18 by means of a roll pin 20. The outside knob 22 is mounted on the shank adapter 16 by suitable conventional mounting means.
The swivel spindle assembly 18 includes an inside spindle 24 which has a reduced male portion 26 threaded into a threaded bore in the inner end of the outside spindle 28 to which the shank adapter 16 is attached. A gap 30 is provided between the heads 32 and 34 of the two spindles 24 and 28 respectively, to permit one spindle to rotate with respect to the other without binding. The inside spindle 24 has a noncircular cross-section and, in the preferred embodiment, is square with the corners of the spindle 18 from the head portion 32 to the opposite end having threads 35 formed therein to form a threaded, noncircular spindle 24.
An adjustable shank adapter 36 which is slidably mounted on the spindle 24 includes a bore 38 and an enlarged counterbore 40. The bore 38 in the adjustable shank adapter 36 has a cross-sectional configuration to mate with the cross-sectional configuration of the inside spindle 24 to be rotatable therewith, and in the case of the preferred embodiment, is square-shaped. A knob retainer 42 is mounted in the enlarged counterbore 40 of the adjustable shank adapter 36 and includes a catch 44 which is spring biased radially outwardly through an opening in the side wall of the adjustable shank adapter 36 by a spring member 46. The adjustable shank adapter 36 is inserted on the inside spindle 24 until its forward end portion 48 is snuggly received in the bushing portion 10 of the inside adapter plate 8 with the enlarged counterbore 40 facing away from the door 4.
An adjustable lock nut 50 is provided which includes an enlongated body portion 52 having a forward bore 54, a rearward enlarged counterbore 56, and a head portion 58 at the rear provided with a slot 60 therein as shown in FIG. 2 and 4. Two diametrically opposed portions of the body portion 52 are cut away to form openings 62 and 64 in the wall of the body portion 52 as shown in FIG. 4.
A generally U-shaped spring clip 66 is mounted on the body portion 52 of the lock nut 50 with the side portions 68 and 70 thereof being positioned within the openings 62 and 64, respectively. The spring clip 66 has ears 72 and 74 at the lower end of each side portion 68 and 70 which engage the body portion 52 as shown in FIG. 3. When the adjustable lock nut 50 is threaded onto the spindle 24, the side portions 68 and 70 engage the flat portions of the spindle 24 as shown in FIG. 3. As the adjustable lock nut 50 is rotated, the corners of the spindle 24 engage the side portions 68 and 70 of the spring clip and move the side portions 68 and 70 thereof outwardly against the spring force thus providing a spring detent for the adjustable locking nut 50.
The top portion of the spring clip 66 includes an upwardly extending peak 76 which may engage the wall of the counterbore 40 in the adjustable shank adapter 36 during rotation of the lock nut 50. The peak 76 will prevent the spring clip 66 from riding up on the body portion 52 of the adjustable lock nut 50 during rotation thereof caused by the engagement of the corners of the spindle 24 with the side portions 68 and 70 of the spring clip 66 which could result in the ears 72 or 74 riding up into the openings 62 and 64.
With proper openings cut in the door and the lock 2 inserted, the adapter plates 6 and 8 and the outer rose or escutcheon plate 12 and sleeve 14 may be installed. After ensuring that the proper gap 30 is provided between the head portions 32 and 34 of the inside and outside spindle 24 and 28, the spindle assembly 18 may be inserted through the outside adapter 6 through the door until forward portion 78 of the shank adapter 16 is received within the bushing portion of the outside adapter plate 6. The adjustable shank adapter 36 may then be slid onto the inside spindle 24 until its forward portion 48 is received within the bushing portion 10 of the inside adapter plate 8. The lock nut 50 may then be applied and hand tightened onto the inside spindle 24 against the bottom of the counterbore 40 of the shank adapter 36, making sure that both shank adpaters 16 and 36 fit snuggly in the bushing portion of their respective adapter plates 6 and 8. The lock nut 50 may then back off a quarter or a half a turn to prevent binding.
A rose or escutcheon plate 80 may then be placed over the inside adapter plate 8 against the inner surface of the door 4 and a sleeve 82 threaded onto the bushing portion 10 of the inside adapter plate 8. An inside knob 84 can be slipped onto the shank adapter 36 until it reaches the catch 44 of the knob retainer 42. The catch 44 may then be depressed and the knob 84 be pushed thereover until the catch 44 engages an opening 86 in the knob 84. With this arrangement, operation of either knob 22 or 84 will cause rotation of its respective shank adapter 16 or 36, which in turn will cause rotation of its respective spindle 28 or 24 to operate the latch bolt of the locks depending upon the setting of the lock.
While reference has been made above to a specific embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of this invention be ascertained by reference to the following claims.
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Working trim for a lock including an adapter plate mounted on a door. A noncircular spindle extends from the door through the adapter plate. A shank adapter is slidably received on the spindle for rotation therewith and retaining means is provided for axially retaining the shank adapter on the spindle in one direction with the adapter plate retaining the spindle in the other direction. A door operator, such as a knob, is mounted on the shank adapter for rotation therewith.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates in general to drill bits and, in particular, to an improved system, method, and apparatus for a steel tooth drill bit having enhanced tooth breakage resistance.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In the prior art, steel tooth drill bits are great tools for drilling multiple formations due to the ability of their teeth to flex when encountering hard formations. However, this ability to provide flexure can cause cracking at the base of the teeth in the weld deposit and carburized area under the iron-based hardfacing deposits. Moreover, the cracks can grow during service or can aggravate pre-existing thermal cracks from the initial manufacturing process.
[0005] The manufacturing cracks can be caused by a variety of sources, but are primarily from the thermal stresses induced during the welding process while using iron-based hardfacing materials at the base of the teeth and subsequent hardening and carburization of the cone. The hardfacing can relieve the stress in the form of a crack. The cracks can propagate directly into the base steel of the teeth and/or the cone shell. The extent of the cracking is dependent upon the thermal management of the cone during the heat-up, welding, and the cooling down of the cone. Another factor affecting the extent of the cracking is how brittle the carburized case is underneath the hardfacing deposit.
[0006] During operation, the combination of the flexing of the teeth, formations drilled, operating parameters, and the corrosive environment can cause the cracks to grow while the drill bit is in service. This crack propagation can cause the teeth to eventually break off or cause the cracks to grow into the cone shell, both of which impede performance.
[0007] It is known that nickel-based hardfacing minimizes the transport of carbon into the steel substrate and generally does not produce a carburized case in the steel underneath the hardfacing deposit. In addition, the thermal stresses in nickel-based hardfacing are not as great as in iron-based hardfacing, such that nickel-based hardfacing is less likely to have thermal cracks. Nickel-based hardfacing is also very corrosion resistant compared to iron-based hardfacing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In general, if cracks occur in nickel-based hardfacing they typically arrest in the hardfacing deposit and generally do not propagate into the steel substrate. This is primarily due to the round blunt tip crack of nickel-based materials, contrasted with the sharp tip crack in iron-based materials. However, iron-based hardfacing materials are more durable than current nickel-based hardfacing materials. The area of the teeth that receives most of the damage due to impacting is at or near the top of the teeth. Therefore, the crest and a portion of the flanks require a highly durable iron-based hardfacing. Since the bases of the teeth do not receive significant impacting those portions are very suitable for nickel-based hardfacing. By placing the nickel-based hardfacing at least at the bases of the teeth and/or the surrounding cone shell, the overall durability of the drill bit is improved.
[0009] Typically, the hardfacing is applied by an oxygen acetylene welding process, but other welding or coating processes of applying the hardfacing material may be used. Some high-content nickel alloys with hard component materials also may be used.
[0010] The bases of the teeth are provided with nickel-based hardfacing to significantly reduce any potential cracking therein and in the adjacent areas of the cone. All other portions of the teeth are hardfaced with iron-based materials such that all surfaces of the teeth are protected with one or the other type of hardfacing. In addition, manufacturers of drill bits prefer to weld with nickel-based materials due to ease of heat management in the teeth base and cone surface areas of the cutting structure.
[0011] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in view of the following detailed description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the present invention, which will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in more detail, more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings which form a part of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only some embodiments of the invention and therefore are not to be considered limiting of its scope as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a drill bit constructed in accordance with the invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an enlarged photographic image of one embodiment of a cutter on the drill bit of FIG. 1 and is constructed in accordance with the invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an enlarged photographic image of another embodiment of a cutter on the drill bit of FIG. 1 and is constructed in accordance with the invention; and
[0016] FIG. 4 is a high level flow diagram of one embodiment of a method constructed in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1 , one embodiment of a system, method, and apparatus for an earth boring bit 11 constructed in accordance with the invention is shown. Earth boring bit 11 includes a bit body 13 having threads 15 at its upper end for connecting bit 11 into a drill string (not shown). Bit 11 is depicted with three legs, and each leg of bit 11 is provided with a lubricant compensator 17 . At least one nozzle 19 is provided in bit body 13 for spraying cooling and lubricating drilling fluid from within the drill string to the bottom of the bore hole.
[0018] At least one cutter is rotatably secured to each leg of the bit body 13 . Preferably three cutters 21 , 23 (one cutter being obscured from view in the perspective view of FIG. 1 ) are rotatably secured to the bit body 13 . A plurality of teeth 25 are arranged in generally circumferential rows on cutters 21 , 23 . Teeth 25 may be integrally formed from the material of cutters 21 , 23 , which is typically steel.
[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 , two embodiments of earth boring bits having cutters 21 , 23 or roller cones that employ the novel elements of the invention are shown. Although the cutters 21 , 23 and teeth 25 are shown with certain types of geometry, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.
[0020] For example, in the enlarged view of FIG. 2 , the teeth 25 on the cutter 21 of the earth boring bit are shown with two different types of hardfacing materials 31 , 33 formed thereon. The invention may be applied to only some of the teeth or all of the teeth, and on one of the cutters or all of the cutters. Furthermore, the invention also may be applied to other teeth or other portions of the drill bit other than the cutters. The first type of hardfacing 31 is formed from a nickel-based material and is located on proximal or base portions 35 of at least some of the teeth 25 . Optionally, the first hardfacing may comprise an alloy, such as a nickel alloy, or an alloy having a high nickel content with some hard component materials such as, for example, monocrystalline WC, sintered WC (crushed or spherical), cast WC (crushed or spherical), and/or with a matrix of Ni—Cr—B—Si. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , the first hardfacing 31 also is located on surfaces of the cutter 21 adjacent the aforementioned teeth 25 , such that the first hardfacing 31 smoothly transitions from the cutter 21 to the teeth 25 .
[0021] The second type of hardfacing 33 is formed from an iron-based material and is located on distal or upper portions of the same teeth with hardfacing 31 . Thus, all surfaces of the teeth 25 and, optionally, portions or the entire surface of the cutter 21 itself is protected with hardfacing materials. The second hardfacing 33 may be located at and adjacent to the top portions of the teeth 25 , such as on the crests and portions of the flanks of the teeth. Optionally, and as shown in FIG. 3 , only the base portions of teeth 45 on cutter 40 may be provided with the first hardfacing 41 (i.e., without application of hardfacing 41 directly to the surfaces of cutter 40 ). The remaining portions of teeth 45 are protected by the second hardfacing 43 , as described herein.
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 4 , the invention also comprises a method of fabricating a cutter for an earth boring bit. The method begins as indicated at step 51 , and comprises providing a cutter with teeth extending from the cutter (step 53 ); applying a first hardfacing on portions of at least some of the teeth (step 55 ); applying a second hardfacing that differs from the first hardfacing on other portions of said at least some of the teeth (step 57 ); before ending as indicated at step 59 .
[0023] Alternatively, the method may comprise one or more of the following steps, including: applying the first hardfacing on base portions of said at least some of the teeth, and/or on surfaces of the cutters adjacent said at least some of the teeth; and/or applying the second hardfacing to crests and portions of flanks of said at least some of the teeth. In addition, one embodiment of the method may comprise sequentially applying nickel-based hardfacing (e.g., a high-content nickel alloy with hard component materials) as the second hardfacing, after applying iron-based hardfacing as the first hardfacing.
[0024] While the invention has been shown or described in only some of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention.
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A drill bit having steel teeth is provided with a combination of hardfacing materials on the teeth. The bases of the teeth are hardfaced with nickel-based materials to significantly reduce any potential cracking therein. Portions of the supporting cones adjacent the teeth also may be fabricated with the nickel-based hardfacing. All other portions of the teeth are hardfaced with iron-based materials.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a two dimensional sound diffusor which will reflect and refract sound over a broad range of frequencies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sound is generated from a source producing audible waves transmitted outward from the source. A listener in a room with the source receives sound waves directly from the source or indirectly from sound waves being reflected from objects in the room or from the boundaries defining the room. The quality of sound may be altered, and may even be enhanced, by placing physical objects in the path of propagating sound waves. By absorbing, reflecting or diffusing sound waves, the quality of the sound can be enhanced. Absorption of sound waves occurs when a sound wave strikes a barrier that is capable of absorbing the energy of the sound wave. For example, absorption of energy of a sound wave is accomplished by placing in the path of the sound wave energy absorbing materials. For instance, insulation materials of various thicknesses, carpet, acoustic ceiling tile, draperies and other heavy fabrics will absorb energy from sound waves that strike these objects. By this absorption the sound wave will gradually lose energy. If a room is capable of totally absorbing sound then the room is described by the art as being dead. Ideally, a certain degree of energy or sound absorption is acceptable in a listening room to prevent formation .of standing waves. However, the listening room should not be so sound-absorptive that the room becomes dead, or that certain frequencies are lost due to absorption.
Reflection of sound waves occurs by changing the direction of a propagating energy wave without absorption. A hard surface, such as a drywall surface, wood, plaster or cement walls can function as devices for accomplishing reflection. The more dense the flat surfaces are the greater the ability of the surface to reflect sound. A certain amount of sound reflection is also considered desirable for listeners.
Diffusion, which is somewhat more complex than reflection or refraction, is a combination of reflection and refraction of the sound wave at the same time. That is, different segments or different frequencies emanating from a sound source when diffused will be delayed in time due to scattering or reflection of the wave. A sound source generally emits more than a single sound frequency. In diffusion, the different frequencies are reflected and scattered so that different frequencies are delayed in time. By provision of diffusion in a small recording studio, sounds in the studio can be perceived by the listener as being like those associated with a larger room, because the listener is exposed to the reflected, scattered and time delayed sound waves. Diffusor panels, used in the art, generally provide a means for achieving at least one dimensional sound diffusion, i.e., reflection and refraction in one direction.
The two main functional attributes of a diffusor are its spatial response and its temporal response. By design, a diffusor panel can have a defined spatial response, and this response can be represented on a polar response graph. The spatial response represents sound distribution and scattering, and is dependent upon the particular sound frequencies involved. Temporal response is defined as a reaction in time to an impulse. That is, as sound travels into a diffusor panel, any cavities in the diffusor panel cause time delays due to the differing depths of the panel. Total bandwidth of a diffusor panel is defined as the range of frequencies of sound in which the diffusor panel is effective in producing a spatial and temporal response. The temporal response may be defined as the difference between a monitored reflected sound and a monitored diffused sound.
Generally, prior devices have been made of panels with cavities. When used in a sound recording studio, a diffusor will be contacted by propagating sound waves. The sound waves will then be reflected and refracted at different time intervals because of the cavities of the diffusor. In the past, diffusion has been accomplished in a number of ways. Irregular shapes of differing depths have been created by the use of dimensional lumber, stone and brickwork. Diffusors made from these materials are usually custom made and engineered for the space to be affected. Usually, such devices are very costly, requiring many hours of time and expensive materials to produce.
One commercially available device, believed to be that disclosed in U.S. Deign Pat. No. 306,764, accomplishes diffusion by creating wells of equal width separated by dividers. The diffusors are wall- or ceiling-mounted, depending on their intended application or the desired result. However, the dividers used in this device are quite thin and when exposed to low frequencies, the diffusor will function more as a resonator (and, therefore, more as an absorber of sound energy) than a diffusor. This undesirable phenomenon occurs because the dividers do not possess a substantial mass. The dividers also prevent construction of a diffusor having wells of differing width.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The two dimensional diffusor of the invention is a significant contribution to this art. The sound diffusor of the invention is capable of diffusing sound in both vertical and horizontal directions. The diffusor according to the invention distributes sound energy into a room more evenly than do the prior art devices.
The sound diffusor of the invention is composed of a plurality of wells defined by a matrix of projecting elements. The wells, which have different depths and widths, are arranged in a repeating pattern. The boundaries of the wells and of the repeating pattern are defined by projections arranged on a base. The ends of the projections extend away from the base, terminating in an inclined face which is inclined relative to the base by an angle of 10°. The incline may be rotated from one projection to the next, on a plane parallel to the base of the unit by 90° or 180°. This arrangement produces two dimensional sound diffusion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an acoustical diffusor according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing a row of the diffusor of FIG. 1 having a plurality of aligned projections extending in a horizontal direction.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the acoustical diffusor of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a portion of the row of projections shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the portion of the row of projections shown in FIG. 4 showing the direction of a slope of an inclined top portion of each projection.
FIG. 6 is a schematic, top elevational view of a half section of the diffusor of FIG. 1, showing the angle of inclination of each projection.
FIG. 7A-7F are horizontal polar plots of the amplitude of sound waves diffused after striking the sound diffusor according to the invention, in which the initial sound wave strikes the diffusor of FIG. 1 at an angle of 0° incidence.
FIG. 8A-8F are vertical polar plots of the amplitude of sound waves diffused after striking the sound diffusor according to the invention, in which the initial sound wave strikes the diffusor of FIG. 1 at an angle of 0° incidence.
FIG. 9 is a graph of sound amplitude with respect to time respectively for a sound generated from a source, an incident sound, and sound reflected, refracted and delayed from the sound diffusor according to the invention.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram indicating inclination of projections in the diffusor of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A sound diffusor 10 is shown in FIG. 1, drawn to scale. The sound diffusor is made up of a plurality of rows of individual projecting elements. The projecting elements each have one of six different lengths, the lengths being multiples of a smallest projecting element size. As seen in FIG. 1, each of the projecting elements has an inclined uppermost surface, and a plurality of cavities are formed between the projecting elements. The inclined uppermost surfaces of the individual projecting elements are inclined in one of four directions. Alternating rows have identical structures, and are interleaved with mirror-image rows.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an arrangement of individual projections, drawn to scale, forming a row 30 according to the invention. From left to right, the projections are in the following sequence, wherein identical numbers indicate identically-sized and identically oriented projecting elements: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 24, 19, 22, empty space 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 24, 19, 22, and another empty space (unnumbered). In this sequence, it can be seen that the group of projecting elements 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 24 is repeated on both the left and right sides of the empty space 21. The leftmost elements 22 and 23, and left elements 19 and 22 adjacent the empty space 21 on the left side thereof, however, are mirrored respectively by elements on the right side of the empty space 21, i.e. by elements 22 and 23 adjacent the empty space 21 on the right side thereof and by elements 19 and 22 at the rightmost end of the row 30.
The projections are inclined in the row 30, and are further discussed as follows. The central space 21 exists between two corresponding groups of projections. Bounding the space 21 are identical projections 22, 22 having their uppermost surfaces inclined toward the viewer. In the right hand direction projection 23 is inclined to the right. Next, projection 24 is inclined toward the viewer, projection 25 is inclined toward the right, projection 26 is inclined toward the right, projection 27 is inclined toward the right and projection 28 is inclined toward the left. Adjacent projection 28 is projection 29 which is also inclined toward the left, followed by projection 24 inclined toward the viewer, projection 19 inclined toward the left, and projection 22 which is inclined toward the viewer. Identically numbered projections to the right of the empty space 21 have identical inclinations, and the inclinations of these projections are accordingly not further discussed. The projections are supported upon a base 11, the uppermost surface thereof being indicated in FIG. 2.
Cavities 31, 32, and 33 are indicated in FIG. 2. The cavities are well widths having dimensions which correspond to a particular sound wavelength or fraction of a particular sound wavelength. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the cavities 31, 32, and 33 not only have different widths (as measured in the horizontal direction in FIG. 2) but also have different depths (as measured in the vertical direction), as discussed in the foregoing. For example, the recess 33 has multiple depths 42, 43, 41, 34, 35, 36, and 39. Cavity 37 has depths of 42, 43, and 44, and a cavity 32 has depths of 34 and 35. Many additional such cavities, having various depths, are formed between adjacent ones of the projections and between separated pairs of projections. Since a variety of cavities are defined between various individual projecting elements, a relatively large number of cavities are formed between these projections, accommodating a relatively large number of different fractions of wavelengths of sound including half wavelengths and other fractional wavelengths. Additionally, adjacent rows are staggered so that there are not only horizontally-defined and vertically-defined cavities as are shown in FIG. 2, but there are also a plurality of cavities arranged in a three-dimensional region (of length, width, and depth) which are formed as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3.
The unit height of the smallest element 19 or 23 in 11/2 inches, and each of the projecting elements are a multiple of this unit height. Since there are six different lengths of projecting elements used for the individual projections, the individual projecting elements have heights of 11/2, 3, 41/2, 6, 71/2, and 9 inches, respectively. The dimension of the individual projecting elements is depicted in FIG. 4 which illustrates the rightmost group of projecting elements in FIG. 2. Individual projecting elements have widths and depths of 11/4 inches, and are preferably cut from square wood stock. The base 11 is preferably a plywood sheet having a thickness of 1/2 inch. The uppermost surface of each of the projecting elements is inclined. The range of the incline is between 1° and 20° angles preferably 10°. The width of the space 21 of FIG. 2 is also 11/2 inches. The base of a projecting element is fastened to the base 11 preferably by wood glue.
FIG. 3, drawn to scale, is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the sound diffusor 10 of FIG. 1. Here, individual elements of the row 30 are seen in perspective, in which rows 30 are alternated with intervening rows 40 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6). The row 40 is formed as a reversal of the row 30, and is staggered by one unit, as discussed further hereunder with respect to FIG. 6.
FIG. 5, drawn to scale, schematically illustrates the arrangement of elements along the rightmost portion of projections shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, the direction of inclination of each of the surfaces is indicated by a triangular arrowhead, in which the point of the arrowhead indicates the direction of downward slope of the individual projection. Portion 18 in FIG. 5 indicates an empty space (which corresponds to empty space 21 of FIG. 2). As can be seen from FIG. 5, each half of a row includes eleven elements and one blank or empty space, wherein the rightmost half-row includes the space 18 while the leftmost portion of the row (which is shown in FIG. 2) includes the space 21. As discussed above, the cavities formed in the sound diffusor 10 create a structure capable of diffusing sound of various frequencies.
FIG. 6, drawn to scale, is a schematic, top elevational view of a half section of the diffusor 10 of FIG. 1, showing the angle of inclination of each projection. As can be seen in FIG. 6, rows 30 alternate with rows 40, these rows being staggered by one space which is equivalent to the width of a projection, as discussed above. In reversing a row 30 to form a row 40, the rotation can be conceived of as being about an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 6. As a result, a three-dimensional pattern is formed for the diffusor 10 which is capable of diffusing sound in both the horizontal and vertical directions. A second section of the device positioned to the right or left of FIG. 6 would be a portion corresponding to the rightmost portion of row 30 (i.e., that portion which is to the right of the empty space 21). This is discussed more clearly below. The sound diffusor 10 is preferably composed of two of the units shown in FIG. 6, as schematically shown in FIG. 10. The dimensions of diffusor 10 as shown in FIG. 10 are approximately thirty inches by thirty inches by nine and one-half inches (assuming the base 11 has a thickness of one-half inch). Of course, multiple dual units may be used together in numbers only limited by the dimensions of the room which includes the sound source. Such dual units can be supported by the walls defining the room.
The diffusion of sound resulting from the present invention occurs in both the horizontal and vertical directions, and is discussed as follows. FIGS. 7a-7f are polar diagrams of sound intensity with respect to horizontal distance from the diffusor, in a range of angles measured from a perpendicular horizontal line from the center of the sound diffusor 10 through plus and minus 90°. FIG. 7a is measured for an incident sound source located at a distance of approximately ten feet from the sound diffusor 10 and directing sound such that the sound is incident at a normal to the plane of the base 11. The position of the sound source is the same in FIGS. 7b-7f and 8a-8f, as well. The measurements of FIG. 7a are taken at a sound frequency of 250 Hz, FIG. 7b is at a sound frequency of 500 Hz, FIG. 7c is at a sound frequency of 1000 Hz, FIG. 7d is at a frequency of 2000 Hz, FIG. 7e is measured at a sound frequency of 4000 Hz, and FIG. 7f is at a sound frequency of 8000 Hz. The sound frequency measurements at which diffusion is measured, as shown in 7a and 7f, are in increments of octaves.
An important feature of the present invention is that it diffuses sound not only horizontally but also vertically, and this is illustrated in FIGS. 8a-8f. Polar coordinates are used, with the measurements of sound intensity being taken at a plurality of vertical angles which are in a range from plus and minus 90° from line perpendicular to the sound diffusor 10. FIGS. 8a-8f are taken at sound frequencies of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 8000 Hz, respectively.
In FIGS. 7a-7f and 8a-8f, the incident sound is from a direction corresponding to zero degrees as indicated in these FIGURES (that is, as discussed above, the sound approaches from a direction which is perpendicular to the base 11).
FIG. 9 is a diagram of sound intensity with respect to time, indicating an incident sound wave which is separated in time from a diffused sound wave. As can be seen from this diagram, true sound diffusion occurs as a result of the effects of the sound diffusor 10 according to the invention. Peak A represents a measurement of incident sound waves measured directly from a sound source. Peak B represents measurement of diffused sound waves originally produced by the sound source, but which have come in contact with the sound diffusor of the invention positioned in front of the sound source, which is at a distance of ten feet from the diffusor 10. However, the temporal response time between these peaks is 49,862 microseconds. This time delay would be expected to be shown by sound reflected off a flat wall positioned 56 feet away from the sound source. The diffusor 10, therefore, in providing a delay in time greater than would be expected by mere reflection, makes the sound room in which the diffusor 10 is located appear to the listener to be substantially larger.
It should be apparent that many modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the schematic diagrams and the examples of the application are only used for illustration and direction. The invention is limited only in scope by the appended claims.
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A two-dimensional sound diffusor is composed of a plurality of wells defined by a matrix of projecting elements. The wells, which have different depths and widths, are arranged in a repeating pattern. The boundaries of the wells and of the repeating pattern are defined by projections arranged on a base. The ends of the projections extend away from the base, terminating in an inclined face which is inclined relative to the base by an angle of 10°. The incline may be rotated from one projection to the next, on a plane parallel to the base of the unit by 90° or 180°. This arrangement produces two dimensional sound diffusion.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of copending provisional application serial No. 60/127,106 filed Mar. 31, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to operations performed in conjunction with subterranean wells and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a method of performing a downhole test of a subterranean formation.
[0003] In a typical well test known as a drill stem test, a drill string is installed in a well with specialized drill stem test equipment interconnected in the drill string. The purpose of the test is generally to evaluate the potential profitability of completing a particular formation or other zone of interest, and thereby producing hydrocarbons from the formation. Of course, if it is desired to inject fluid into the formation, then the purpose of the test may be to determine the feasibility of such an injection program.
[0004] In a typical drill stem test, fluids are flowed from the formation, through the drill string and to the earth's surface at various flow rates, and the drill string may be closed to flow therethrough at least once during the test. Unfortunately, the formation fluids have in the past been exhausted to the atmosphere during the test, or otherwise discharged to the environment, many times with hydrocarbons therein being burned off in a flare. It will be readily appreciated that this procedure presents not only environmental hazards, but safety hazards as well.
[0005] Therefore, it would be very advantageous to provide a method whereby a formation may be tested, without discharging hydrocarbons or other formation fluids to the environment, or without flowing the formation fluids to the earth's surface. It would also be advantageous to provide apparatus for use in performing the method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In carrying out the principles of the present invention, in accordance with an embodiment thereof, a method is provided in which a formation test is performed downhole, without flowing formation fluids to the earth's surface, or without discharging the fluids to the environment. Also provided are associated apparatus for use in performing the method.
[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a method includes steps wherein a formation is perforated, and fluids from the formation are flowed into a large surge chamber associated with a tubular string installed in the well. Of course, if the well is uncased, the perforation step is unnecessary. The surge chamber may be a portion of the tubular string. Valves are provided above and below the surge chamber, so that the formation fluids may be flowed, pumped or reinjected back into the formation after the test, or the fluids may be circulated (or reverse circulated) to the earth's surface for analysis.
[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, a method includes steps wherein fluids from a first formation are flowed into a tubular string installed in the well, and the fluids are then disposed of by injecting the fluids into a second formation. The disposal operation may be performed by alternately applying fluid pressure to the tubular string, by operating a pump in the tubular string, by taking advantage of a pressure differential between the formations, or by other means. A sample of the formation fluid may conveniently be brought to the earth's surface for analysis by utilizing apparatus provided by the present invention.
[0009] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method includes steps wherein fluids are flowed from a first formation and into a second formation utilizing an apparatus which may be conveyed into a tubular string positioned in the well. The apparatus may include a pump which may be driven by fluid flow through a fluid conduit, such as coiled tubing, attached to the apparatus. The apparatus may also include sample chambers therein for retrieving samples of the formation fluids.
[0010] In each of the above methods, the apparatus associated therewith may include various fluid property sensors, fluid and solid identification sensors, flow control devices, instrumentation, data communication devices, samplers, etc., for use in analyzing the test progress, for analyzing the fluids and/or solid matter flowed from the formation, for retrieval of stored test data, for real time analysis and/or transmission of test data, etc.
[0011] These and other features, advantages, benefits and objects of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the detailed description of representative embodiments of the invention hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] [0012]FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a well wherein a first method and apparatus embodying principles of the present invention are utilized for testing a formation;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a well wherein a second method and apparatus embodying principles of the present invention are utilized for testing a formation;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale schematic cross-sectional view of a device which may be used in the second method;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a well wherein a third method and apparatus embodying principles of the present invention are utilized for testing a formation; and
[0016] [0016]FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale schematic cross-sectional view of a device which may be used in the third method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Representatively illustrated in FIG. 1 is a method 10 which embodies principles of the present invention. In the following description of the method 10 and other apparatus and methods described herein, directional terms, such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, etc., are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings. Additionally, it is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention described herein may be utilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0018] In the method 10 as representatively depicted in FIG. 1, a wellbore 12 has been drilled intersecting a formation or zone of interest 14 , and the wellbore has been lined with casing 16 and cement 17 . In the further description of the method 10 below, the wellbore 12 is referred to as the interior of the casing 16 , but it is to be clearly understood that, with appropriate modification in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art, a method incorporating principles of the present invention may be performed in an uncased wellbore, and in that situation the wellbore would more appropriately refer to the uncased bore of the well.
[0019] A tubular string 18 is conveyed into the wellbore 12 . The string 18 may consist mainly of drill pipe, or other segmented tubular members, or it may be substantially unsegmented, such as coiled tubing. At a lower end of the string 18 , a formation test assembly 20 is interconnected in the string.
[0020] The assembly 20 includes the following items of equipment, in order beginning at the bottom of the assembly as representatively depicted in FIG. 1: one or more generally tubular waste chambers 22 , an optional packer 24 , one or more perforating guns 26 , a firing head 28 , a circulating valve 30 , a packer 32 , a circulating valve 34 , a gauge carrier 36 with associated gauges 38 , a tester valve 40 , a tubular surge chamber 42 , a tester valve 44 , a data access sub 46 , a safety circulation valve 48 , and a slip joint 50 . Note that several of these listed items of equipment are optional in the method 10 , other items of equipment may be substituted for some of the listed items of equipment, and/or additional items of equipment may be utilized in the method and, therefore, the assembly 20 depicted in FIG. 1 is to be considered as merely representative of an assembly which may be used in a method incorporating principles of the present invention, and not as an assembly which must necessarily be used in such method.
[0021] The waste chambers 22 may be comprised of hollow tubular members, for example, empty perforating guns (i.e., with no perforating charges therein). The waste chambers 22 are used in the method 10 to collect waste from the wellbore 12 immediately after the perforating gun 26 is fired to perforate the formation 14 . This waste may include perforating debris, wellbore fluids, formation fluids, formation sand, etc. Additionally, the pressure reduction in the wellbore 12 created when the waste chambers 22 are opened to the wellbore may assist in cleaning perforations 52 created by the perforating gun 26 , thereby enhancing fluid flow from the formation 14 during the test. In general, the waste chambers 22 are utilized to collect waste from the wellbore 12 and perforations 52 prior to performing the actual formation test, but other purposes may be served by the waste chambers, such as drawing unwanted fluids out of the formation 14 , for example, fluids injected therein during the well drilling process.
[0022] The packer 24 may be used to straddle the formation 14 if another formation therebelow is open to the wellbore 12 , a large rathole exists below the formation, or if it is desired to inject fluids flowed from the formation 14 into another fluid disposal formation as described in more detail below. The packer 24 is shown unset in FIG. 1 as an indication that its use is not necessary in the method 10 , but it could be included in the string 18 , if desired.
[0023] The perforating gun 26 and associated firing head 28 may be any conventional means of forming an opening from the wellbore 12 to the formation 14 . Of course, as described above, the well may be uncased at its intersection with the formation 14 . Alternatively, the formation 14 may be perforated before the assembly 20 is conveyed into the well, the formation may be perforated by conveying a perforating gun through the assembly after the assembly is conveyed into the well, etc.
[0024] The circulating valve 30 is used to selectively permit fluid communication between the wellbore 12 and the interior of the assembly 20 below the packer 32 , so that formation fluids may be drawn into the interior of the assembly above the packer. The circulating valve 30 may include openable ports 54 for permitting fluid flow therethrough after the perforating gun 26 has fired and waste has been collected in the waste chambers 22 .
[0025] The packer 32 isolates an annulus 56 above the packer formed between the string 18 and the wellbore 12 from the wellbore below the packer. As depicted in FIG. 1, the packer 32 is set in the wellbore 12 when the perforating gun 26 is positioned opposite the formation 14 , and before the gun is fired. The circulating valve 34 may be interconnected above the packer 32 to permit circulation of fluid through the assembly 20 above the packer, if desired.
[0026] The gauge carrier 36 and associated gauges 38 are used to collect test data, such as pressure, temperature, etc., during the formation test. It is to be clearly understood that the gauge carrier 36 is merely representative of a variety of means which may be used to collect such data. For example, pressure and/or temperature gauges may be included in the surge chamber 42 and/or the waste chambers 22 . Additionally, note that the gauges 38 may acquire data from the interior of the assembly 20 and/or from the annulus 56 above and/or below the packer 32 . Preferably, one or more of the gauges 38 , or otherwise positioned gauges, records fluid pressure and temperature in the annulus 56 below the packer 32 , and between the packers 24 , 32 if the packer 24 is used, substantially continuously during the formation test.
[0027] The tester valve 40 selectively permits fluid flow axially therethrough and/or laterally through a sidewall thereof. For example, the tester valve 40 may be an Omni™ valve, available from Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., in which case the valve may include a sliding sleeve valve 58 and closeable circulating ports 60 . The valve 58 selectively permits and prevents fluid flow axially through the assembly 20 , and the ports 60 selectively permit and prevent fluid communication between the interior of the surge chamber 42 and the annulus 56 . Other valves, and other types of valves, may be used in place of the representatively illustrated valve 40 , without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0028] The surge chamber 42 comprises one or more generally hollow tubular members, and may consist mainly of sections of drill pipe, or other conventional tubular goods, or may be purpose-built for use in the method 10 . It is contemplated that the interior of the surge chamber 42 may have a relatively large volume, such as approximately 20 barrels, so that, during the formation test, a substantial volume of fluid may be flowed from the formation 14 into the chamber, a sufficiently low initial drawdown pressure may be achieved during the test, etc. When conveyed into the well, the interior of the surge chamber 42 may be at atmospheric pressure, or it may be at another pressure, if desired.
[0029] One or more sensors, such as sensor 62 , may be included with the chamber 42 , in order to acquire data, such as fluid property data (e.g., pressure, temperature, resistivity, viscosity, density, flow rate, etc.) and/or fluid identification data (e.g., by using nuclear magnetic resonance sensors available from Numar, Inc.). The sensor 62 may be in data communication with the data access sub 46 , or another remote location, by any data transmission means, for example, a line 64 extending external or internal relative to the assembly 20 , acoustic data transmission, electromagnetic data transmission, optical data transmission, etc.
[0030] The valve 44 may be similar to the valve 40 described above, or it may be another type of valve. As representatively depicted in FIG. 1, the valve 44 includes a ball valve 66 and closeable circulating ports 68 . The ball valve 66 selectively permits and prevents fluid flow axially through the assembly 20 , and the ports 68 selectively permit and prevent fluid communication between the interior of the assembly 20 above the surge chamber 42 and the annulus 56 . Other valves, and other types of valves, may be used in place of the representatively illustrated valve 44 , without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0031] The data access sub 46 is representatively depicted as being of the type wherein such access is provided by conveying a wireline tool 70 therein in order to acquire the data transmitted from the sensor 62 . For example, the data access sub 46 may be a conventional wet connect sub. Such data access may be utilized to retrieve stored data and/or to provide real time access to data during the formation test. Note that a variety of other means may be utilized for accessing data acquired downhole in the method 10 , for example, the data may be transmitted directly to a remote location, other types of tools and data access subs may be utilized, etc.
[0032] The safety circulation valve 48 may be similar to the valves 40 , 44 described above in that it may selectively permit and prevent fluid flow axially therethrough and through a sidewall thereof. However, preferably the valve 48 is of the type which is used only when a well control emergency occurs. In that instance, a ball valve 72 thereof (which is shown in its typical open position in FIG. 1) would be closed to prevent any possibility of formation fluids flowing further to the earth's surface, and circulation ports 74 would be opened to permit kill weight fluid to be circulated through the string 18 .
[0033] The slip joint 50 is utilized in the method 10 to aid in positioning the assembly 20 in the well. For example, if the string 18 is to be landed in a subsea wellhead, the slip joint 50 may be useful in spacing out the assembly 20 relative to the formation 14 prior to setting the packer 32 .
[0034] In the method 10 , the perforating guns 26 are positioned opposite the formation 14 and the packer 32 is set. If it is desired to isolate the formation 14 from the wellbore 12 below the formation, the optional packer 24 may be included in the string 18 and set so that the packers 32 , 24 straddle the formation. The formation 14 is perforated by firing the gun 26 , and the waste chambers 22 are immediately and automatically opened to the wellbore 12 upon such gun firing. For example, the waste chambers 22 may be in fluid communication with the interior of the perforating gun 26 , so that when the gun is fired, flow paths are provided by the detonated perforating charges through the gun sidewall. Of course, other means of providing such fluid communication may be provided, such as by a pressure operated device, a detonation operated device, etc., without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0035] At this point, the ports 54 may or may not be open, as desired, but preferably the ports are open when the gun 26 is fired. If not previously opened, the ports 54 are opened after the gun 26 is fired. This permits flow of fluids from the formation 14 into the interior of the assembly 20 above the packer 32 .
[0036] When it is desired to perform the formation test, the tester valve 40 is opened by opening the valve 58 , thereby permitting the formation fluids to flow into the surge chamber 42 and achieving a drawdown on the formation 14 . The gauges 38 and sensor 62 acquire data indicative of the test, which, as described above, may be retrieved later or evaluated simultaneously with performance of the test. One or more conventional fluid samplers 76 may be positioned within, or otherwise in communication with, the chamber 42 for collection of one or more samples of the formation fluid. One or more of the fluid samplers 76 may also be positioned within, or otherwise in communication with, the waste chambers 22 .
[0037] After the test, the valve 66 is opened and the ports 60 are opened, and the formation fluids in the surge chamber 42 are reverse circulated out of the chamber. Other circulation paths, such as the circulating valve 34 , may also be used. Alternatively, fluid pressure may be applied to the string 18 at the earth's surface before unsetting the packer 32 , and with valves 58 , 66 open, to flow the formation fluids back into the formation 14 . As another alternative, the assembly 20 may be repositioned in the well, so that the packers 24 , 32 straddle another formation intersected by the well, and the formation fluids may be flowed into this other formation. Thus, it is not necessary in the method 10 for formation fluids to be conveyed to the earth's surface unless desired, such as in the sampler 76 , or by reverse circulating the formation fluids to the earth's surface.
[0038] Referring additionally now to FIG. 2, another method 80 embodying principles of the present invention is representatively depicted. In the method 80 , formation fluids are transferred from a formation 82 from which they originate, into another formation 84 for disposal, without it being necessary to flow the fluids to the earth's surface during a formation test, although the fluids may be conveyed to the earth's surface if desired. As depicted in FIG. 2, the disposal formation 84 is located uphole from the tested formation 82 , but it is to be clearly understood that these relative positionings could be reversed with appropriate changes to the apparatus and method described below, without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0039] A formation test assembly 86 is conveyed into the well interconnected in a tubular string 87 at a lower end thereof. The assembly 86 includes the following, listed beginning at the bottom of the assembly: the waste chambers 22 , the packer 24 , the gun 26 , the firing head 28 , the circulating valve 30 , the packer 32 , the circulating valve 34 , the gauge carrier 36 , a variable or fixed choke 88 , a check valve 90 , the tester valve 40 , a packer 92 , an optional pump 94 , a disposal sub 96 , a packer 98 , a circulating valve 100 , the data access sub 46 , and the tester valve 44 . Note that several of these listed items of equipment are optional in the method 80 , other items of equipment may be substituted for some of the listed items of equipment, and/or additional items of equipment may be utilized in the method and, therefore, the assembly 86 depicted in FIG. 2 is to be considered as merely representative of an assembly which may be used in a method incorporating principles of the present invention, and not as an assembly which must necessarily be used in such method. For example, the valve 40 , check valve 90 and choke 88 are shown as examples of flow control devices which may be installed in the assembly 86 between the formations 82 , 84 , and other flow control devices, or other types of flow control devices, may be utilized in the method 80 , in keeping with the principles of the present invention. As another example, the pump 94 may be used, if desired, to pump fluid from the test formation 82 , through the assembly 86 and into the disposal formation 84 , but use of the pump 94 is not necessary in the method 80 . Additionally, many of the items of equipment in the assembly 86 are shown as being the same as respective items of equipment used in the method 10 described above, but this is not necessarily the case.
[0040] When the assembly 86 is conveyed into the well, the disposal formation 84 may have already been perforated, or the formation may be perforated by providing one or more additional perforating guns in the assembly, if desired. For example, additional perforating guns could be provided below the waste chambers 22 in the assembly 86 .
[0041] The assembly 86 is positioned in the well with the gun 26 opposite the test formation 82 , the packers 24 , 32 , 92 , 98 are set, the circulating valve 30 is opened, if desired, if not already open, and the gun 26 is fired to perforate the formation. At this point, with the test formation 82 perforated, waste is immediately received into the waste chambers 22 as described above for the method 10 . The circulating valve 30 is opened, if not done previously, and the test formation is thereby placed in fluid communication with the interior of the assembly 86 .
[0042] Preferably, when the assembly 86 is positioned in the well as shown in FIG. 2, a relatively low density fluid (liquid, gas (including air, at atmospheric or greater or lower pressure) and/or combinations of liquids and gases, etc.) is contained in the string 87 above the upper valve 44 . This creates a low hydrostatic pressure in the string 87 relative to fluid pressure in the test formation 82 , which pressure differential is used to draw fluids from the test formation into the assembly 86 as described more fully below. Note that the fluid preferably has a density which will create a pressure differential from the formation 82 to the interior of the assembly at the ports 54 when the valves 58 , 66 are open. However, it is to be clearly understood that other methods and means of drawing formation fluids into the assembly 86 may be utilized, without departing from the principles of the present invention. For example, the low density fluid could be circulated into the string 87 after positioning it in the well by opening the ports 68 , nitrogen could be used to displace fluid out of the string, a pump 94 could be used to pump fluid from the test formation 82 into the string, a difference in formation pressure between the two formations 82 , 84 could be used to induce flow from the higher pressure formation to the lower pressure formation, etc.
[0043] After perforating the test formation 82 , fluids are flowed into the assembly 86 via the circulation valve 30 as described above, by opening the valves 58 , 66 . Preferably, a sufficiently large volume of fluid is initially flowed out of the test formation 82 , so that undesired fluids, such as drilling fluid, etc., in the formation are withdrawn from the formation. When one or more sensors, such as a resistivity or other fluid property or fluid identification sensor 102 , indicates that representative desired formation fluid is flowing into the assembly 86 , the lower valve 58 is closed. Note that the sensor 102 may be of the type which is utilized to indicate the presence and/or identity of solid matter in the formation fluid flowed into the assembly 86 .
[0044] Pressure may then be applied to the string 87 at the earth's surface to flow the undesired fluid out through check valves 104 and into the disposal formation 84 . The lower valve 58 may then be opened again to flow further fluid from the test formation 82 into the assembly 86 . This process may be repeated as many times as desired to flow substantially any volume of fluid from the formation 82 into the assembly 86 , and then into the disposal formation 84 .
[0045] Data acquired by the gauges 38 and/or sensors 102 while fluid is flowing from the formation 82 through the assembly 86 (when the valves 58 , 66 are open), and while the formation 82 is shut in (when the valve 58 is closed) may be analyzed after or during the test to determine characteristics of the formation 82 . Of course, gauges and sensors of any type may be positioned in other portions of the assembly 86 , such as in the waste chambers 22 , between the valves 58 , 66 , etc. For example, pressure and temperature sensors and/or gauges may be positioned between the valves 58 , 66 , which would enable the acquisition of data useful for injection testing of the disposal zone 84 , during the time the lower valve 58 is closed and fluid is flowed from the assembly 86 outward into the formation 84 .
[0046] It will be readily appreciated that, in this fluid flowing process as described above, the valve 58 is used to permit flow upwardly therethrough, and then the valve is closed when pressure is applied to the string 87 to dispose of the fluid. Thus, the valve 58 could be replaced by the check valve 90 , or the check valve may be supplied in addition to the valve as depicted in FIG. 2.
[0047] If a difference in formation pressure between the formations 82 , 84 is used to flow fluid from the formation 82 into the assembly 86 , then a variable choke 88 may be used to regulate this fluid flow. Of course, the variable choke 88 could be provided in addition to other flow control devices, such as the valve 58 and check valve 90 , without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0048] If a pump 94 is used to draw fluid into the assembly 86 , no flow control devices may be needed between the disposal formation 84 and the test formation 82 , the same or similar flow control devices depicted in FIG. 2 may be used, or other flow control devices may be used. Note that, to dispose of fluid drawn into the assembly 86 , the pump 94 is operated with the valve 66 closed.
[0049] In a similar manner, the check valves 104 of the disposal sub 96 may be replaced with other flow control devices, other types of flow control devices, etc.
[0050] To provide separation between the low density fluid in the string 87 and the fluid drawn into the assembly 86 from the test formation 82 , a fluid separation device or plug 106 which may be reciprocated within the assembly 86 may be used. The plug 106 would also aid in preventing any gas in the fluid drawn into the assembly 86 from being transmitted to the earth's surface. An acceptable plug for this application is the Omega™ plug available from Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Additionally, the plug 106 may have a fluid sampler 108 attached thereto, which may be activated to take a sample of the formation fluid drawn into the assembly 86 when desired. For example, when the sensor 102 indicates that the desired representative formation fluid has been flowed into the assembly 86 , the plug 106 may be deployed with the sampler 108 attached thereto in order to obtain a sample of the formation fluid. The plug 106 may then be reverse circulated to the earth's surface by opening the circulation valve 100 . Of course, in that situation, the plug 106 should be retained uphole from the valve 100 .
[0051] A nipple, no-go 110 , or other engagement device may be provided to prevent the plug 106 from displacing downhole past the disposal sub 96 . When applying pressure to the string 87 to flow the fluid in the assembly 86 outward into the disposal formation 84 , such engagement between the plug 106 and the device 110 may be used to provide a positive indication at the earth's surface that the pumping operation is completed. Additionally, a no-go or other displacement limiting device could be used to prevent the plug 106 from circulating above the upper valve 44 to thereby provide a type of downhole safety valve, if desired.
[0052] The sampler 108 could be configured to take a sample of the fluid in the assembly 86 when the plug 106 engages the device 110 . Note, also, that use of the device 110 is not necessary, since it may be desired to take a sample with the sampler 108 of fluid in the assembly 86 below the disposal sub 96 , etc. The sampler could alternatively be configured to take a sample after a predetermined time period, in response to pressure applied thereto (such as hydrostatic pressure), etc.
[0053] An additional one of the plug 106 may be deployed in order to capture a sample of the fluid in the assembly 86 between the plugs, and then convey this sample to the surface, with the sample still retained between the plugs. This may be accomplished by use of a plug deployment sub, such as that representatively depicted in FIG. 3. Thus, after fluid from the formation 82 is drawn into the assembly 86 , the second plug 106 is deployed, thereby capturing a sample of the fluid between the two plugs. The sample may then be circulated to the earth's surface between the two plugs 106 by, for example, opening the circulating valve 100 and reverse circulating the sample and plugs uphole through the string 87 .
[0054] Referring additionally now to FIG. 3, a fluid separation device or plug deployment sub 112 embodying principles of the present invention is representatively depicted. A plug 106 is releasably secured in a housing 114 of the sub 112 by positioning it between two radially reduced restrictions 116 . If the plug 106 is an Omega™ plug, it is somewhat flexible and can be made to squeeze through either of the restrictions 116 if a sufficient pressure differential is applied across the plug. Of course, either of the restrictions could be made sufficiently small to prevent passage of the plug 106 therethrough, if desired. For example, if it is desired to permit the plug 106 to displace upwardly through the assembly 86 above the sub 112 , but not to displace downwardly past the sub 112 , then the lower restriction 116 may be made sufficiently small, or otherwise configured, to prevent passage of the plug therethrough.
[0055] A bypass passage 118 formed in a sidewall of the housing 114 permits fluid flow therethrough from above, to below, the plug 106 , when a valve 120 is open. Thus, when fluid is being drawn into the assembly 86 in the method 80 , the sub 112 , even though the plug 106 may remain stationary with respect to the housing 114 , does not effectively prevent fluid flow through the assembly. However, when the valve 120 is closed, a pressure differential may be created across the plug 106 , permitting the plug to be deployed for reciprocal movement in the string 87 . The sub 112 may be interconnected in the assembly 86 , for example, below the upper valve 66 and below the plug 106 shown in FIG. 2.
[0056] If a pump, such as pump 94 is used to draw fluid from the formation 82 into the assembly 86 , then use of the low density fluid in the string 87 is unnecessary. With the upper valve 66 closed and the lower valve 58 open, the pump 94 may be operated to flow fluid from the formation 82 into the assembly 86 , and outward through the disposal sub 96 into the disposal formation 84 . The pump 94 may be any conventional pump, such as an electrically operated pump, a fluid operated pump, etc.
[0057] Referring additionally now to FIG. 4, another method 130 of performing a formation test embodying principles of the present invention is representatively depicted. The method 130 is described herein as being used in a “rigless” scenario, i.e., in which a drilling rig is not present at the time the actual test is performed, but it is to be clearly understood that such is not necessary in keeping with the principles of the present invention. Note that the method 80 could also be performed rigless, if a downhole pump is utilized in that method. Additionally, although the method 130 is depicted as being performed in a subsea well, a method incorporating principles of the present invention may be performed on land as well.
[0058] In the method 130 , a tubular string 132 is positioned in the well, preferably after a test formation 134 and a disposal formation 136 have been perforated. However, it is to be understood that the formations 134 , 136 could be perforated when or after the string 132 is conveyed into the well. For example, the string 132 could include perforating guns, etc., to perforate one or both of the formations 134 , 136 when the string is conveyed into the well.
[0059] The string 132 is preferably constructed mainly of a composite material, or another easily milled/drilled material. In this manner, the string 132 may be milled/drilled away after completion of the test, if desired, without the need of using a drilling or workover rig to pull the string. For example, a coiled tubing rig could be utilized, equipped with a drill motor, for disposing of the string 132 .
[0060] When initially run into the well, the string 132 may be conveyed therein using a rig, but the rig could then be moved away, thereby providing substantial cost savings to the well operator. In any event, the string 132 is positioned in the well and, for example, landed in a subsea wellhead 138 .
[0061] The string 132 includes packers 140 , 142 , 144 . Another packer may be provided if it is desired to straddle the test formation 134 , as the test formation 82 is straddled by the packers 24 , 32 shown in FIG. 2. The string 132 further includes ports 146 , 148 , 150 spaced as shown in FIG. 4, i.e., ports 146 positioned below the packer 140 , ports 148 between the packers 142 , 144 , and ports 150 above the packer 144 . Additionally the string 132 includes seal bores 152 , 154 , 156 , 158 and a latching profile 160 therein for engagement with a tester tool 162 as described more fully below.
[0062] The tester tool 162 is preferably conveyed into the string 132 via coiled tubing 164 of the type which has an electrical conductor 165 therein, or another line associated therewith, which may be used for delivery of electrical power, data transmission, etc., between the tool 162 and a remote location, such as a service vessel 166 . The tester tool 162 could alternatively be conveyed on wireline or electric line. Note that other methods of data transmission, such as acoustic, electromagnetic, fiber optic etc. may be utilized in the method 130 , without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0063] A return flow line 168 is interconnected between the vessel 166 and an annulus 170 formed between the string 132 and the wellbore 12 above the upper packer 144 . This annulus 170 is in fluid communication with the ports 150 and permits return circulation of fluid flowed to the tool 162 via the coiled tubing 164 for purposes described more fully below.
[0064] The ports 146 are in fluid communication with the test formation 134 and, via the interior of the string 132 , with the lower end of the tool 162 . As described below, the tool 162 is used to pump fluid from the formation 134 , via the ports 146 , and out into the disposal formation 136 via the ports 148 .
[0065] Referring additionally now to FIG. 5, the tester tool 162 is schematically and representatively depicted engaged within the string 132 , but apart from the remainder of the well as shown in FIG. 4 for illustrative clarity. Seals 172 , 174 , 176 , 178 sealingly engage bores 152 , 154 , 156 , 158 , respectively. In this manner, a flow passage 180 near the lower end of the tool 162 is in fluid communication with the interior of the string 132 below the ports 148 , but the passage is isolated from the ports 148 and the remainder of the string above the seal bore 152 ; a passage 182 is placed in fluid communication with the ports 148 between the seal bores 152 , 154 and, thereby, with the disposal formation 136 ; and a passage 184 is placed in fluid communication with the ports 150 between the seal bores 156 , 158 and, thereby, with the annulus 170 .
[0066] An upper passage 186 is in fluid communication with the interior of the coiled tubing 164 . Fluid is pumped down the coiled tubing 164 and into the tool 162 via the passage 186 , where it enters a fluid motor or mud motor 188 . The motor 188 is used to drive a pump 190 . However, the pump 190 could be an electrically-operated pump, in which case the coiled tubing 164 could be a wireline and the passages 186 , 184 , seals 176 , 178 , seal bores 156 , 158 , and ports 150 would be unnecessary. The pump 190 draws fluid into the tool 162 via the passage 180 , and discharges it from the tool via the passage 182 . The fluid used to drive the motor 188 is discharged via the passage 184 , enters the annulus, and is returned via the line 168 .
[0067] Interconnected in the passage 180 are a valve 192 , a fluid property sensor 194 , a variable choke 196 , a valve 198 , and a fluid identification sensor 200 . The fluid property sensor 194 may be a pressure, temperature, resistivity, density, flow rate, etc. sensor, or any other type of sensor, or combination of sensors, and may be similar to any of the sensors described above. The fluid identification sensor 200 may be a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor, an acoustic sand probe, or any other type of sensor, or combination of sensors. Preferably, the sensor 194 is used to obtain data regarding physical properties of the fluid entering the tool 162 , and the sensor 200 is used to identify the fluid itself, or any solids, such as sand, carried therewith. For example, if the pump 190 is operated to produce a high rate of flow from the formation 134 , and the sensor 200 indicates that this high rate of flow results in an undesirably large amount of sand production from the formation, the operator will know to produce the formation at a lower flow rate. By pumping at different rates, the operator can determine at what fluid velocity sand is produced, etc. The sensor 200 may also enable the operator to tailor a gravel pack completion to the grain size of the sand identified by the sensor during the test.
[0068] The flow controls 192 , 196 , 198 are merely representative of flow controls which may be provided with the tool 162 . These are preferably electrically operated by means of the electrical line 165 associated with the coiled tubing 164 as described above, although they may be otherwise operated, without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0069] After exiting the pump 190 , fluid from the formation 134 is discharged into the passage 182 . The passage 182 has valves 202 , 204 , 206 , sensor 208 , and sample chambers 210 , 212 associated therewith. The sensor 208 may be of the same type as the sensor 194 , and is used to monitor the properties, such as pressure, of the fluid being injected into the disposal formation 136 . Each sample chamber has a valve 214 , 216 for interconnecting the chamber to the passage 182 and thereby receiving a sample therein. Each sample chamber may also have another valve 218 , 220 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5) for discharge of fluid from the sample chamber into the passage 182 . Each of the valves 202 , 204 , 206 , 214 , 216 , 218 , 220 may be electrically operated via the coiled tubing 164 electrical line as described above.
[0070] The sensors 194 , 200 , 208 may be interconnected to the line 165 for transmission of data to a remote location. Of course, other means of transmitting this data, such as acoustic, electromagnetic, etc., may be used in addition, or in the alternative. Data may also be stored in the tool 162 for later retrieval with the tool.
[0071] To perform a test, the valves 192 , 198 , 204 , 206 are opened and the pump 190 is operated by flowing fluid through the passages 184 , 186 via the coiled tubing 164 . Fluid from the formation 134 is, thus, drawn into the passage 180 and discharged through the passage 182 into the disposal formation 136 as described above.
[0072] When one or more of the sensors 194 , 200 indicate that desired representative formation fluid is flowing through the tool 162 , one or both of the samplers 210 , 212 is opened via one or more of the valves 214 , 216 , 218 , 220 to collect a sample of the formation fluid. The valve 206 may then be closed, so that the fluid sample may be pressurized to the formation 134 pressure in the samplers 210 , 212 before closing the valves 214 , 216 , 218 , 220 . One or more electrical heaters 222 may be used to keep a collected sample at a desired reservoir temperature as the tool 162 is retrieved from the well after the test.
[0073] Note that the pump 190 could be operated in reverse to perform an injection test on the formation 134 . A microfracture test could also be performed in this manner to collect data regarding hydraulic fracturing pressures, etc. Another formation test could be performed after the microfracture test to evaluate the results of the microfracture operation. As another alternative, a chamber of stimulation fluid, such as acid, could be carried with the tool 162 and pumped into the formation 134 by the pump 190 . Then, another formation test could be performed to evaluate the results of the stimulation operation. Note that fluid could also be pumped directly from the passage 186 to the passage 180 using a suitable bypass passage 224 and valve 226 to directly pump stimulation fluids into the formation 134 , if desired.
[0074] The valve 202 is used to flush the passage 182 with fluid from the passage 186 , if desired. To do this, the valves 202 , 204 , 206 are opened and fluid is circulated from the passage 186 , through the passage 182 , and out into the wellbore 12 via the port 148 .
[0075] Referring additionally now to FIG. 6, another method 240 embodying principles of the present invention is representatively illustrated. The method 240 is similar in many respects to the method 130 described above, and elements shown in FIG. 6 which are similar to those previously described are indicated using the same reference numbers.
[0076] In the method 240 , a tester tool 242 is conveyed into the wellbore 12 on coiled tubing 164 after the formations 134 , 136 have been perforated, if necessary. Of course, other means of conveying the tool 242 into the well may be used, and the formations 134 , 136 may be perforated after conveyance of the tool into the well, without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0077] The tool 242 differs from the tool 162 described above and shown in FIGS. 4 & 5 in part in that the tool 242 carries packers 244 , 246 , 248 thereon, and so there is no need to separately install the tubing string 132 in the well as in the method 130 . Thus, the method 240 may be performed without the need of a rig to install the tubing string 132 . However, it is to be clearly understood that a rig may be used in a method incorporating principles of the present invention.
[0078] As shown in FIG. 6, the tool 242 has been conveyed into the well, positioned opposite the formations 134 , 136 , and the packers 244 , 246 , 248 have been set. The upper packers 244 , 246 are set straddling the disposal formation 136 . The passage 182 exits the tool 242 between the upper packers 244 , 246 , and so the passage is in fluid communication with the formation 136 . The packer 248 is set above the test formation 134 . The passage 180 exits the tool 242 below the packer 248 , and the passage is in fluid communication with the formation 134 . A sump packer 250 is shown set in the well below the formation 134 , so that the packers 248 , 250 straddle the formation 134 and isolate it from the remainder of the well, but it is to be clearly understood that use of the packer 250 is not necessary in the method 240 .
[0079] Operation of the tool 242 is similar to the operation of the tool 162 as described above. Fluid is circulated through the coiled tubing string 164 to cause the motor 188 to drive the pump 190 . In this manner, fluid from the formation 134 is drawn into the tool 242 via the passage 180 and discharged into the disposal formation 136 via the passage 182 . Of course, fluid may also be injected into the formation 134 as described above for the method 130 , the pump 190 may be electrically operated (e.g., using the line 165 or a wireline on which the tool is conveyed), etc.
[0080] Since a rig is not required in the method 240 , the method may be performed without a rig present, or while a rig is being otherwise utilized. For example, in FIG. 6, the method 240 is shown being performed from a drill ship 252 which has a drilling rig 254 mounted thereon. The rig 254 is being utilized to drill another wellbore via a riser 256 interconnected to a template 258 on the seabed, while the testing operation of the method 240 is being performed in the adjacent wellbore 12 . In this manner, the well operator realizes significant cost and time benefits, since the testing and drilling operations may be performed simultaneously from the same vessel 252 .
[0081] Data generated by the sensors 194 , 200 , 208 may be stored in the tool 242 for later retrieval with the tool, or the data may be transmitted to a remote location, such as the earth's surface, via the line 165 or other data transmission means. For example, electromagnetic, acoustic, or other data communication technology may be utilized to transmit the sensor 194 , 200 , 208 data in real time.
[0082] Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a careful reading of the above description of representative embodiments of the present invention, readily appreciate that modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions and other changes may be made to these embodiments, and such changes are contemplated by the principles of the present invention. For example, although the methods 10 , 80 , 130 , 240 are described above as being performed in cased wellbores, they may also be performed in uncased wellbores, or uncased portions of wellbores, by exchanging the described packers, tester valves, etc. for their open hole equivalents. The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only.
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Methods and apparatus are provided which permit well testing operations to be performed downhole in a subterranean well. In various described methods, fluids flowed from a formation during a test may be disposed of downhole by injecting the fluids into the formation from which they were produced, or by injecting the fluids into another formation. In several of the embodiments of the invention, apparatus utilized in the methods permit convenient retrieval of samples of the formation fluids and provide enhanced data acquisition for monitoring of the test and for evaluation of the formation fluids.
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TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the field of solid and hollow cylinders, such as risers, hoses, pilings and pipes immersed in a fluid subject to relative motion between the cylinder and the fluid. In particular, the invention relates to a device and mechanism and method for reducing vortex-induced vibration caused by relative movement of water past a cylinder and also to a cylindrical assembly incorporating the inventive mechanism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background will be described primarily with reference to offshore risers used in sub-sea production wells as an example. Submerged cylindrically-shaped objects, such as risers, spars, or other elongated cylindrical structures used for under-sea oil or gas production, pumping, or loading are often exposed to relative movement of a body of fluid, particularly moving sea currents. Such elongated cylindrical structures are common in offshore petroleum exploration, production and transportation. Sometimes such elongated cylindrical structures extend from the surface to hundreds of meters below the surface, as in the case of spar platforms for production. Sometimes the cylindrical structures extend from the seabed thousands of meters upward toward the surface and into sea currents, as in offshore production risers, loading and unloading risers or hybrid risers for petrochemical production or transport. Cylindrical riser structures may support on their exterior or encase one or more pipelines or risers extending from the seabed to a drilling or production platform, to a ship or to another offshore structure or vehicle. Such risers or cylindrical riser support structures are continuously exposed to ocean currents that produce vortexes or vortices that tend to travel downstream with the current as the water moves around and past the risers. These vortices produce oscillating “lift” forces on the cylindrical structure as a result of vortex shedding and the spanwise, or lengthwise, coherence of the vortex shedding can produce substantial cumulative lift force on the elongated cylindrical structure. The effect is particularly adverse in the case of a cylindrical riser support column extending several hundreds of meters in the path of the current.
The lift forces due to vortex shedding act generally normal to the axis of the cylindrical structure and flow direction. As a vortex is produced and then separated in a “sheet” from the cylindrical surface along the length or span of the cylinder exposed to the current, the lift force can be significant and destructive. The vortices are swirling currents that repeatedly shed from the cylinder, sometimes called “Von Karman Vortex Sheets” and produce vortex-induced vibration. The vibratory movement or vortex-induced vibration (VIV) Von Karman Vortex caused by the repeated sheet separation from the cylinder is sometimes called “Aeolian Vibration.” This vortex-induced vibration creates cyclic stresses on the cylindrical structure that may be too small to cause immediate fracture, but upon constant repetition may weaken or damage the riser through material fatigue or stress-induced fracture. In certain relatively common current situations, a resonant vibration can be created, causing repetitive forces in phase with the vibratory motion that can overstress the cylindrical structure to potentially catastrophic failure.
In the past, fins protruding from the peripheral surface of the cylinders exposed to the current or other fluid movement, as in production riser situations, were used to reduce the adverse effect of such vortex formation and vortex sheet shedding. For example, helically-arranged vortex-shedding ribs, or strakes, have been designed to be installed on submerged risers exposed to ocean currents. In one prior device, such strakes are to be incorporated as components of a flexible wrap or panel to be disposed about and secured to the submerged riser. Typically the strakes are to be clamped to the riser prior to its being submerged. Such strakes could be formed by pairs of clamping flanges mounted along the adjacent edges of elongated parallelogram-shaped wrap segments. The wrap segments could be positioned side-by-side, twisting around the outer surface of the riser, and then bolted to engage at the clamp flanges, forming a helical strake extending in a spiral around and along the length of the cylindrical structure that will be exposed to moving current.
In another design, one or more ribs or strakes could be attached vertically or diagonally on a flat, rectangular panel of flexible wrapping material. The wrapping material would be dimensioned to encircle, by itself, an elongated segment of a single riser, piling, pipe or other cylindrical object. Clamping flanges were to be mounted along opposed vertical edges of the rectangular panel. The clamping flanges were to be brought together and clamped, thereby stretching the panel to wrap securely around and frictionally embrace the outer surface of the riser. A plurality of such wrapped panels with ribs or strakes were to be clamped in deployed positions, along the length of the cylindrical structure such that the strakes were aligned at either end of adjacent panels in a helical configuration encircling the wrapped riser structure.
It is difficult to transport, handle and install a cylindrical riser support structure having protruding strakes. Further, it has been found that installation underwater at the riser site is extremely difficult and usually impractical. It has been found that fabrication of a cylindrical riser structure with a protruding strake of a prior design is costly. Additionally, it has been found that the protruding strake on a cylindrical riser support structure increases the viscous drag of the water against the riser assembly, thereby risking greater stress and requiring increased size and strength for the riser support design.
In certain riser installations, a polymeric coating and, in particular, a polymeric foam layer is applied to the exterior surface of the risers and the riser support cylinder to provide protection from the undersea environment and advantageously to provide buoyancy to the assembly. The riser itself may be composed of a metal or a composite material. The riser support structure is normally a metal support cylinder with the metal or composite cylindrical riser pipe lines and polymeric foam coating material attached to the surface of the metal cylinder to facilitate maintaining the riser and support structure in an upright position by reducing the combined mass density (i.e., by adding buoyancy). It has been found that securing strakes, of any prior known design, to the exterior of a layer of polymeric foam is difficult. For example, clamping of strakes to the polymeric surface often fails due to insufficient compression strength of the foam. Particularly, in the case of a polymeric foam coating or bundle on the riser or riser support cylinder, clamping tension may not be sufficient to maintain the strakes in a secure position. Excessive clamping tension can significantly reduce the buoyancy by crushing the foam layer.
A need has therefore arisen for a device, mechanism and method to reduce, resist or suppress vortex induced vibration (VIV), or the effect of VIV on submergible cylinders such as risers and riser support columns, without requiring the attachment of a protruding strake. A need has also arisen for a submergible riser assembly with a VIV reduction mechanism attached that is easy to transport, easy to handle and easy to install and that is not costly to fabricate. In addition, a need has arisen for such a VIV reduction mechanism for fluid immerse cylindrical structures and assemblies, including submergible riser assemblies that does not significantly increase the viscous drag of moving fluid or moving water against the immersed cylinder or submerged riser assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention disclosed herein comprises a device, mechanism and method for use in a generally cylindrical assembly that is resistant to vortex-induced vibration when immersed in a moving fluid. The generally cylindrical assembly of the present invention, and particularly in the case of a cylindrical riser assembly, is easy to transport, handle and install and is not costly to fabricate. In addition, a feature of one embodiment of a cylindrical assembly according to certain inventive aspects of the present invention is that the cylindrical assembly is submergible in a body of water and resists or reduces vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and does not significantly increase the viscous drag of the fluid or water moving past the cylindrical assembly.
The vortex induced vibration (VIV) reduction mechanism of the present invention and the submergible cylindrical assembly of the present invention having such VIV reduction mechanism combined therewith effectively reduce the adverse effect of vortex-induced vibration when positioned in a flowing body of fluid such as water. The VIV reduction mechanism comprises a generally cylindrical column having a central axis, an outer surface, a wall thickness and a length. A pattern is cut or formed into the outer surface of the generally cylindrical column to selectively decrease the distance of the outer surface from the central axis. The pattern may be formed with a plurality of columnar sections each having a notch cut into the outer surface. A plurality of columnar sections are placed in series or stacked along the length of the cylindrical column. The notch of each columnar section is positioned in a selected circumferential angular relationship with the notch of each other columnar section and extends partially along the length of the column, thereby selectively reducing the thickness of the wall and producing a discontinuity in the outer cylindrical surface at selected positions. The angular position of each notch or of each reduced thickness portion of a wall around the circumference of the generally cylindrical column sections is differently selected along the length of the column. The selected angular positions provide a pattern of discontinuities on the generally cylindrical outer surface of the column. It will be understood that for a solid cylinder the wall thickness is nominally equal to the nominal radius. For a riser support column comprising a hollow cylinder encased in a polymeric or foam material, the wall thickness is less than the nominal radius. Selectively decreasing the distance from the axis to the surface might also be considered the same as reducing the wall thickness at selected locations or in a desired pattern. The reduced radius or reduced wall thickness preferably provides a sharp discontinuity in the surface.
Preferably, the discontinuities will be selectively and appropriately positioned in a pattern, desirably a helical pattern, along the length of the column so that the VIV effect of vortex sheet separation from the cylindrical column is reduced. Forming or approximating a helical shaped discontinuity along the length of the cylindrical structure exposed to moving current facilitates reduction of VIV, or at least reduces its negative effects in the cylindrical structure. The discontinuity acts to shed the vortex at different times at different segments along the length of the cylinder. The various vortex-created lift forces are out of phase from each other and thus are out of phase with the oscillation that the forces would otherwise cause in the cylindrical structure at any given time. The “out of phase” forces tend to cancel each other out. Thus, the vibratory effect of vortex-induced lift forces on the cylinder are reduced.
The abrupt reduction in thickness or the formation of a sharp discontinuity in the outer surface is generally accomplished using variously shaped notches or grooves. Preferably, notches or grooves having sharp corners have been found to be useful, such as a right angle triangular-shaped notch, an equilateral triangular-shaped notch, a rectangular-shaped notch, or other angular polygon. The notches or reduced thickness areas causing discontinuities in the outer surface of the cylindrical structure are either formed in a substantially continuous helical pattern or formed with segments of notches that are rotated to different angular positions at regular intervals along the length of the cylindrical structure. By forming relatively short segments of longitudinal notches and sequentially rotating each notch consistent angular amounts (between 10° and 90°) at regular intervals of length (between about 0.1 and 10 times the diameter), a long helical shape is approximated by the plurality of rotated notches or grooves. A series of partially rotated column sections, each column section having vertical or slightly angled notches or grooves may be provided along the length of the cylindrical column structure. By rotating the column sections at the time they are affixed to the support cylinder, a helically shaped groove is approximated by vertically elongated notches. A better approximation of a helical groove may be formed by a series of columnar sections having angled notch segments aligned end to end by rotating the columnar sections.
A generally cylindrical column structure to which the present inventive VIV reduction mechanism is to be applied according to the disclosure herein, might typically be a support structure for drilling risers or production risers. It will be understood that this is by way of example only of the cylindrical structure to which the VIV reduction device and mechanism is applied. The resulting inventive VIV reduced cylindrical assembly may also be used for other cylindrical structures; i.e., it may be a drilling riser, a production riser, a hybrid riser and/or any number of other elongated cylindrical structures that may be subjected to the adverse effects of VIV. The cylindrical structure may comprise a solid metal outer surface or may comprise a composite material on which a VIV reduction mechanism is secured or formed. The VIV reduction mechanism may be notches or grooves formed in the solid surface. Preferably notches or grooves in helical pattern may be formed into a composite polymeric material or a polymer foam material secured, attached or formed onto the surface of a generally cylindrical support structure such as a riser support cylinder or cut or molded into the surface of a generally cylindrically shaped polymer foam material attached on the outer surface of any immersed cylindrical structure. The VIV reduction mechanism may also be formed in a composite structure with notches, grooves or other discontinuity formed into the outer surface or into the wall thickness, as described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing objects, advantages, and features, as well as other objects and advantages, will become apparent with reference to the description, claims and drawings below, in which like numerals represent like elements and in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective, partially cutaway view, depicting various undersea uses of cylindrical columns in moving fluid (i.e., vertical cylindrical columns in horizontal water currents).
FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a cylindrical riser bundle support assembly provided with an upper buoyancy can, and a cylindrical support structure for the bundle of tubular risers with the cylindrical support structure having applicants' VIV suppression invention applied to the cylindrical exterior surface;
FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of a hybrid riser assembly having a cylindrical riser support structure with a portion thereof having, for additional buoyancy, substantially cylindrical foam to which applicants' inventive VIV suppression device has been applied;
FIG. 4 is a schematic depiction of a representative segment of the upper enhanced buoyancy portion of the substantially cylindrical riser structure of FIG. 3 in which a plurality of risers are held together supported by a central support cylinder in segmented foam quadrants clamped in a substantially cylindrical shape and having segments of applicants' VIV reduction devices applied and clamped to the exterior of the enhanced buoyancy foam riser bundle;
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional depiction of one embodiment of applicants' inventive VIV reduction device and mechanism in which four sections of the VIV suppression device are depicted for clamping around a riser, two of which in each cylindrical segment have a notch or sharp discontinuity formed therein with each notch at concentric opposed locations, the junctions at each end each section being concentric with the other ends and of the same width so that clamping engagement results in a smooth transition between one half and the other;
FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the VIV suppression device in which four discontinuities or four notches or four “step notches” are formed in four quadrants of the VIV columnar segments;
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment similar to FIG. 6 , except that each VIV reduction columnar segment is divided into two substantially identical pieces. The cut can be anywhere in the segment;
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment similar to FIG. 7 , except that each VIV reduction columnar segment is divided into four identical pieces which lock each other together. This embodiment will allow the load on the notches to be better distributed along the entire length of the segment.
FIG. 9 shows the arrangement of the segments and notches depicted in FIGS. 6-8 in the longitudinal direction. For clarity only one notch on each columnar segment is shown.
FIGS. 10-13 show cross-sections of the segments of FIG. 9 taken along the lines 10 — 10 , 11 — 11 , 12 — 12 , and 13 — 13 , respectively.
FIG. 14 shows another arrangement of the notches depicted in FIGS. 6-8 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, successive notches form a spiral line. For clarity, only one notch on each columnar segment is shown.
FIGS. 15-18 show cross-sections of the segments of FIG. 14 taken along the lines 15 — 15 , 16 — 16 , 17 — 17 and 18 — 18 , respectively.
FIG. 19 shows another embodiment in which the outline of the columnar segment is not a circle, with the phantom line in the drawing showing a circle (that is not part of a structure) for comparison. At one side, the surface extends beyond the circular phantom line and at the other side it is inside the circular phantom line. The notch arrangement of successive segments in the longitudinal direction can be the same as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 14 .
FIG. 20 shows another embodiment similar to FIG. 19 , except that the columnar VIV reduction segment is divided into two identical pieces. The notch arrangement of successive segments in the longitudinal direction can be the same as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 14 .
FIG. 21 shows another embodiment of a segment that has a notch of a different shape. The notch arrangement in the longitudinal direction can be the same as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 14 .
FIG. 22 is a side view of longitudinally arranged segments with triangular notches. The triangular notches cover entire cylindrical surface and in the longitudinal direction, the notches forming spiral (helical) lines.
FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of one of the segments of FIG. 22 , taken along the line 23 — 23 .
FIGS. 24 and 25 show another embodiment where the cross section of the segment is an ellipse and the angular orientation of the long axis of each rotates, as shown in the cross-section in FIG. 25 , to form a spiral (twisted) shape.
FIGS. 26 and 27 show another embodiment where the cross section is a triangle with rounded corners. The angular orientation of each triangle rotates, as shown in the cross-section in FIG. 27 , to form a spiral (twisted) shape.
FIGS. 28 and 29 show another embodiment where the cross section is a square with rounded corners. The angular orientation of the square rotates, as shown in FIG. 29 , to form a spiral (twisted) shape.
FIGS. 30 and 31 show another embodiment where the cross section is an ellipse. The angular orientation of the long axis of the ellipse rotates, as shown in FIG. 31 , to form a discontinuous stepped pattern.
FIGS. 32 and 33 show another embodiment where the cross section is a triangle with rounded corners. The angular orientation of the triangle rotates, as shown in FIG. 33 , to form a discontinuous stepped pattern.
FIGS. 34 and 35 show another embodiment where the cross section is a square with rounded corners. The angular orientation of the square rotates, as shown in FIG. 35 , to form a discontinuous stepped pattern.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applications for the inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.
Referring to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic depiction of floating production systems on the sea surface 10 and extending from the seabed 12 through a distance of ocean, including a portion 14 having sea currents and a portion 15 without significant sea currents. Examples of various ocean equipment to which the invention may be usefully applied are depicted, including a sea floor drilling rig 16 , a ship 18 , a columnar-supported drilling platform 20 , and a spar platform 24 , as well as a collection vessel 26 . Risers 28 are shown extending from the seabed 12 to the collection ship 18 where hydrocarbons are pumped on board from the risers and transported to an appropriate port facility where similar risers may offload the petroleum products to a refinery. The drilling or production platform 20 is schematically depicted with a drill casing 30 extending to the floor surface and also support legs 32 on which the drilling or production platform is secured to the sea floor 12 .
The spar platform hull 24 is supported on a large cylindrical spar hull 40 having a heavy end 39 and an upwardly buoyant end 37 so that the platform 24 is floating in a desired position and may be anchored in position with mooring lines 41 . Top tension risers and steel catenary riser pipes 42 extend upward to the spar platform 24 and through or about the spar hull 40 to the production platform 24 . The collection vessel 26 is shown receiving hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon collection system 44 for sub-sea wells on the seabed 12 and providing the produced hydrocarbons through upwardly extending risers 46 and also collecting hydrocarbons from the well 16 through elongated recovery pipes 48 that may extend flexibly along the seabed 12 and upward to collection vessel 26 .
The foregoing floating production systems are depicted by way of background so that uses of the inventive VIV reduction mechanism according to various embodiments of the present invention may be more fully understood as to the wide ranging applications to riser cylinders drill casings, riser support columns, pipes, platform legs, cylindrical spars and other similar immersed cylindrical structures.
With reference to FIG. 2 , a production/transport vessel 50 , in this case a ship 50 , is shown in position for receiving hydrocarbons above a buoyancy canister 52 attached to a riser support cylinder 54 so that the riser support cylinder 54 may be held upright and having a connection in 53 held adjacent to the sea surface 10 . Depicted in FIG. 2 is one embodiment of VIV reduction mechanism 56 attached along a length 14 exposed to current 58 that is depicted as horizontal arrows 58 . In shallow waters, the current 58 may extend from the sea surface 10 to the seabed 12 , however, in deep waters as is often the case, the current 58 may extend a length 14 that may be several hundred to several thousand meters deep. In situations where the sea depth is thousands of meters, there will also be a length 15 of riser 54 that is not exposed to any significant current. In situations where no VIV reduction mechanism 56 is applied to the cylindrical riser support, the current 58 will form vortexes or a sheet of vortex material along substantially the entire length 14 exposed to the current 58 . With vortex reduction mechanisms 56 applied to riser support structure 54 , the vortices 60 a, b, c, d, e, f, and g will each shed from the column surface at different times and/or different locations such that the lifting force at each longitudinal position along the riser support structures is out of phase with the oscillation of the entire riser 54 thereby canceling out the vibration. This effectively reduces the vibration.
The vessel 50 is shown held in place by anchor cables 62 attached to sea anchors 64 so that the conduits 66 from the connection head to the production vessel 50 are retained in a relatively stable position. The VIV reduction mechanism 56 applied along cylindrical riser 54 comprises a plurality of VIV reduction column segments 70 . These have been labeled starting at the topmost as VIV reduction column segment 70 a with the next columnar segment 70 b , 70 c etc. Each columnar segment is rotated relative to the next such that a sharp notch, groove, or discontinuity, as described below, provided in each columnar segment, is circumferentially displaced relative to the notch, groove or discontinuity in the adjacent segment.
Advantageously, the discontinuity areas are rotated angularly with each successive columnar segment to a different angular position relative to the adjacent columnar segments. Desirably, for example, segment 70 b is rotated an angle of between about 10° and 90° relative to segment 70 a. Also desirably segment 70 c is also rotated to the same angular amount relative to 70 b as 70 b is rotated relative to 70 a. Thus, a consistent rotational interval is provided along each VIV reduction column segment.
As will be described more fully below, the column segments may have an axial length that is between about ½ times the diameter to about 10 times the diameter. In particular, it has been discovered that columnar segments having a length of approximately 1½ times the diameter each rotated about 30° relative to each other will advantageously break up the vortex sheet. Vortex shedding at one column will be out of phase with the next so that vortex induced lifting forces are out of phase and cancel each other. By rotating each columnar segment, a consistent rotational angle between about 10 and 90°, a helical design is approximated. Each VIV reduction columnar segment may comprise one or a plurality of longitudinal VIV reduction discontinuities. Generally speaking, the greater number of discontinuities per columnar segment, the longer the columnar segment may be and still have a desired VIV reduction effect. Various embodiments, constructions and manufacturing of VIV reduction columns will be discussed more fully below with reference to FIGS. 5-43 .
Turning now to FIG. 3 , which is a configuration of hybrid riser, an additional application of the inventive VIV reduction mechanism may be more fully understood in connection with a support riser 76 having structural steel pipe inside the bundle, by which a plurality of riser pipes 68 may be supported vertically upward from the seabed 12 to a position close to sea surface 10 , for providing flexible riser 82 connection to floating platform 74 . In this embodiment, the VIV reduction mechanism 77 comprises of a plurality of VIV reduction columnar segments, 78 a, b, c, and d etc., each having a VIV reduction notch 84 a, b, c, and d etc. preferably a plurality of angled notches or discontinuities 84 a, b, c, and d etc. The angle of the notch relative to the longitudinal axis of a columnar segment 78 , desirably provides a segment of a helical notch 84 . Adjacent VIV reduction columnar segments 78 a and b are each simultaneously merged and are each rotated relative to each other at appropriate angular interval so that the notches 84 a and 84 b are lined end to end form a cylindrical notch comprised of a plurality of segments 84 b, c, d, e, f, g, and etc. The number of columnar segments required to provide the VIV reduction system along the length of riser support 76 that is exposed to currents will depend upon the depth of the currents and the length of each columnar segment.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , additional buoyancy polymeric foam segments 80 a, b, c and etc. are also provided secured to the cylindrical riser support structure 76 toward the top thereof where it may be tethered through cables 88 to a production platform 74 floating on the sea surface 10 . A connection head 90 is provided by which the risers 68 are in fluid communication with flexible risers 82 to provide hydrocarbons to the surface vessel.
Referring now to FIG. 4 , one embodiment of a riser support column with risers encased in a foam retaining material is schematically depicted with a partial perspective view of one portion of a riser support cylinder assembly having foam material in cylindrical quadrants encasing a plurality of risers and further providing additional buoyancy VIV reduction mechanisms clamped around the periphery of the cylindrical support structure. Particularly, a metal cylinder 102 provides the main riser support and a plurality of petroleum recovery risers 104 a , 104 b , 104 c , 104 d are provided along with control cables 106 a and 106 b as well as additional pressurizing pipes 108 a , b and 108 c and d as well as gas recovery pipes 110 a and 110 b ( 110 b not shown in FIG. 4 ). The VIV columnar segments 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , and 70 d are shown constructed of four VIV reduction column sections, the risers, conduits and control cables extending along the length of support cylinder being encased within four molded polymeric foam sections 120 , 122 , 124 , and 126 making up each of the columnar segments 70 a , 70 b , 70 c and 70 d . Adjacent ones of sections 120 , 122 , 124 and 126 need not be the same cross-sectional shape, although it is preferred that respectively opposing sections, i.e., 120 and 124 , and 122 and 126 , be the same shaped as their opposed section. These sections are respectively “split” at junctions 146 and 148 (not shown in FIG. 4 , see FIG. 5 ) for petroleum recovery risers 104 a , 104 b , 104 c and 104 d and include half-circle cut-outs for these risers. Sections 122 and 126 include outwardly open cut-outs for cables 106 a and 106 b , and sections 120 and 124 include inwardly open cut-outs for gas recovery lines 110 a and 110 b . The construction of these sections will be more fully understood with reference also to FIG. 5 which is across-sectional view of VIV reduction riser assembly according to FIG. 4 taken along section line 5 — 5 .
Each VIV reduction segment 70 a, 70 b, 70 c and 70 d has a discontinuity 132 a, 132 b, 132 c and 132 d in its outer surface, and a corresponding discontinuity 132 a′, 132 b′, 132 c′ and 132 d′ on the outer surface of its back side. As depicted in FIG. 4 , each of these discontinuities comprises a substantially radially directed face 134 extending inward from the exterior surface 142 , a distance approximating between 1/10th and 3/10ths the diameter thereby decreasing the wall thickness of VIV reduction columnar half 130 as depicted at 136 . A substantially flat surface 140 is formed projecting substantially at right angles to face 134 thereby providing a right triangular notch 132 . Subsequent columnar segments 70 a, 70 b and 70 c also have a similar notches 132 a, 132 b and 132 c, respectively. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 , two opposed ones of the four columnar segments also has a discontinuity or a notch 132 formed in its face. These sections are clamped using clamps 142 and 144 to securely hold the additional buoyancy foam, into which the VIV reduction mechanism has been formed, onto the exterior of the cylindrical riser assembly 80 . At junctions 146 and 148 (not shown in FIG. 4 , see FIG. 5 ) between the sections, the wall thickness of the adjacent VIV reduction column sections is the same.
Referring to FIG. 5 that is a cross-sectional view of the VIV reduction riser assembly of FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the VIV reduction columns according to this embodiment have substantially concentric notches at opposite sections where the thickness of the wall is reduced an equivalent amount D on each side and the wall thickness progressively increases from that notch 132 toward the opposing section, where the diameter continues to increase until the second notch 132 on that opposing section is reached. Again, the discontinuity wall thickness is decreased the distance D and again the wall thickness progressively increases past the junction 148 until the subsequent notch 132 on the other side is reached. Similar structure is provided with respect to each of the VIV reduction columnar segments 70 a, 70 b, 70 c and 70 d, in which successive segments are mounted sequentially adjacent to each other except rotated a predetermined angular interval between zero and 90°. It has been found that rotation of approximately 30° provides good VIV reduction, thus discontinuity 132 b is offset from the prior discontinuity 132 by an angle of approximately 30°. Subsequent columnar segment 70 c is likewise formed with four sections. The foam segments of these successive of these columnar segments are molded such that each successive discontinuity 132 is rotated about 30°. with respect to the next. It has further been found that the length 144 of each columnar segment 170 a, b, c, etc. may be desirably about 1.5 times the nominal diameter of the VIV reduction columnar segments.
Turning now to FIG. 6 , a cross-section another embodiment of the VIV suppression device surrounding a pipe 108 ′ is depicted having four discontinuities or “notches” 158 , 159 , 160 and 161 formed in four quadrants of the VIV columnar segment. The eccentric exterior shape retains or approximates a substantially cylindrical columnar shape. In this embodiment, the VIV suppression device may conveniently be molded onto the pipe, or slipped onto its end prior to installation of the pipe.
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment similar to FIG. 6 , except that each VIV reduction columnar segment is divided into two substantially identical pieces, to facilitate assembly. The cuts 163 and 164 can be anywhere in the segment.
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment similar to FIG. 7 , except that the discontinuities 158 , 159 , 160 and 161 are, for example, at or near the junctions between each quadrant. In this embodiment, each VIV reduction columnar segment is divided into four identical pieces which lock each other together at zig-zag split lines 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 . This embodiment permits the load on the notches to be better distributed along the entire length of the segment.
FIG. 9 is a schematic depiction of a VIV reduction mechanism 180 formed of a plurality of VIV reduction columnar segments 181 a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k and l stacked in an elongated column each having a longitudinal discontinuity 182 in the form of notches 182 a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k and l. For clarity only one notch on each columnar segment is shown. Each columnar segment is rotated 30° degrees relative to each other. By sequentially rotating the columnar segments 181 , the notches 182 are arranged in a pattern that approximates a helical pattern. The rotation angle of 30° provides twelve columnar segments for one complete helical rotation of the vertical notch positions.
FIGS. 10 , 11 , 12 and 13 are schematic cross-sectional views taken at section lines at 10 — 10 , 11 — 11 , 12 — 12 , and 13 — 13 , respectively. Each cross-sectional depiction represents 90° rotation or each third one of the columnar sections each rotated 30°. In figure 10 an indication of a perspective view is depicted in phantom lines in combination with the solid line cross-sectional view to assist in visualization of the construction of the discontinuity or notch 192 a . Although the embodiment depicted shows a cross-section of a substantially cylindrical column segment that is slightly eccentric rather than perfectly cylindrical, the construction may be understood in terms of a nominal diameter D represented by numeral 194 . Referring gain to FIG. 9 the height of each column 195 is conveniently in a range of between one half times D to about five times D, to permit offsetting of the discontinuities by the desired rotation angle, however, the ratio is not critical to the invention. Longer columnar segments might be used, for example, where a plurality of notches 192 are formed in each columnar segment rather than the single notch as depicted in FIGS. 9 through 13 . The notch or discontinuity has a substantially flat face 193 that provide a corner along the height 195 of the column. The face 193 has a depth B represented by numeral 197 into the eccentric surface of the cylindrical column 191 a . Depth B consist of a portion C represented by numeral 198 that accomplishes the eccentricity of the columnar segment and the remainder which corresponds to the reduction in the radius less than the nominal diameter D. The size of the notch depends upon the specific conditions of use. Of course, the rotation need not be 30 degrees, as any offset sufficient to create any pattern of notches effective to diminish VIV will suffice. Again with reference also to FIGS. 10 , 11 , 12 and 13 each of which depicts a cross-sectional view of the VIV reduction mechanism 190 at Section lines 10 — 10 , 11 — 11 , 12 — 12 and 13 — 13 , respectively. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 9 through 13 as more specifically set forth with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 , the cylindrical columnar segments 192 have a diameter D represented by numeral 194 . The longitude and the length of each column is between one-half times D and five times D as represented by reference numeral 195 . The discontinuity or notch 192 a has a flat face 193 that is radially aligned with the central axis of the VIV columnar segment 191 a and has a flat surface 195 projecting at right angles from face 193 . This produces a sharp exterior corner at 198 that facilitate initiation of the shear shedding as discussed previously. The depth B represented by numeral 197 may be in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 times the diameter D. The face 195 has a width A represented by numeral 196 that may be in the range of 0.3 to 0.8 times the nominal diameter D.
FIG. 14 depicts a side view of sequentially arranged segments with notches formed at an angle into the outer surface of the VIV reduction device, so that when the segments are successively arranged, the notches form a substantially longitudinally continuous spiral notch. Each columnar segment rotate at 30° relative to the other as with 90 degrees of rotation. The arrangement of each third segment is depicted in cross-sections in FIGS. 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 .
FIG. 19 shows another embodiment in which the outline of the columnar segment is not exactly a circle; i.e., it is somewhat spiral-shaped. The phantom line 199 in the drawing shows a circle but is not part of a structure. At one side of the surface extends beyond the circular phantom line and at the other side it is inside the circular phantom line. The notch sequential off-setting arrangement in the longitudinal direction can be the same as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 14 ; i.e., approximately 30 degrees.
FIG. 20 shows another embodiment similar to FIG. 19 , except that the columnar VIV reduction segment is divided into two identical pieces at cut lines 163 ′ and 164 ′. The notch arrangement in the longitudinal direction can be the same as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 14 ; i.e., approximately 30 degrees.
FIG. 21 shows another embodiment that has a notch 158 ″ of a different shape; i.e., a square. The notch arrangement in the longitudinal direction can be the same as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 14 . Although only one notch 158 ″ is depicted, four or any number could be used, as in FIGS. 9 and 14 .
FIG. 22 is another embodiment which has a cross section as shown in FIG. 23 . The triangular notches 300 cover entire cylindrical surface and in the longitudinal direction, the notches form spiral (helical) lines.
This embodiment uses a VIV reduction mechanism in which a plurality of V-type notches 300 are equilateral triangles are formed into the surface of the substantially cylindrical column. Again the star-shaped cross-section of FIG. 23 continuously spirals along the length of the column depicted in FIG. 23 . This may be created by a long columnar section longer than the one-half to ten times the diameter columns that might be more appropriate with vertically aligned notches. However for ease of manufacture and for clamping onto cylindrical risers or cylindrical riser support structures or the like columnar sections might still be used and alignment will be easily accomplished because of the uniform star shape provided by the plurality of V-shaped notches.
FIG. 24 and 25 show another embodiment where the cross section 250 is slightly twisted, an ellipse, successive segments being offset about 45 degrees so the long axis of the ellipse “spirals,” as shown in FIG. 25 , to form a spiral (twisted) shape.
FIGS. 26 and 27 show another embodiment where the cross section 255 is a slightly twisted triangle with rounded corners. Successive segments are offset about 45 degrees, the direction of the triangle, as shown in FIG. 27 , to form a spiral (twisted) shape.
FIGS. 28 and 29 show another embodiment where the cross section is a square with rounded corners. The angular orientation of the square rotates, as shown in FIG. 29 , to form a spiral (twisted) shape.
FIGS. 30 and 31 show another embodiment where the cross section is an ellipse. The angular orientation of the long axis of the ellipse rotates as shown in FIG. 31 , to form a discontinuous stepped pattern.
FIGS. 32 and 33 show another embodiment where the cross section is a triangle with rounded corners. The angular orientation of the triangle rotates, as shown in FIG. 33 , to form a discontinuous stepped pattern.
FIGS. 34 and 35 show another embodiment where the cross section is a square with rounded corners. The angular orientation of the square rotates, as shown in FIG. 35 , to form a discontinuous stepped pattern.
While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments. Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the present disclosure, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.
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A mechanism to be applied to an exterior surface of a cylindrical structure for the reduction of the effect of Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) in the cylindrical structure when immersed in flowing fluid, wherein the mechanism includes a generally cylindrical column having a central axis, an interior surface corresponding in size and shape to the exterior surface of the cylindrical structure to which the mechanism is to be applied and an outer surface defining a wall thickness. A reduced wall thickness is formed into the outer surface in a pattern to produce a discontinuity that interrupts the lengthwise coherence of vortex shedding of moving fluid from the outer surface when the cylindrical column is attached to the exterior of the cylindrical structure in the flowing fluid. The effect of VIV on the cylindrical structure is effectively reduced. The result is a submergible cylindrical assembly for positioning in a flowing body of water and having enhanced resistance to VIV.
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PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/2000-1810PCT filed on Aug. 16, 2001, entitled UPPER ZONE ISOLATION TOOL FOR SMAT WELL COMPLETIONS and 60/229,230 filed Aug. 31, 2000, entitled UPPER ZONE ISOLATION TOOL FOR SMART WELL COMPLETIONS.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for completing, producing and servicing wells, and in particular to improved methods and apparatus for separately isolating and treating multiple hydrocarbon bearing subterranean zones in a well. The methods and apparatus of the present invention are applicable to isolating well zones for treatment production, testing, completion and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common to encounter hydrocarbons wells intersecting more than one separate subterranean hydrocarbons bearing zones. These separate zones can have the same or different characteristics. Production of hydrocarbons from subterranean zones can be enhanced by performing various treatments to the zones. Examples of well treatments include fracturing, perforating, gravel packing, chemical treatment, and the like. The zone's particular characteristics determine the ideal treatments to be used. In multi zone wells, different well treatments may be required to properly treat the zones.
For example, the production of hydrocarbons from unconsolidated or poorly consolidated formation zones may result in the production of sand along with the hydrocarbons. The presence of formation fines and sand is disadvantageous and undesirable in that the particles abrade pumping and other producing equipment and reduce the fluid production capabilities of the producing zones in the wells. Particulate material (e.g., sand) may be present due to the nature of a subterranean formation and/or because of well stimulation treatments wherein proppant is introduced into a subterranean formation. Unconsolidated subterranean zones may be stimulated by creating fractures in the zones and depositing particulate proppant material in the fractures to maintain them in open positions.
Gravel pack treatments with and without sand screens and the like have commonly been installed in wellbores penetrating unconsolidated zones to control sand production from a well. The gravel pack treatments serve as filters and help to assure that fines and sand do not migrate with produced fluids into the wellbore.
In a typical gravel pack completion, a screen consisting of screen units is placed in the wellbore within the zone to be completed. The screen is typically connected to a tool having a packer and a crossover. The tool is in turn connected to a work or production string. A particulate material, usually graded sand (often referred to in the art as gravel) is pumped in a slurry down the work or production string and through the crossover whereby it flows into the annulus between the screen and the wellbore. The liquid forming the slurry leaks off into the subterranean zone and/or through a screen sized to prevent the sand in the slurry from flowing there through. As a result, the sand is deposited in the annulus around the screen whereby it forms a gravel pack. The size of the sand in the gravel pack is selected such that it prevents formation fines and sand from flowing into the wellbore with produced fluids.
Circulation packing (sometimes called “conventional” gravel-packing) begins at the bottom of the screen and packs upward along the length of the screen. Gravel is transported into the annulus between the screen and casing (or the screen and the open hole) where it is packed into position from the bottom of the completion interval upward. The transport fluid then returns to the annulus through the washpipe inside the screen that is connected to the workstring.
After gravel packing it is sometimes necessary to perform additional and different treatments on the gravel packed zone after its production performance has been monitored and evaluated.
As pointed out above, when a well intersects multiple spaced formation zones, each zone may require separate or even different successive treatments. In these multiple zone wells, a need arises to mechanically isolate the separate zones so that they may be individually treated. In the selected gravel packing treatment example, a multiple zone well may require that each zone be isolated and connected to the surface and treated individually. For example, undesirable fluid losses and control problems could prevent simultaneous gravel packing of multiple zones. In addition, each zone may require unique treatment procedures and subsequent individual zone testing and treatment may be required.
Conventional methods of isolating individual zones for treatment, utilize multi-trip processes of setting temporary packers. The packers are first set, the isolated zone treated and the packers removed. To overcome these time consuming and expensive conventional methods one-time hydraulic operated sleeves have been used to provide access to a zone after it has first been treated. When the zone is to be opened the tools' hydraulically operated sleeve valve is opened as the well pressure is raised to a preset level and then bled off. These tools are one-shot in that they are installed in the closed position and once opened cannot be later closed to again isolate that particular zone. These prior systems and methods do not allow the zones to be selectively and repeatedly isolated for subsequent treatment and monitoring.
Thus, there are needs for improved methods and apparatus for completing wells, including providing a simple, cost-effective method and apparatus for individually and repeatedly isolating and treating multiple zones in a single well.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides improved methods and apparatus for isolating multiple hydrocarbon bearing zones in wells, including selectively and repeated isolation of individual zones in a well. More specifically, the present invention provides a zone isolation apparatus, which can be repeatedly opened and closed. This allows well zones to be selectively and individually treated or tested as may be required. This apparatus and method eliminates the costly and time consuming process of setting and removing packers each time the zone must be isolated.
The improved methods and apparatus basically comprise the steps of placing upper zone isolation apparatus on one or more of the zones of a well. In gravel packing the isolation apparatus is run in the well with the gravel pack-packer and screens and later opened and closed as required.
The improved methods and apparatus of the present invention, in one embodiment, utilizes a valve selectively providing fluid communication with a well zone isolated in an annulus between packers. The valve can be opened and closed by engaging and moving a sleeve accessible from the well surface through the well tubing. The valve is also remotely hydraulically actuateable by manipulating the downhole pressures.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the description of preferred embodiments which follows when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a well screen assembly containing the zone isolation apparatus embodying principles of the present invention located in cased well adjacent to vertically separate subterranean zone to be treated;
FIG. 2 —is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of the tool of the present invention illustrated in the closed or run position;
FIGS. 3-5 are views similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the tool embodiment of FIG. 2 in a sequence of tool positions occurring during opening of the tool;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the spacer of the tool embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the valve seat mandrel of the tool embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-5; and
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved methods and apparatus for completing, and separately treating separate hydrocarbon zones in a single well. The methods can be performed in either vertical or horizontal wellbores. The term “vertical wellbore” is used herein to mean the portion of a wellbore in a producing zone to be completed which is substantially vertical or deviated from vertical. The term “horizontal wellbore” is used herein to mean the portion of a wellbore in a subterranean producing zone, which is substantially horizontal, or at an angle from vertical. Since the present invention is applicable in vertical, horizontal and inclined wellbores, the terms “upper and lower,” “top and bottom,” as used herein are relative terms and are intended to apply to the respective positions within a particular wellbore while the term “levels” is meant to refer to respective spaced positions along the wellbore. The term “zone” is used herein to refer to separate parts of the well designated for treatment and includes an entire hydrocarbon formation or even separate portions of the same formation and horizontally and vertically spaced portions of the same formation. As used herein, “down”, “downward”, or “downhole” refer to the direction in or along the wellbore from the wellhead toward the producing zone regardless of whether the well bore's orientation is horizontal, toward the surface or away from the surface. So that the upper zone would be the first zone encountered by the wellbore and the lower zone would be located further along the wellbore. Tubing, tubular, casing, pipe liner and conduit are interchangeable terms used in the well field to refer to walled fluid conductors.
Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein an embodiment of the present inventions is illustrated for purposes of example and wherein like reference characters are used throughout the several figures to represent like or corresponding parts, there is shown in FIG. 1 a cased wellbore generally designated by reference numeral 10 . The wellbore 10 is illustrated intersecting two separate hydrocarbon bearing zones, upper zone 12 and lower zone 14 . For purposes of description only two zones are shown, but it is understood that the present invention has application to isolate more than one well zone. As mentioned, while wellbore 10 is illustrated as a vertical cased well with two producing zones, the present invention is applicable to horizontal and inclined wellbores with more than two treatment zones and in uncased wells. In the illustrated embodiments arrow U indicates the uphole direction toward the wellhead. For purposes of explanation of the present invention the formations are to be treated by gravel packing but as previously discussed the present invention has application in other types of well treatments.
Upper and lower sand screen assemblies 21 and 31 are located inside the casing 16 of the wellbore 10 in the area of zones 12 and 14 , respectively. Casing 16 is perforated at 18 to provide fluid flow paths between the casing and zones. Production tubing 19 is mounted in the casing 16 . Conventional packers 24 and 26 and conventional crossover sub 30 seal or close the annulus 28 formed between the casing and sand screen assembly 21 . The crossover 30 and packers 24 and 26 are conventional gravel pack forming tools and are well known to those skilled in the art.
According to the present invention, the illustrated gravel pack assembly includes the isolation tool 40 of the present invention. Tool 40 is illustrated in an exemplary down hole tool assembly for descriptive purposes but it is to be understood that the tool of the present invention has application in a variety of tool configurations. Expansion joint and the like although not illustrated could be included in the tool assembly as needed.
Tool 40 contains a first flow passageway connected to communicate with the lower screen assembly 31 and production tubing 19 . A second flow passage in tool 40 communicates with the screen 21 and the annulus 25 above packer 24 . Packers 24 and 26 and crossover 30 isolate the annulus 28 from the first flow passageway and the remainder of the well. Tool 40 functions to selectively isolate and connect sand screen 21 to annulus 25 . Thus tool 40 selectively isolates the zone 12 from the remainder of the well and allows the zones 12 and 14 to be independently produced. According to the present invention, the tool 40 can be opened and closed by engaging a sleeve (not shown in FIG. 1) exposed in the first flow passageway of tool 40 or opened by raising and then lowering the pressure supplied to tool 40 from annulus 25 . The tool 40 can be opened production tubing has been run into place.
FIG. 2 illustrates in detail an embodiment of the tool 40 . The previously referenced first flow passageway through tool 40 is a central passageway designated by elongated arrow 42 . Arrow 42 points up hole or toward the wellhead. As previously described passageway 42 connects to tubing passing through lower packer 26 and connected to screen 31 . Tubing 44 is threaded into threads 52 in the downhole end of the passageway 42 and communicates with the lower screen 31 . Production tubing 19 is connected by threads 92 at the uphole end of passageway 42 and tubing 19 extends to the wellhead or an upper production packer (not shown). Passageway 42 extends completely through the housing 46 of tool 40 and is formed in part by internal passageways 50 a and 50 b in lower spacer 50 , internal passageway 60 a in movable sleeve 60 , internal passageways 70 a and 70 b in valve seat mandrel 70 and internal passageway 90 a in upper spacer 90 . Spacer 50 , mandrel 70 and sleeve 60 are shown in detail in FIGS. 5 , 6 , and 7 , respectively.
The previously referred to second fluid passageway is an annular passageway designated by elongated arrows 48 a and b formed inside of housing 46 . The upper end of housing 46 is connected by threads to tubing 46 a . Tubing 46 a is connected to annulus 25 . The downhole end of housing 46 is connected by threads to adapter 46 b . Adapter 46 b retains the radially extending legs 54 on spacer 50 against shoulder 49 inside housing 46 . The reduced diameter portions 54 a of these legs fit inside adapter 46 b . The axially extending spaces 56 between legs 54 form a portion of passageway 48 a . Adapter 46 b is coupled by threads to tubing 46 c . Tubing 46 c connects passageway 48 a to the interior of screen 21 . In FIG. 2, the tool 40 is in the run or closed position with the passageway 48 a closed from 48 b by the engagement between the annular valve 82 (on sleeve valve 80 ) and the seat 72 (on valve seat mandrel 70 ). As will be described the valve 82 can be moved away from the seat 72 to open passageway 48 through the tool 40 . When the tool 40 is in the closed position (FIG. 2 ), the interior of screen 21 is closed from annulus 25 by valve 82 and seat 72 . As will be described with reference to FIG. 4, when open (valve 82 separated axially from seat 72 ) fluid from inside screen flows into annulus 25 and to the wellhead (not shown).
The assembly of sleeve 60 and sleeve valve 80 is illustrated in FIG. 7 . Sleeve 60 is connected by a spider ring 62 to the downhole end of sleeve valve 80 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, the downhole end of sleeve 60 telescopes in passageway 50 b of spacer 50 . Suitable seals or packing 58 provide a sliding seal between the sleeve 60 and passageway 50 b in spacer 50 . The uphole end of sleeve 60 telescopes into the passageway 70 a of valve seat mandrel 70 . Suitable seals or packing 74 form a sliding seal between the sleeve 60 and passageway 70 a of valve seat mandrel 70 . Annular shoulders 64 and 66 are formed adjacent the ends of passageway 60 a . These shoulders are exposed to the interior of the first flow passageway 42 and can be accessed through production tubing 19 . Since the sleeve 60 is mechanically connected to the axially movable sleeve valve 80 , the valve element 82 can be axially moved into and out of contact with the valve seat 72 buy engaging and axially moving one of the shoulders 64 or 66 on the sleeve 60 . In this manner, a tool can be run through the tubing 19 to engage the shoulders to axially move the sleeve 60 and sleeve valve 80 to manually open or close the second passageway 48 a and b.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, two sets of axially spaced lugs 84 and 86 are formed on the exterior of sleeve valve 80 . Lug sets 84 and 86 are each positioned on radially compressible longitudinally extending springs 84 a and 86 a . These springs allow the lugs when forced radially inward to deflect the springs into the internal bore 45 of housing 46 . Valve sleeve 80 is mounted to slide in the interior bore 45 of housing 46 . According to a particular feature of the present invention, axially spaced annular grooves 46 d , 46 e , 46 f and 46 g are formed in the wall of bore 45 . Lugs 84 and 86 are of a size and shape to engage or extend into these grooves. The springs 84 a and 86 a resiliently urge the lugs radially outward to latch in the grooves to temporarily locate the sleeve valve 80 in discrete axial positions. Moving the sleeve between the open and closed positions requires locking and unlocking the lug sets into and out of the grooves. Note that the axial force needed to latch and unlatch lugs 84 from the grooves is designed to be less than the force needed to unlatch lugs 86 . This is accomplished by providing a larger number of lugs 86 on springs 86 a that are stiffer. In the run position illustrated in FIG. 2, lugs 84 are located in slot 46 d and lugs 86 are located in slot 46 f.
According to the present invention, a hydraulically operated actuator assembly 100 is located in the tool to open the passageway 48 in response to a series of pressure variations applied to annulus 25 . The hydraulic actuator assembly comprises cylinder-housing 110 , actuator sleeve 130 and coil spring 140 all concentrically mounted around valve seat mandrel 70 . Spring 140 is compressed between annular shoulder 89 and the downhole 132 end of sleeve 130 . The force of spring 140 urges the valve seat mandrel 70 in a downhole direction to separate the valve element 82 from the seat 72 . Spring 140 is designed to apply sufficient force to unlock or dislodge lugs 84 from slot 46 d but insufficient force to unlock lugs 86 from slot 46 f . In the run position the locking force of lugs 86 in slots 46 f hold the valve in the closed position.
Actuator sleeve 130 is initially held in place by shear screws 131 . In the illustrated embodiment a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced screws 131 are used. The screws are threaded into the housing 46 and extend into radially extending bores 133 in sleeve 130 . When sufficient axial force is applied to sleeve 130 , by pistons 118 , pins 131 will shear allowing the sleeve to move axially from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 .
The hydraulic actuator cylinder-housing 110 comprises a cylindrical portion 112 of a size to extend through the spring 140 and is centered and supported from radially extending legs 76 and 78 on valve seat mandrel 70 . The uphole end 114 of portion 112 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending bores 116 formed therein. Actuator pistons 118 are mounted to reciprocate in bores 116 . Fluid input ports 120 communicate with the bores 116 and annulus 48 b . Actuator pistons 118 extend through the ends of bores 116 to engage the uphole end of sleeve 130 . When the pressure is raised in annulus 48 b the pressure in bores 116 is in turn raised forcing pistons 118 against sleeve 130 . When the force exerted by pistons 118 overcomes and shears screws 131 , sleeve 130 moved axially in a downhole direction to the position shown in FIG. 3 . As sleeve 130 is forced to move downhole an annular shoulder 134 on sleeve 130 engages the uphole facing end of end of sleeve valve 80 forcing the sleeve valve 80 to move to the position shown in FIG. 3 with lug 86 displaced from slot 46 f . It is to be noted that the lug 84 is temporarily held in slot 46 e by nose portion 138 of sleeve 130 .
When the pressure in annulus 48 b is lowered, spring 140 will cause sleeve 130 to move from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4 . When the nose portion 138 has moved away from slot 46 d and as previously pointed out spring 140 will cause lug 84 to be forced out of slot 46 d allowing the sleeve valve to open by moving to the position shown in FIG. 4 .
In operation during production, the isolation tool 40 is assembled in the closed position and is lowered into wellbore 10 on a completion assembly to a position adjacent formation 12 . Packers 24 and 26 are set isolating the upper zone 12 . The lower zone 14 is serviced as required while the upper zone is isolated. Access to the upper zone can be accomplished by raising and then lowering the pressure in the annulus 25 , which causes the valve in tool 40 to open. The upper zone 12 can be opened or isolated as desired by lowering a tool through the production sting and engaging the internal shoulders 64 and 66 in tool 40 to mechanically open or close the valve as required.
Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those, which are inherent therein. Of course, the invention does not require that all the advantageous features and all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment of the invention. While numerous changes may be made by those skilled in the art, such changes are included in the spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention is not limited to the specific structures and variations disclosed but will permit obvious variations within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims herein.
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Improved methods and apparatus for isolating and opening a subterranean zone in a multiple zone well. An isolation tool is installed in the well with a tubing string accessing a particular zone. The tool can be remotely opened and closed to provide access to the zone either mechanically or by applying pressure variation sequences to the tool.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a structural material or element and, more particularly, to a material/element with improved construction properties.
TECHNICAL SECTION
[0002] This invention relates to structural/constructional element, which is applicable especially as a constructional, underlying, dampening, shock-absorbing and insulating material for diverse floor systems—its use is universal and its application is intended for following flooring systems: parquet, wooden, laminate-floating, vinyl, linoleum, casting epoxy, PUR+other multi-layer polymer combinations, PVC flooring, sports flooring and self-leveling, multifunctional, industrial floors.
[0003] The solution relates also to the light panel according to CZ PV 2017-45, which shows a unique functional properties and is resistant to mechanical pressure or impact or shock.
Current State of the Technique/Actual Technological Level
[0004] At present time in overwhelming majority of cases by the construction of a floor, as a primary structural/constructional element—there is used a wooden grate. There are more functions of a wooden grate within a traditional flooring systems—primarily it's the basic building/constructional base and underlying material, partially dampening+absorbing shocks—which causes partial cushion, mainly the wooden grate holds the whole flooring. The wooden construction is laid in linear/parallel way or perpendicular crossing structure, to the top are fixed OSB/hardboard panels and top floor layer/s in dependence on chosen flooring system. This is especially used for construction of sporting floors, factories, schools, exhibition areas etc. It is the most common and the world's widespread method of constructing and manufacturing floor surfaces.
[0005] This classic method has a whole range of disadvantages, which are caused due to the choice of the underlying material—the wood. These main disadvantages and weaknesses are: the whole flooring system based on the wooden grate has ordinarily an average height of 100 to 150 mm, whereby the majority of the space takes the wooden grate as itself. This creates unwanted space pockets which must be afterwards filled and sealed by mineral wool or other form of heat or noise isolation. Alternatively there is installed a ventilation system, placed under the floor in these pockets (needed an air circulation due to the wooden grate)=expensive installation and operation costs! If used on sports hall, e.g. volleyball, basketball etc., the noise insulation is necessary for eliminating unwanted noise effects (shocks from balls and impacts from players), echoes . . . etc. Next negative effect is associated reduction in clear height of the room (resp. reducing the height of the ceiling)—decreases the volume of usable space for living and/or increases the height of the building (e.g. in the case of a 20-storey building, the difference of 80 mm/each floor will case in total the difference in the whole building height of 1.60 meter!), next big weakness of wood is all above its dimensional instability—swelling, expansion and changes in shape+volume related to variable humidity. With this are associated “sound effects” as creaking, the system must be ventilated very often, wood is not flexible material on itself.
[0006] Biodegradable processes (rots, molds, micro-organisms)+highly sensitive material to humidity, which represents a big problem with transportation (water condensation, rain, evaporating . . . etc.), wood worms, dry rots, pests—susceptibility especially during transport (psychopathological and veterinary limitations/restrictions/dry rot/wood-worm/microbes etc., next big disadvantage is combustibility—high susceptibility to fire. This all leads to huge need of prevention in the form of a chemical treatments—protective coating for impregnation, protection against pests and microorganisms, fire protective coatings or surface finish (big consumption of emulsions, stains, lacquers, varnishes . . . etc.).
[0007] Wood a itself doesn't cause any desired effect of “dampening”, which has to be achieved through structural design (grid structure) or by combination of wood with other materials (rubber dampening pads etc.), with this is associated high consumption of valuable natural resource—additionally only selected species of wood are usable for these purposes and the lifespan of used wood is limiting the lifespan of the floor.
[0008] With the progressive technical development within the lighting elements and technologies, we can observe for several decades a significant expansion of their use, whereby the lighting source is already not fulfilling only its primary and basic function, i.e. increase of luminosity in dark environment (change of value of the units: “lumen” and/or “lux”, e.g. outdoor surroundings during the night and/or dark places/rooms within the interior), but has found its use in the segment of promotion, advertising, design, navigation and safety elements, culture, arts or entertainment industry, etc. In particular, with the arrival of LED technology—whose main advantage lies in a very favorable size of the light source (small dimensions), but simultaneously shows a high level of performance and intensive lighting effect, all with relatively low power consumption and long life-time of the lighting source—there was recorded significant increase in demand, consumption and use of lighting source as a design-creating element with new the function of so-called mood lighting (sometimes called also “atmosphere-light”), which is characterized especially by optional change of optical properties and light effects, like regulation of light intensity coming from LED-light source, variable color spectrum (adjustable color tones), including other associated features—for example, adjustable control unit/software, which changes light intensity and color tones, depending on actual acoustic situation in the room and reacts on currently playing music, rhythm and style. With the arrival of LED technology there is certainly to see a big extension of options for the use of light sources in the form of new LED light fixtures, lamps, panels, chandeliers, LED Strip, ropes or the navigation and signaling devices.
[0009] Anyway, the LED-light discovery as big improvement doesn't mean anything else than the change/extension of options within the optical lighting-function/luminance, when the LEDs have just replaced the previous less efficient light-sources like bulbs, fluorescent tubes, halogen lamps. Etc. All this light-media, however, have one common limiting denominator—a very low mechanical resistance, since they are the easily breakable and fragile.
[0010] Typical structure of the current LED lighting panel consists in particular of the base plate and support frame (metal, plastic), under which are placed the lightning LED-diodes (possibly right into the frame after the circuit), in-between there usually placed different kinds of interlayer films (reflective, color-changing, UV protective, diffusion, filters) and the most-upper visible layer is created from of a light-permeable (translucent) composite or glass plate with relatively small thickness (2-5 mm), with various diameters—typical size from 300×300 mm to 600×600. As a typical material for this application, there are used following polymers: “Acryl-Glass” which means poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) or polycarbonate (PC).
[0011] From the previous argumentation it's evident, that in the case of sudden action of mechanical forces—impact, shock or pressure, the most-upper light cover panel will be easily broken and the whole construction including the light media suffers an irreversible mechanical destruction, what is certainly a unwanted effect and very limiting factor in terms of possible applications and practical use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] All above mentioned troubles and problems are solved with the new constructional element, consisting of the “base” and a central pin—whereby the main principle of the invention insists in the hollow air pockets and stiffeners in the form of dampening lamellas in the shape of “v”, which creates together a stable underlying system (subfloor base), which disposes with a perfect connectivity due to the central whole and pin, with an excellent shock-absorbing and dampening function (noise, heat) without any need of additional insulation, whereby the surface of the element is designed as anti-slip surface with grooves of depth 2 mm and width 5 mm, created from especially modified thermoplastic compounds (blended from a plastic+rubber), namely composed from EPDM (Ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer) and/or SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) or their combinations, further (Ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer) and/or polypropylene or synthetic rubber modified with polyethylene and/or polypropylene and/or elastomeric material based on India rubber mixtures, of which foundation is monomer ethylene-propylene-diene or natural rubber or styrene-butadiene rubber and/or combination of the natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber, or further based thermoplastic elastomers, which base is monomer ethylene-propylene-diene or polypropylene/monomer ethylene-propylene-diene or polyvinylchloride, or further based thermoplastic vulcanizates, whose base is monomer ethylene-propylene-diene and polyethylene or natural and/or synthetic India rubber, modified by polyethylene or polypropylene, wherein India rubber mixtures based on monomer ethylene-propylene-diene consist of 20 to 50% vol. monomer ethylene-propylene-diene, 0.5 to 2% vol. vulcanizing agent, 20 to 50% vol. fillers and 20 to 50% softeners; India rubber mixtures based on natural rubber consist of 20 to 50% vol. natural rubber, 0.5 to 50% vol. fillers, 20 to 50% vol. softeners, 0.5 to 2% vulcanizing agent, up to 1% vol. of stearin and up to 2% vol. of antioxidants, up to 2% vol. of accelerators; India rubber mixtures based on styrene-butadiene rubber consist of 20 to 50% vol. styrene-butadiene rubber, 0.5 to 2% vol. vulcanizing agent, 20 to 50% vol. fillers and 20 to 50% vol. softeners; India rubber mixtures based on natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber consist of 20 to 50% vol. mixtures of natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber, 0.5 to 2% vol. vulcanizing agent, 20 to 50% vol. fillers and 20 to 50% vol. softeners; thermoplastic elastomers based on monomer ethylene-propylene-diene; thermoplastic elastomers based on the mixture of polypropylene/monomer ethylene-propylene-diene; thermoplastic elastomers based on polyvinylchloride; thermoplastic vulcanizates based on monomer ethylene-propylene-diene.
[0013] The structural/constructional element according to the invention is characterized by the center groove line on the upper surface which is color-coded.
[0014] The structural/constructional element according the invention is also characterized by the lower surface which is also fitted with anti-slip grooves as the final surface.
[0015] The structural/constructional element according the invention is additionally characterized by the adhesive tape inserted to the central groove on the lower surface (bottom), which is covered by a removable foil.
[0016] The structural/constructional element according the invention is additionally characterized by the pin being formed from the same material as the whole base portion of the structural/constructional element.
[0017] The structural/constructional element according the invention is additionally characterized by the internal reinforcement having the shape of WOW or MOM or any other shape, size, strength or composition of dampening lamellas.
[0018] The structural/constructional element according the invention is additionally characterized by the vulcanizing agent being formed by a sulfur or peroxide.
[0019] The structural/constructional element according the invention made on the basis of Natural raw rubber/India rubber is typical for its properties which are high chemical resistance and durability including a high resistance to ozone.
[0020] The above mentioned disadvantages are eliminated by the new light panel according to the invention, whose essence consists in its composition—created at least of one uppermost transparent or translucent plate, which is supported with specific self-carrying/load-bearing, dampening structural/constructional elements (placed under the top-layer plate) made of a transparent, translucent or colored polymer (incl. Black) and/or the modified polymer in the form of a thermoplastic elastomer or vulcanizate, having a hardness of 30 to 90′ShA, whereby below, in and/or between these supporting/carrying structural/constructional elements are placed lightning sources, equipped with remote control for regulation of light intensity and adjustable color shade choice.
[0021] Light panel according to the invention is characterized by the fact that it is connected/fixed through the structural/constructional elements with the underlying base plate, which consists of at least 1 single plate or solid surface to which is the whole panel fixed and the base plate is equipped with reflective/light-reflecting layer. (e.g., silver mirror color).
[0022] Light panel according to the invention is characterized by, that the light source is made up of LED diode strips.
[0023] Light panel according to the invention is further characterized by, that the top-layer plate is made of composite/polymeric material based on polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and/or transparent silicone including their mutual combinations, while their thickness varies from 5 mm to 20 mm depending on kind of application and intended use of the light panel.
[0024] Light panel according to the invention is further characterized by, that composes of one or more plates that are translucent and/or transparent and/or colored (including black color) with a modified surface.
[0025] Light panel according to the invention is further characterized by, that its top-layer panel (s) are provided with a diffusing foils or other protective film(s), which is applied (mostly with glue) on the top or bottom (the kind and presence of the film/foil depends on the quantity of plates and intended use of the panel), further the plates may be interspersed with foil in more layers, at least the most-upper layer plate is provided with a foil.
[0026] Light panel according to the invention is also characterized by, that the base plate is made of composite material based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) or OSB panels with a thickness of 6-10 m (in case of need also higher thickness of the base plate may be applied).
[0027] Light panel according to the invention is characterized by, that in, below, and/or between structural load-bearing elements are placed at regular intervals LED strips, with LED spacing intervals from 20 to 80 mm, depending on the height and type of the light panel.
[0028] Light panel according to the invention shows high resistance to mechanical damage, in the sense of action/affecting by: impact, shock, stroke or constant pressure or cyclic shocks, in particular thanks to the unique self-supporting, but at the same time flexible and shock-absorbing construction. The essence of the invention lies in the specific construction, based on the structural/constructional element according to Application CZ PV 2016-42, which has self-supporting ability, is very stable but at the same time flexible, showing great dampening and shock-absorption properties. Further the light panel according to the invention is characterized by the choice of individual components and their combination and technical composition, which ultimately enables high variability and universal usage in a lot of various segments and areas (industry, communal and private sphere . . . etc.).
[0029] Light panel according to the invention disposes of unique functionality, be efficient multiplying of all following functions: protection, decoration, home- and industrial design, lighting, dampening, shock-absorbing, slip-resistance, heating, insulation, signalization, navigation, entertainment, with the option of a skin within the installed floor or wall surfaces, which certainly greatly extends its application possibilities in practice.
[0030] Light panel according to the invention can be applied in different ways for its various uses. In the case of uneven subfloor/inappropriate basic surface, there are applied the base underlying plates (composites: PVC, PE, PP, PC, or OSB board thickness 6 to 10 mm), onto which are placed and installed structural/constructional elements structural/constructional elements made of polymer or modified polymer with hardness of 30 to 90′ ShA (hardness of the chosen polymer depends on the anticipated operating strength and estimated type of load—random or cyclical shocks, constant pressure . . . etc., next factor is the direction of installation—horizontal or vertical position) and/or modified polymer in the form of thermoplastic elastomer or vulcanizate, which means polymer compound composed/combined of rubber and plastic polymer. Between the load-bearing structural/constructional elements are placed at regular intervals LED strips or other light source (spacing from 20 to 80 mm, depending on height of the entire system, the type of LEDs and the intended application), which are equipped with remoted regulation of shine intensity, with adjustable choice of color shade, based on the system “RGB+White” with at least 60 installed LED-Diodes to 1 running/linear meter of the LED-strip. The light source can be controlled remotely. Construction of the light panel ensures its high mechanical strength, stability, resistance and carrying capacity (on the base of estimated use follows the selection of polymer(s)—e.g. if there is expected an intensive action and affection of mechanical strengths—the most appropriate polymer choice for the top-layer plate will be polycarbonate (PC), in particular due to its toughness, in terms of shock-absorption and/or impact control show excellent results combination and composition of plates made of “silicone+polycarbonate/polycarbonate+silicone.”
[0031] Light panel according to the invention can be installed in consistently humid or even wet environment, or even below the surface of the water or ice.
[0032] The structural/constructional element can be equipped with a heating system, what is suitable, in particular, for heat sensitive places—like children's rooms, hospitals, nursery schools/kindergarten or preschool facilities for the education of children or any similar buildings if needed. Generally for the construction of the light panel according to the invention, there are used as top-layer plate, mainly following material and/or their combinations: polyethylene (PE), poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and transparent silicone. The top-layer plates are installed in thicknesses from 5 mm to 20 mm, depending on kind of application—they are translucent (with various levels of light-transmittance), transparent or colored (even the original polymer is colored or covered with a tinting foil/filter), design of the surface is smooth, satin, soft-touch, non-slip, fine or coarse structured with different kinds of optional décor due to the application of decorative foil. Onto the structural/constructional elements, there are placed 1,2 or more polymer plates and represent the final surface layer, which disposes with a very smart fixation system in the form of mechanical locks (optional application of different functional films between the individual polymer plates—protective, diffusion, tinting . . . etc.), the upper-most polymer plate surface is optionally covered with diverse functional films (tint, anti-slip, decorative, protective, reflective, diffusing, touch . . . etc.).
[0033] The structural/constructional element according the invention is easily manufactured and is suitable for floor areas, sports surfaces, multifunctional leveling floors, floorboards. Spacing and depth of the grooves on the upper and lower surface (top and bottom) of the element may be the same or different as well as dampening lamellas.
[0034] The structural/constructional element according the invention has many advantages, for it was developed in cooperation with leading experts in sports and enables a completely revolutionary system laying floors, which brings big savings of—time, financial, personnel and ecological, because it eliminates the use of a wooden grate. Thanks to the central guiding line is the floor installation fast and precise and this brings a significant reduction in the time needed for the installation compared to traditional systems. The adhesive tape on the lower surface accelerates the installation particularly in the cases where it is necessary for the base portion of the structural/constructional element to be divided in to smaller portions. The overwhelming resistance of the structural/constructional element according to the invention against water, humidity, alkalis, acids, molds, ozone and long-term aging ensures its durability for at least 30 years, eliminating the need to replace the system. In addition, it is fully recyclable.
[0035] The main advantages of the structural/constructional element according to the invention against the current wooden grate consist in the fact that the new element is dimensionally stable without any effects of material degradation, it is nonflammable therefore there is no need to use any protective coating, it is not subject to the biodegradable process (decay+mold+microorganisms), it is not necessary to treat it with coatings or emulsions to prevent the occurrences of organisms, there is no need for any psychopathological or veterinary restrictions. Yet given coatings have a lifespan of up to 7 years, so with the currently used floor installation methods the coatings should be refreshed periodically to ensure their effectiveness. There is a significant reduction in the overall height of the floor system from 60 to 100 mm by using the structural/constructional element according to the invention and therefore it does not produce any underfloor pockets, which would need to be filled with damping fillers! It is 100% waterproof, so in the case of accidental ingress of unwanted moisture through the original floor penetration this element does not change its shape or properties, shorten its lifespan or creates a raised pocket on the surface of the floor! The structural/constructional element according to the invention further has excellent damping and shock absorption properties (shakes). In addition, it is possible to modify these properties thanks to the optional hardness of the element and it is designed to absorb sound—thanks to the profiles unique design with oblique slats in the shape of the letter “W” has an excellent sound dampening properties, it is not necessary to fill the space between the individual profiles like it is the case with the wooden grate. The central colored guide line for clear orientation during installation accelerates work and joining the elements to any lengths, speed of installation with this element is up to 3×faster than a conventional system.
[0036] Floor made like this is permanent after a pressure deformations, it does not soak up, it is airy without the need of ventilation, non-slip thanks to the used material and a non-slip grooves on the surface of the elements. It is heat-resistant and stable. The structural/constructional element according to the invention complies with all safety and hygiene standards.
[0037] Light panel according to the invention disposes of unique functionality, be efficient multiplying of all following functions: protection, decoration, home- and industrial design, lighting, dampening, shock-absorbing, slip-resistance, heating, insulation, signalization, navigation, entertainment, with the option of a skin within the installed floor or wall surfaces, which certainly greatly extends its application possibilities in practice.
[0038] Light panel according to the invention can be applied in different ways for its various uses. In the case of uneven subfloor/inappropriate basic surface, there are applied the base underlying plates (composites: PVC, PE, PP, PC, or OSB board thickness 6 to 10 mm), onto which are placed and installed structural/constructional elements structural/constructional elements made of polymer or modified polymer with hardness of 30 to 90′ ShA (hardness of the chosen polymer depends on the anticipated operating strength and estimated type of load random or cyclical shocks, constant pressure . . . etc., next factor is the direction of installation—horizontal or vertical position) and/or modified polymer in the form of thermoplastic elastomer or vulcanizate, which means polymer compound composed/combined of rubber and plastic polymer. Between the load-bearing structural/constructional elements are placed at regular intervals LED strips or other light source (spacing from 20 to 80 mm, depending on height of the entire system, the type of LEDs and the intended application), which are equipped with remoted regulation of shine intensity, with adjustable choice of color shade, based on the system “RGB+White” with at least 60 installed LED-Diodes to 1 running/linear meter of the LED-strip. The light source can be controlled remotely. Construction of the light panel ensures its high mechanical strength, stability, resistance and carrying capacity (on the base of estimated use follows the selection of polymer(s)—e.g. if there is expected an intensive action and affection of mechanical strengths—the most appropriate polymer choice for the top-layer plate will be polycarbonate (PC), in particular due to its toughness, in terms of shock-absorption and/or impact control show excellent results combination and composition of plates made of “silicone+polycarbonate/polycarbonate+silicone.”
[0039] Light panel according to the invention can be installed in consistently humid or even wet environment, or even below the surface of the water or ice.
[0040] The structural/constructional element can be equipped with a heating system, what is suitable, in particular, for heat sensitive places—like children's rooms, hospitals, nursery schools/kindergarten or preschool facilities for the education of children or any similar buildings if needed. Generally for the construction of the light panel according to the invention, there are used as top-layer plate, mainly following material and/or their combinations: polyethylene (PE), poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and transparent silicone. The top-layer plates are installed in thicknesses from 5 mm to 20 mm, depending on kind of application—they are translucent (with various levels of light-transmittance), transparent or colored (even the original polymer is colored or covered with a tinting foil/filter), design of the surface is smooth, satin, soft-touch, non-slip, fine or coarse structured with different kinds of optional décor due to the application of decorative foil. Onto the structural/constructional elements, there are placed 1,2 or more polymer plates and represent the final surface layer, which disposes with a very smart fixation system in the form of mechanical locks (optional application of different functional films between the individual polymer plates—protective, diffusion, tinting . . . etc.), the upper-most polymer plate surface is optionally covered with diverse functional films (tint, anti-slip, decorative, protective, reflective, diffusing, touch . . . etc.).
[0041] Thanks to the new technical solution and construction system of the light panel according the invention—it is possible to build up arbitrary large lightning areas—e.g. extensive floorings (composed of unlimited quantity of light panels as constructional units), without disturbing the final surface with unsightly connecting particles like joints, junctions, construction-ledges or aluminum profiles—like in the case of present light-equipped floor systems, whose surface is always divided in squares (place for hiding of cable+accessories). Without the usage of this new light panel according to the invention, the optical and design properties of the floor surface are broken due to the squares which are formed from the AL-profiles as a base, bringing next typical negative feature—a very hard surface (glass as top-layer cover), because of any use/presence of dampening or impact absorbing elements, which would control the vibrations and absorb the shocks, caused by walking or dancing people (music clubs, dancing disco-halls). Hardness of such a floor has a very negative influence on the human body, especially women while wearing the high-heel shoes are often affected with health-problems in the form of lower back pain, lumbar or cervical spine and/or suffer with deformation of the foot arch! These negative effect doesn't occur in the case of installation of the new light panel according to the invention as flooring system, because the whole flooring works with dampening function and impact control.
[0042] Handling of the light panel according to the invention and its installation is very fast, safe and easy in its installation is very fast, safe and easy, its maintenance, cleaning and reparability is seamless, whereby panel has stable and constant properties within wide range of temperature from −40 to +120° C. In the case of accidental, extreme affecting of intensive mechanical load and the subsequently caused damage, the panel is panel very easily and quickly repairable and can be fixed by using of eccentric Sander and/or rotating polisher—which will remove due to abrasion all potential surface defects of the top plate. Subsequent application of new protective and/or decorative layer of top film restores the required properties and we reach easily full surface homogeneity—at minimal cost. Thanks to the optional and changeable film on the top surface, it is very easy, quick and inexpensive to change significantly complete the look/design and optical properties of the whole lighting surface, created from light panel according to the invention. Even in the case of need for changing of the light source—the light panel according to the invention allows quick and easy replacement only of required parts of the light source. The whole light panel as well as its each component is fully ecologically recyclable, which represents for sure a great benefit for the future.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the basic structural/constructional element according to the invention;
[0044] FIG. 2 is a perspective of the structural/constructional element with adhesive material;
[0045] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the element with a pin;
[0046] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the existing laid floor with a wooden grate;
[0047] FIG. 5 is cross-section of the newly laid floor with the structural/constructional element according to the invention;
[0048] FIG. 6 is photo of a balcony floor before its renovation;
[0049] FIG. 7 is photo of a semi renovated balcony floor;
[0050] FIG. 8 is photo of a finished renovation of a balcony floor;
[0051] FIG. 9 is layout scheme of the structural/constructional element during a floor installation on an open terrace of a family house in Prague 5, CZ;
[0052] FIG. 10 is photo of 1 polygon for portable sports field;
[0053] FIG. 11 is photo of detail of floor installation, where the colored center groove simplifies the laying of a chipboard panel to the center of the structural/constructional element;
[0054] FIG. 12 is an example of inserted pin to the element;
[0055] FIG. 13 shows how the colored center groove simplifies holding the floor level during its installation even in the case where the elements are not directly adjacent to each other;
[0056] FIG. 14 shows a connection of two elements with a pin FIG. 15 shows how are already connected elements easier to even out for example with the use of a laser thanks to the colored center groove;
[0057] FIG. 16 represents a variable, portable and easily demountable dance floor for the purpose of sports, educational, presentational including exhibitions and fairs;
[0058] FIG. 17 is a technical scheme—a 2D top view on the underlying base construction—self-supporting load bearing system for sporting floors with dampening ability, built on the base of the constructional/structural/constructional element according to the invention of the CZ PV 2016-42 with a height of 20 mm, showing chosen placement and redistribution of each element: a) linear profiles, width=80 mm of any requested length (optional on the base of current project dimensions and requirements, because it is produced with extrusion technology in form of “never-ending belts”, supplied in rolls from 10-50 m), b) vertical fixing element with a length of 80×600 mm, c) dampening pad of size 80×80 mm. Design is accenting the fixation and high stability of the whole subfloor construction due to the application of vertical fixing profiles. The combination of “whole” profile element and “cut” pad brings a significant financial advantage and cost-saving. In this case the spacing of each element represents a regular intervals 260 mm;
[0059] FIG. 18 is a technical 3D-scheme, view on underlying base construction self-supporting load bearing system for sporting floors with dampening ability, built on the base of the constructional/structural/constructional element according to the invention of the CZ PV 2016-42 with a height of 20 mm, dimensions and all other measurements like in the FIG. 17 ;
[0060] FIG. 19 —Constructional/structural/constructional element according to the invention of the CZ PV 2016-45 with applied adhesive fixing tape with high adhesive strength to selected surfaces (concrete, wood, tiles), v=20 mm, w=80 mm, length is optional, made of rubber compound based on rubbers SBR;
[0061] FIG. 20 —Constructional/structural/constructional element according to the invention of the CZ PV 2016-45 equipped with double sided adhesive tape, fixed onto the bottom side of the OSB/Plywood Plate, spacing in regular interval of 28 cm (distance from the edge of the OSB Boards means 140 mm), the element's are: h=20 mm, w=80 mm, l=1250 mm, made of rubber compound on the base of natural rubber (NR);
[0062] FIG. 21 —Constructional/structural element according to the invention of the CZ PV 2016-45 equipped with double sided adhesive tape, fixed onto the bottom of OSB/plywood board—3D scheme, which shows the internal cut through the OSB board—all other parameters like as in FIG. 20 ;
[0063] FIG. 22 —Prepared testing polygons of multi-functional sports surfaces, before the application of final top-coat layer, composed of multilayer synthetic resins based on EP and PUR binder. Afterwards there will be running intensive tests of shock absorbing, impact control, vibrations absorption and dampening ability. Place of installation Poland (Poznan), dimensions of teach test-polygon: 3.50×3.50 m;
[0064] FIG. 23 there are shown different looks and effects of the laminated surface, as an example of multiple color options of the light panel according to the invention, view from the upperside under various angles;
[0065] FIG. 24 there is shown a 3D cut with the view through/into the construction of the light panel according to the invention, which gives a clear idea about the structural composition of individual components;
[0066] FIG. 25 there is shown an example of the top-layer surface appearance without luminance, namely there are illustrated transparent and translucent plates of polycarbonate, thickness 10 mm as 2 variants of final surface of the light panel according to the invention;
[0067] FIG. 26 there is shown an inner structure of the light construction panel according to the invention—in this particular case, the constructional/structural element according to the CZ PV 2016-42 has the shape of an “X”, is made of transparent material “2K-silicone” system binder-catalyst, with a hardness 45 to 50′Sha, the dimensions of the building element according to CZ PV 2016-42 are 40×40×40 mm, the mutual spacing itervals represent 160-180 mm.
[0068] FIGS. 27A, 27B, 27C and 27D present various types of structural/constructional elements according to EN PV 2016-42, used as essential building element by construction of the flooring system, consisting of several pieces/fields of the light panel according to the invention, wherein:
A) structural/constructional element according to EN PV 2016-42 “X”-shaped, made of “2-Component-Silicone” transparent, Hardening system binder+catalyst, hardness of 45 to 50′ Sha, size of individual element is 40×40×40 mm, the joined scheme shows redistribution/spacing within the light panel according to the invention (B) structural/constructional element according to EN PV 2016-42, with the design of dampening lamellas as “WOW” or “MOM” (optional designing+size), made of transparent PVC; The shape, form, ribbing of the structural/constructional element can be customized and optionally designed—depending on the required properties of elements, e.g. by increasing/reducing the quantity of lamellas, air chambers or side-wall thickness, while the reachable height of structural/constructional element varies within the range: from 7 to 70 mm. (C) structural/constructional element according to EN PV 2016-42 in rolls with the shape of “WOW” or “MOM” based on EPDM compound, white and black color with different hardness level (black ‘65 Shore, white 80's Shore), (D) structural/constructional element according to EN PV 2016-42 made of rubber mixture based on NR/SBR Natural rubber+synthetic Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber) in black design with dampening lamellas in the shape of five “X”.
[0073] FIG. 28A there is illustrated the spacing template or installation slot for a correct, simple installation and placing of the LED strips to the base plate of light panel according to the invention, while optimal range for interval between each strip varies from 20 to 80 mm. Note: Template/leading bar allows additional usage of its own cover as a diffuser—application is not required in all cases, it depends on individual needs of the consumer, technical requirements and intended use of light panel according to the invention;
[0074] FIG. 28B there is shown and alternate solution for the location of the LED strips in engineered structural/constructional element according to EN PV 2016-42, for application within the floating floors or heated flooring systems;
[0075] FIG. 29 there is shown the top-layer connection system—mechanical fixing locks for the upper surface of the light panel according to the invention, which creates a “junction free” link, with visually clean and homogeneous flat surface, not disturbed with above mentioned unwanted squares;
[0076] FIG. 30 there is shown structural/constructional element according to EN PV 2016-42, equipped with an integrated heating system (based on electrical induction, placed in the central hole, equipped with remote temperature control and timing options (switching on/off);
[0077] FIG. 31 there is shown the light panel according to the invention, creating a very well-known children's game/playing field—the “Hopscotch”, composed from ten squares and 1 circle, with the aim of supporting the physical activities for children;
[0078] Following examples of execution of the structural/constructional element according to the invention only illustrate, but do not limit. This element was successfully tried and tested by its originators at the appropriate laboratory equipment, used in a number of applications—as the laying of a new floors, renovation of an old floors in homes, it was used as a medium for damping vibrations, noise and shock absorption in public facilities, sports fields and sports buildings, production halls and other.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Example 1—Portable Variable Flooring for Sports Use
[0079] On a flat, stable surface in nature (garden, yard, playground . . . ) were laid strips of the structural/constructional element according to the invention the width of 80 mm and length of 1.25 m with a spacing of 0.24 m. Primary part 1 of this element was hallow and with inner reinforcement in the form of ribbing 18 in the shape WOW, which provides connectivity of the structural/constructional elements by inserting a central pin 2 so that the cross-section of the pin 2 corresponds to the hole 10 between the ribs 18 . The structural/constructional elements were fitted on the upper surface 3 by the anti-slip longitudinal grooves 4 a depth of 2 mm and width of 5 mm and a white a central groove 5 on the upper surface 3 and lower surface 6 was also fitted with an anti-slip grooves 7 as the upper surface 3 the structural/constructional element according to the invention. The white color on a central groove 5 can be applied imprinted on the structural/constructional element according to the invention or it can be applied to the appropriate place during the production of the element by applying colored substance and this creates the guiding line. To the center groove 8 on the lower surface 6 was inserted an adhesive tape 9 , which was covered by a removable foil. Individual structural/constructional elements were connected by a pin 2 .
[0080] On the laid out structural/constructional elements according to the invention were laid chipboard panels 12 without any chemical treatment, to which was applied multilayer coating system of a multifunctional self-leveling floor. The big advantage is that the resulting floor can be easily removed at any time and transferred elsewhere. It is possible to variably create a floor from the basic polygon the size of a 1.25 m×1.25 m as shown in FIG. 10 .
[0081] This structural/constructional element and a pin 2 were made from a modified polymer and/or elastomeric materials based on India rubber mixture, whose basis is a monomer ethylene-propylene-diene in an amount of 40% vol., further 1.5% vol. sulfur-based vulcanizing agent, 35% vol. fillers based on carbon black and 23.5% vol. paraffinic softeners.
Example 2—Renovation of the Balcony Floor
[0082] For the renovation of the balcony floor were the structural/constructional element according to the invention and the example 1 laid freely on a flat, stable surface. The size of the balcony floor was 3.6 m×0.85 m.
[0083] The structural/constructional element according to the invention was cut and laid on the floor 4×in whole the size of 850×80 mm, 3×in whole the size of 400 mm×80 mm, 1 piece of 200 mm×80 mm and 24 pieces of 80 mm×80 mm. On top of this were laid a layer of impregnated OSB panels 12 with a thickness of 15 mm and on them was fixed PVC covering 11 with double-sided adhesive tape as shown in FIG. 11 .
Example 3—Laying of the Terrace Floor
[0084] For laying of the unroofed terrace floor were the structural/constructional element according to the invention and the example 1 laid freely on a flat, stable surface. The size of the terrace was 2.2 m×0.96 m, as shown in FIG. 9 from the laying of 15, Jan. 2016.
[0085] The structural/constructional element according to the invention was cut and laid on the floor 7×in whole the size of 300×80 mm, 12 pieces of 80 mm×80 mm and 1 piece of 20 mm×80 mm. On top of this were laid a layer of impregnated OSB panels 12 with a thickness of 15 mm and on them was fixed PVC covering 11 with double-sided adhesive tape.
Example 4—Bench Underlay
[0086] The structural/constructional element according to the invention of composition based on thermoplastic elastomers, whose base is monomer ethylene-propylene-diene and polypropylene.
[0087] The structural/constructional element according to the invention was used as an absorbing pad and simultaneously heat and sound insulation including anti-slip function on the bench legs, to which it was attached by double-sided adhesive tape. This has increased the comfort of the landing and with movement on the bench or with the bench, which was completely stable didn't creak.
Example 5—Washing Machine Underlay
[0088] The structural/constructional element according to the invention of composition thermoplastic elastomers based on polyvinylchloride.
[0089] The structural/constructional element according to the invention was used as an absorbing pad and simultaneously sound insulation including anti-slip function the size of 80 mm×80 mm under 4 feet of the washing machine. This led to a significant sound deadening of the washing machine and a complete stabilization of its position.
Example 6—Mattress Underlay
[0090] The structural/constructional element according to the invention of composition thermoplastic elastomers based on polyvinylchloride as in example 5.
[0091] The structural/constructional element according to the invention was used as an absorbing pad and simultaneously sound insulation including anti-slip function as pads under the mattress on lamellar grates in the bed, where a several of these elements the size of 80 mm×1.25 m were laid on the grate perpendicularly to the slats. This led to a significant elimination of the unpleasant creaking noise when lying down and turning of a person on the bed stabilizing the position of a mattress on the bed grate.
Example 7—Speaker Underlay
[0092] The structural/constructional element according to the invention and the example 1 was used as an absorbing pad and simultaneously sound insulation including anti-slip function as pads under the speakers, particularly during public musical productions, which substantially eliminates annoying vibrations in closed rooms and perfectly stabilizes the position of the free-standing speakers.
Example 8—Dancing Floor
[0093] The structural/constructional element according to the invention and the example 1 was used as an underlying basis for a dance floor, which also provides a necessary flexibility of the surface for the use in a dance studio for children and youth. On top of this were laid a layer of impregnated OSB panels 12 with a thickness of 18 mm, lx layer of anti-slip foil (LLDPE Mirelon or e.g. silicone) and a top floor layer in the form of vinyl surface 11 , see FIG. 16 .
Example 9
[0094] Diagonal placing/redistribution of structural/constructional elements according to invention with the use of parallel fixing structural/constructional element—used for construction of test-polygon of multi-layer sporting floor, with dimensions: 3.50×3.50 m, whose composition consists of:
1. Base plate—solid smooth concrete surface (after leveling) 2. Structural/constructional element according to invention, dimensions 80×1250 mm, height 20 mm, made from compound based on NR/SBR (Natural Rubber+synthetic Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber— 3. First layer of OSB/Plywood Board, dimensions 1250×2500 mm, thickness 10 mm 4. Second layer of OSB/Plywood Board, dimensions 1250×2500 mm, thickness 10 mm 5. Liquid, Self-leveling multi-functional flooring surface, based on 2 layers of synthetic resins (2-Component-Epoxy base coat, 2K-PUR Top-Coat with UV filter).
[0100] Redistribution/placing of the structural/constructional element according to the invention on the OSB/Plywood plate has a diagonal direction, with the use of parallel fixing element, spaced every 3 m in a single row. Regular spacing in regular intervals of 280 mm between every used element form—profiles or pads—and in every direction.
Example 10
[0101] The linear layout/redistribution of structural/constructional element according to invention on the floor of testing polygon, who's dimensions are 3.50×3.50 m is composed from following individual layers:
1. Base plate—solid smooth concrete surface (after leveling) 2. Structural/constructional element according to invention, dimensions 80×1250 mm, height 20 mm, made from compound based on NR/SBR (Natural Rubber+synthetic Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber— 3. One layer of OSB/Plywood Board, dimensions 1250×2500 mm, thickness 10 mm 4. Liquid, self-leveling multi-functional flooring surface, based on 3 layers of synthetic resins (2-Component-Epoxy base coat, 2K-PUR water based top-coat, 2K-PUR clear coat with UV protection).
Redistribution/placing of the structural/constructional element according to the invention on the OSB/Plywood plate has a linear direction in regular intervals of 280 mm, for 1 piece of OSB/Plywood plate there are used 7 pcs. of structural/constructional element according to the invention with dimensions 80×1250 mm, with thickness of 20 mm.
Example 11
[0106] Light panel according to the invention has been used as dance floor with light effects and installed at the Dance Club (Prague 3): on the prepared base/under layer—with smooth surface reached with levelling, there was installed an entertaining flooring block with the total area of 25 m 2 —composing of light panels according to the invention (dance area in the shape of a square with diameters of 5×5 m, build up with 5 pieces of polymer blocks with size of each block of 5×1 m). Construction of the base+load-bearing beams uses in this case the structural/constructional element 20 according to the CZ PV 2016-42 in the total quantity of 400 (16 pcs. per 1 m2), in this case made from translucent polymer on the base of PVC, with hardness of 70′ Sha, structural/constructional elements 20 have been installed at regular intervals per 280 mm.
Example 12
[0107] Light panel according to the invention has been used as signalization and navigating lightning strip/block installed on public/communal places and buildings (as hospitals, courts, etc.) and/or large scale public events with high traffic and huge quantity of participants/visitors (concerts, festivals), dividing and defining individual sections of the building/venue/area with chosen color, which helps to participants in the orientation and navigates them into the requested places. In this individual case the main navigation is similar to the “tourist signs on the trees,” and while luminous panels in the cut shape of arrow with the size 300×700 mm, located at a distances of 20, 50 and 100 m, at a height of 1.80 m in spots alongside the whole walking trip. In the most difficult areas, where more routes are crossing, to make the orientation more ease—the panels are placed also on the walking surface, where each participant/visitor must walk through such a place/spot, by crossing these light panels according to the invention navigates them easily by light-indicating direction as a signpost. Light panel according to the invention as signpost consists of 5 belts of engineered building element 20 according to EN PV 2016-42, have size: height=20 mm, width=80 mm, length varies from 1 m and is always adjusted as necessary according to the length of marking place. Light panel according to the invention in this case consists of the following components:
[0000] A) Base plate 22 with a thickness of 10 mm made of the white solid PVC as a underlying plate (the contact surface with the ground) with applied anti-slip silicone matt 3 mm thick
(B). Structural/constructional elements 20 , total quantity 5 pcs profiled belts, width of 80 mm, spaced per 150 mm, at regular intervals on 1 m 2 light panel
(C). Diffusion foil applied with adhesive thick from 0.3 to 3 mm from transparent PVC,
(D). Top-layer plate 19 , which at the same time a walkable area; presumed and projected high mechanical load (random and cyclic pressure) make the choice: PA or PC plate with the minimum thickness 15 mm or 20 mm, or more
(E). Top protection foil 25 —features decorative, diffuse and non-slip.
[0108] Note: due to the high mechanical resistance of damage in the event of the participant's aggressive behavior, vandalism and disorderly conduct
Example 13
[0109] Light panel according to the invention has been used for the construction of segmental, easily demountable dance floor with the segment size 1×1 m, with an optional and variable surface (gloss, semi mat, mat, satin, fine structure, structure of gross, stripes, bitmaps, 3D film), reacting with light effects on currently playing music. System side interlocked locks ensures connectivity and create a solid surface without visual defects (squares). After creating the desired shape from polygons 1×1 m application of protective and decorative foil 25 .
Example 14
[0110] Light panel according to the invention has been used as a sporting- and design-floor in fitness center with the main target—support the collective sports by using music to increase the motivation of people, for example. Aerobics, spinning etc.
Example 15
[0111] Light panel according to the invention has been used as a part of security system—securing a selected area with the use of the optical motion sensors, placed under the surface-level, which so far did not allow any other floor system (with the exception of the glass floor, which, however, has a number of other negative mechanical properties).
Example 16
[0112] Light panel according to the invention has been used for children's playing area for outdoors and indoors with the main 2 functions—decorative and entertaining features with the target to support the will of the children for more movement and physical activities. Programmable light effects for each installed LED-panels 21 enable different motion games, during the night the “mood lighting” with very low power consumption, ensuring an undisturbed night's sleep without the need for lighting in the hallway and/or open doors in the case that the child is afraid of dark areas.
Example 17
[0113] Light panel according to the invention has been used for the construction of a variable segment stage for marketing promotions and trade shows, with the use as s mighty presentation tool with the goal to enforce the sale power.
Example 18
[0114] Light panel according to the invention has been used as place-marking (area defining) medium in the form of light strip, the main body placed under the ground, so the top-layer plate is in the level of remaining surface or on the ground (because the height of the whole system of 5 cm, the top-layer plate was placed 5 cm above the ambient surface). It is suitable e.g. for installation, where a place-border is needed to be signed: VIP zone, prohibition on entry, the area for input with specific authorization . . . etc.
Example 19
[0115] Light panel according to the invention has been used on a military training like a light and signalization element, helping with orientation for people in the case of natural catastrophes or other disasters, where is supposed a huge concentration of people, chaotic behavior, physical and psychical pressure. The panel helps by orientation and avoids many repeatedly given questions about directions, so the intervening military units can spend their time more effective. The panel is due to its resistance very suitable for such a kind of action, it is not damaged by rain, snow, water or other liquids.
Example 20
[0116] Light panel according to the invention was applied to an alternative solution for the location of LED strips to design the construction element according to the CZ PV 2016-42, which is also hollow and constructed with flexible lamellas in the “V-shape, ensuring shock-absorption, impact control and dampening ability. In this case it was a variant with lowered thickness (height) is just 7 mm, width=80 mm, length arbitrary, since it is made by extrusion and supplies are available in rolls. This solution enables the integration of LED strip and thanks to a sufficient number of chambers is also possible installation of an integrated underfloor heating based on resistance wire. The product is made from components on the basis of EPDM and has been developed in particular for floating floors.
Example 21
[0117] Light panel according to the invention has been used to build children's entertainment game: the jumping/hopscotch, consisting of light LED panels, cut on segments of size: 400×400 mm, total quantity=10 pcs. Square panels of 400×400 mm and 1 pc. Round circle with radius r=300 mm. This example of use is illustrated in FIG. 31 .
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0118] The new structural/constructional element based mainly on the modified polymer and/or elastomeric materials based on India rubber mixtures completely replaces the wooden grate, which is now needed when laying floors. Its base portion is hollow and has an inner reinforcement in the shape of letters WOW or MOM, which provides its stable bearing capacity and connectivity of the building blocks by inserting a central pin, since the diameter of the pin corresponds to the inner diameter of the opening in the ribbing, when at least the upper surface of the structural/constructional element is provided with a longitudinal groove. The colored groove on the upper surface and the adhesive matter at the bottom of the structural/constructional element leads to a significantly accelerated laying of the floor.
[0119] Also the new light panel according to the invention represent a new kind of resistive lightning panel/block, which disposes of unique functional properties, which enables a very wide scale of possible applications—until this moment unreachable for such a kind of product—e.g. flooring systems, wall-protection or decoration for outdoors as a functional protective+design element and/or as a complex system with integrated heating system with high mechanical resistance and load-power, enabling the choice from many variable properties and options—the main target area of use shell be the sporting floors, laminating, design-oriented, signalization and navigation lighting blocks for communal buildings as well as for private households, due to its functionality is expected a common usage in the field of promotion, advertising, entertainment industry, arts and culture, security systems and many other segments—in particular, due to its high universality and many variable properties, which depends on the presumed installation purpose and kind of use, it is a multi-functional, multi-purpose, variable and unique technical solution.
Explanation of Abbreviations Used in the Text
LED—Light Emitting Diode
[0120] RGB+White—Red Green Blue—color spectrum can be reach just with 3 basic color shades, technology based on mixing of the 3 basic colors enables to reach every possible color from the entire Photo-spectrum of the human eye+adding straight White light (higher luminosity)
OSB—oriented strand board (pressed and glued with synthetic resin)
NR/SBR—Natural rubber+synthetic Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber
EPDM—monomer ethylene-propylene-diene
NR—natural rubber
SBR—styrene-butadiene rubber
TPE—thermoplastic elastomers
TPV—thermoplastic vulcanizates
PP—polypropylene
PE—polyethylene
PVC—polyvinylchloride
Note 1.: EPDM also sometimes refers to Ethylene Propylene Diene terpolymer instead of Monomer or also unconjugated (Monomer)
Note 2.: In the rubber mixtures is the concentration/content of the individual ingredients abbreviated as “dsk”=parts per hundred parts rubber or also “phr”=parts per hundred rubber. The basis of a rubber mixtures always consists of 100 parts of rubber (one or more types together). If is the used rubber mixed with oil or soot, its dosage must be increased, so even such mixture has 100 parts of rubber. Using 100 parts of rubber as the basis of a mixture simplifies dosage of non-rubber ingredients, because expressing their concentration with the same value of phr ensures the same concentration of India rubber/ingredient for a different types of rubber mixtures.
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A structural element, including a base portion and a connecting central pin, has its base portion formed hallow, and having an internal reinforcement in the shape of WOW or MOM, to connect these elements with an insertable central pin so that the cross-section of the pin corresponds to the shape of the chamber between the reinforcements, when the upper surface of the structural element has longitudinal grooves, and is made from a modified polymer or elastomeric material comprising India rubber mixtures. The foundation is monomer ethylene propylene diene or natural rubber or styrene-butadiene rubber and/or combinations of the natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber, or thermoplastic elastomers, whose base is monomer ethylene-propylene-diene or polypropylene/monomer ethylene-propylene-diene or polyvinylchloride, or thermoplastic vulcanizates, whose base is monomer ethylene-propylene-diene and polyethylene or natural and/or synthetic rubber, modified by polyethylene or polypropylene.
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CROSS-REFERENCE DATA
[0001] This patent application claims a priority benefit of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/132,853 filed on Mar. 13, 2015 by the same inventors and entitled “Devices and methods for implementing a variable velocity string”, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
INTRODUCTION
[0002] The invention relates to methods and devices used to broaden the application of a multi-channel system in petroleum wells, such as gas, coalbed methane (CBM), condensate and oil wells. The multi-channel system or “MCS” may comprise one or more lengths or segments of extruded, molded or otherwise manufactured or assembled components made from elastomeric, metallic, composite or multi-component material and having two or more side-by-side passageways (the terms passageways, tubes and channels are herein used interchangeably) for the fluid to flow through from its beginning to its end. It may also include a bundle of parallel individual tubes or dividers having two or more internal passageways running from its beginning to its end. Such passageways or tubes may each have any cross sectional shape, e.g. circular, elliptical, oval, rectangular, square, polygonal or irregular and may be of any size. Such individual tubes or groups of tubes may have the same size, e.g. diameter and or shape, or may each have a different size and or shape. Such system may be configured to divide the fluid flowing up the well into multiple flows for better removal of wellbore liquids and/or solids.
[0003] Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,651 entitled “METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING A MULTI-PHASE FLOW” (the '651 patent) that is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The '651 patent explains in greater detail the physical principle whereby, compared to a flowing petroleum well using a single passageway tubing, the proportion of liquid in the multi-phase flow at the top of the well may be greater when the flow is segmented into multiple flows of smaller cross-sectional area that together have the same cross sectional area as the single passageway well tubing. All MCS cross-section designs for segmenting the flow described in the '651 patent are included in the present invention. FIG. 1 shows one design of an MCS extrusion ( 1 ) illustrating one example of such cross-sections having multiple small holes/passageways ( 6 ) such as seven seen in FIG. 1 used in an MCS design configured for use in conjunction with the '651 patent. The diameter of such circular holes or passageways may be selected based on the desired extent of interaction between the gas and liquid phases. While the liquid-to-gas ratio is higher at the end of such conduit(s) with the segmentation of the flow into more than one individual passageway compared to a traditional single passageway tube having the same cross section, the flow resistance is increased as well. For different petroleum wells with various well conditions (e.g., wellbore pressure, well depth, liquid and gas volumes produced, fluid viscosity, types of liquid produced, presence of solid particles, etc.), the optimum number of passageways and their diameter or shape will vary and may have to be optimized individually.
[0004] In embodiments, an MCS may be formed by extrusion, using any suitable elastomeric material (e.g. polymers, thermoset plastics, elastomers, rubber, co-polymer, polypropylene, vinyl, poly-vinyl chloride, etc.), including a composite utilizing additional materials (e.g. fiberglass fibers, carbon fiber, metal wire or wire rope, or fiber or metal mesh, added, mixed or embedded into the extrusion elastomeric material to increase its tensile, burst or crush strength). An MCS may also be formed using any metal material (e.g. aluminum, etc.) suitable for extrusion. Such extrusion may be wrapped or encased by material having high strength (e.g. tensile, burst or crush) to permit deployment at greater well depths or in high- or low-pressure environments. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 8,671,992 B2 (the '992 patent) entitled Multi-Cell Spoolable Composite Pipe that is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The cross-section design of such extrusion is intended to segment the flow of production fluids moving up the well into two or more side-by-side flows, reducing the individual flow channel diameter or cross-section area. This in turn causes an increase in the interaction between the carrier phase (gas) and the carried phase (liquids and/or solids) in the multi-phase upward flow, resulting in more of the carried phase produced at the surface per unit volume of gas compared to a single passageway tubing having the same cross section available for fluid flow.
[0005] Upon initial completion, most natural gas wells typically have sufficient reservoir pressure to produce gas at the surface for a sustained period of time (often many years) without the need for any remedial lift systems to remove the buildup of liquid at the bottom of the well. Given sufficient reservoir pressure, the high flow velocity of gas from the bottom of the well on up will enable removal of produced liquids (e.g., water, oil and/or condensate) and to carry and produce these liquids (along with any small solid particles present) from the bottom of the well to the surface. Turner et al, developed and defined some predictive correlations which forecast the onset of liquid loading in producing natural gas wells. Liquid loading is defiled as liquid collecting in the bottom region of the well sufficient to create a hydrostatic head that results in back pressure on the reservoir formation that impedes or blocks the free flow of gas from the reservoir up the well. Turner introduced a term “critical velocity” which defines the minimum gas velocity necessary to remove liquid from the well. Per Turner, given sufficient gas velocity, liquid droplets and film on the tubing wall will be carried and suspended in the gas stream from the producing reservoir interval to the surface of the well. The formula for the Turner “critical velocity” was based on empirical data using commonly used 2-inch internal diameter gas production tubing, and other authors (e.g. G. B. Wallis and D. J. Reinman) have demonstrated that the “critical velocity” declines with declining tubing diameter, in particular below 20 mm in diameter. As depletion of the well progresses and reservoir pressure declines, at some point the well will fail to achieve the necessary critical gas flow velocity and liquid loading will ensue, causing a likely need for employing liquid removal technologies. Some of such wells are referred to as marginal wells or stripper wells.
[0006] Significant quantities of natural gas reserves are left behind in gas well reservoirs because production costs become prohibitively high during the final stages of the extraction process. Well operators will typically opt to plug and abandon a gas well prematurely rather than make the investments needed to prevent liquid loading during the final stages of production in efforts to further deplete the natural gas reserves. Some of the traditional liquid removal technologies include beam pumping, compression, plunger-lift, velocity strings, surfactant injection, gas lift, hydraulic pumps, casing swabs and so on. In general, the operating costs of these technologies are high because of energy requirements, additional labor and/or consumables and/or the wear and tear associated with the moving parts necessary to operate these systems.
[0007] Velocity strings (also called siphon strings) are a common workover technique for gas wells, where tubing having a diameter smaller that the diameter of the original or prior production tubing is placed inside the production tubing (or casing, if the production tubing is removed) to increase the flow velocity to or above the critical velocity needed to lift liquids to the surface of the well. For example, for a well with production tubing having a 2-inch inside diameter that is having problems with liquid loading, a velocity string may have an inside diameter of ¾-inch, 1-inch or 1¼-inch. Velocity strings help stabilize the flow rate of a flowing gas well, but other methods are often needed to kick-off the well (to initiate flow up the velocity string, or casing or tubing annulus region), and access to the bottom of the well is difficult or precluded entirely due to the small diameter of the velocity string tubing. Eventually, as the well reservoir pressure continues to decline with depletion, the velocity string will succumb to the same problem as the original production tubing, accumulating liquid in the bottom of the well that imposes a significant hydrostatic head against the gas reservoir, resulting in reduced gas production and eventual blockage.
[0008] The benefits of the '651 patent, primarily that of improving the gas-liquid flow characteristics up a gas well production tubing or riser in efforts to return the well to steady state flow production and/or reducing the gas-liquid ratio of the produced fluids, was demonstrated in an aging gas well in Kansas in 2008. The result was an increase in the energy transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase (thereby reducing the gas-liquid ratio) and in the maintenance of a steady-state flow rate (no slugging behavior or intermittent flow). A long round extrusion 1¼ inches in diameter having seven 7-millimeter internal passageways (a so-called “multi-channel system”, or MCS) was made of a polymer mixture including approximately 85% of high density polyethylene and installed in a 1,930-foot gas well. FIG. 1 represents a cross sectional view of such extrusion, having seven internal passageways ( 6 ) inside the polymer extrusion ( 1 ). Previously, gas production in the well had declined to where flow was intermittent, with a two-week slugging cycle and trending down, averaging approximately 15 thousand cubic feet (15 Mcf) of gas per day together with approximately 2½ barrels of water, and requiring soap treatments to initiate flow, despite a shut-in bottom hole pressure of 285 psi. Prior to the MCS installation, there was approximately 360 feet of accumulated water in the wellbore. After MCS installation, the well kicked off without any external energy source, requiring about three days to produce the accumulated water down to the level of the MCS entrance downhole (see the '363 patent cited below that describes in detail the liquid unloading process). The well then produced approximately 20 Mcf per day of gas together with approximately 3 barrels of water with 50-80 psig line pressure at the surface and 280 psig at the top of the casing annulus. Steady-state flow was established, with line and casing pressures staying within a 10% range for the following 6 months and more. The gas production meter differential was exceptionally smooth. Sub-zero weather had no effect on production volumes. Water salinities were in excess of 130,000 parts per million NaCl equivalent with no sign of deposits or plugging. Once installed, the system was virtually maintenance free over the next 6 years, at which point the gas production rate had reduced to approximately 17 Mcf per day. It was estimated that the steady state producing gas-liquid ratio was approximately 130 barrels of water per million cubic feet (MMcf) of gas, and based on this gas-liquid ratio calculations indicate that there was less than one foot of water (in the form of vapor and mist) in the column if condensed/concentrated. At a production rate of 20 Mcf of gas per day, it can be calculated that the gas velocity in the bottom region of the MCS (having seven 7 mm round pathways) was approximately 4.4 feet per second, and near the top was approximately 11 feet per second. Therefore the minimum gas flow velocity required to maintain steady state flow is approximately 1 foot per second (the liquid present is in a form similar to a moving cloud) flowing up the seven 7 mm passageways, so the predicted minimum flow rate of gas to maintain steady state flow can be estimated at under 5 Mcf per day.
[0009] Initially, solution gas driven oil wells produce mostly liquid, with the produced gas/liquid ratio (calculated at atmospheric pressure) increasing as depletion progresses during the “natural flowing phase”, also called the “fountain stage”, (pre artificial lift). Early in such natural flowing phase, annular gas-liquid flow appears near the wellhead. As depletion continues, the height along the production tubing where such annular flow regime is initiated moves progressively lower and lower down the well, production eventually becomes intermittent and eventually stops. Annular flow is characterized by high slippage of the gas phase past the liquid phase and therefore high gas/liquid ratios, and methods that can reduce this ratio have the effect of conserving the dissolved gas and pressurized gas in gas phase form (together, the energy source) in the formation, thus extending the natural flowing phase of the well. Conserving reservoir gas also maintains for a longer time the low viscosity of reservoir petroleum liquids, increasing the ultimate recovery of oil or condensate.
[0010] The natural flowing phase of an oil well is usually rather short, with only approximately 10% of the oil in the producing reservoir being recovered. Extending the natural flowing phase to achieve greater depletion before initiating artificial lift is clearly economically beneficial. Common practice in onshore wells is to initially use oil production tubing of 2 inches (inside diameter), sometimes switching to smaller-diameter tubing (e.g., 1-inch diameter) toward the end of the natural flowing phase in efforts to extend its life (Designing Coiled Tubing Velocity Strings, by Bharath Rao, 1999). In annular flow, there is correlation between the gas and liquid phase velocities vs. the diameter of the tubing or conduit, with the gas liquid ratio decreasing with declining diameter.
[0011] When an MCS is deployed in a gas, CBM, condensate or oil well, it is preferably hung from the top of the well and extends as a continuous length down to a point near or just above the region(s) where reservoir fluid enters the well. In other configurations, several MCS units having different cross section designs can be used in series along/up the well or one can be used in a limited region of the well column. While fluids can be produced or co-produced through the MCS and the annulus region to increase gas production (desirable in gas wells) or to increase liquid production in an oil well, preferably the well is produced only through the MCS string.
[0012] Reference is now made to U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,363 entitled “DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING LIQUID REMOVAL FROM GAS, CONDENSTAE AND OIL WELLS WHEN USING A MULTI-CHANNEL SYSTEM” (the '363 patent) that is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The '363 patent describes an “endpiece” attached to a bottom of an MCS for purposes of providing a semi-enclosed space immediately below the MCS entrance to assist in concentrating the gas phase at the entrance of the MCS. The gas phase is the carrier phase in a multi-phase flow, whereby the pressure decline of the gas phase from MCS entrance to exit is the driving force for fluid flow. Potential energy in the form of pressure is converted into kinetic energy of the fluid along/up the MCS from its entrance to its exit, ultimately resulting in an increase in the potential energy (height) of the liquid. Therefore, increasing the concentration or volume of gas phase that enters the MCS (vs. flowing around the MCS entrance and up the well into the annulus area between the MCS and the surrounding casing or production tubing of the well) in effect increases the potential energy of the fluid entering the MCS, increasing its capacity to transport the carried phase (e.g., liquids and solid particulates). Such endpiece also provides the capability to protect the MCS entrance from being crushed when installed, to permit the MCS bottom end to be safely seated on a collar or seat nipple in the well for purposes of accurately placing the MCS bottom at the desired height/location in the well, and to screen solid particulates large enough to risk plugging the entrance to the small-diameter passageways within the MCS.
[0013] Reference is further made to U.S. Pat. No. 8,555,978 B2 entitled “DUAL PATHWAY RISER AND ITS USE FOR PRODUCTION OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IN MULTI-PHASE FLUID PIPELINES” (the '978 patent) that is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The '978 patent describes a dual pathway production tubing configuration in petroleum production well tubing, risers, jumper lines and surface pipelines whereby
a) one pathway is a traditional single passageway tubing that is available for producing well fluids, as well as for providing access to downhole from the surface or to provide pigging capability from the wellbore or wellhead toward downstream in surface pipelines to a production point, and b) a second pathway is used for implementation of an MCS to improve well fluid production or transport characteristics.
[0016] The need exists therefore for an improved MSC configured to increase its efficacy in lifting liquids up a well. The various characteristics, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. Any design feature or method described in any one embodiment of the invention may also be assumed to be applicable in any of the other embodiments described herein, and can interchangeably utilized in gas, CBM, condensate or oil wells.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide methods and devices to be used in conjunction with an MCS to selectively operate one or more of its channels individually. To that effect, the present invention may be used to completely or partially close or open one or more of the fluid production passageways of an MCS over the life of its implementation in gas, CBM or condensate wells as the reservoir pressure and gas production rate decline with depletion—in efforts to maintain a sufficient velocity of the gas phase and ultimately to adequately lift liquid to the surface to prevent liquid loading of the well.
[0018] It is a further object of the present invention to extend the initial natural flowing phase of an oil well and to improve the efficiency of artificial gas-lift operations by providing methods and devices to be used in conjunction with an MCS to selectively operate one or more of the fluid production passageways thereof.
[0019] It is a further yet object of the present invention to provide methods to accomplish selective shutting or closing of one or more MCS fluid production pathways—such as by individually plugging one or more production pathways—by inserting a plugging object into such pathway(s), by injecting a plugging material such as glue, resin or epoxy into such pathway(s), or a combination of both.
[0020] It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide devices configured to accomplish selective control of one or more of MCS fluid production passageways—such as by employing a collar or a manifold that houses a suitable number of valves that may be controlled manually or using a motor that is controlled manually, wirelessly and/or by a controller algorithm and that can individually or in desired groups control flow in such pathway(s) so as to selectively close or open thereof, either partially or entirely.
[0021] It is another object of the present invention to provide devices suitable for operating an MCS extrusion having fluid production passageways of different diameters, whereby one or more of such production passageways have a diameter small enough to initiate kick-off of the well without the assistance of an external energy source or a prior step of removing collected liquid in the wellbore such as swabbing, and whereby one, several or all of the larger diameter MCS fluid passageways may be temporarily closed until such kick-off is achieved.
[0022] It is another yet object of the present invention to provide methods and devices configured to permit shutting or closing one or more MCS fluid production passageways in efforts to improve the effectiveness of gas re-injection or artificial gas-lift operations for gas, CBM, condensate or oil wells, such effectiveness achieved by increasing or maintaining the velocity of the gas phase in efforts to lift liquids and solids to the surface while reducing the volume of gas that must be re-injected into the production tubing.
[0023] The present invention features a manifold with a plurality of inlets operably connected to the passageways of the MCS. Individual flows of the multi-phase fluid from the passageways towards the inlets may be controlled by corresponding stopping valves installed on each inlet or group of inlets. After exiting the inlets through the stopping valves, the flows of the multi-phase fluid may be consolidated and may be directed towards a single outlet or several outlets of the manifold and ultimately towards the outlet of the petroleum well.
[0024] In embodiments, the methods of operating a petroleum well may comprise the following steps:
a) providing a manifold with a plurality of inlets in fluid communication with passageways of said multi-channel system, b) individually opening or closing the inlets so as to permit or not the multi-phase fluid to flow through the respective passageways of the multi-channel system, and c) consolidating all flow after exiting from the opened inlets towards an outlet of the petroleum well, whereby opening or closing of one or more of the inlets causing a corresponding increase or decrease of a total cross-sectional area available for producing flow through the petroleum well.
[0029] In other embodiments, the methods of operating a petroleum well may comprise the following steps:
a) dividing a fluid flow along at least a portion of the petroleum well into a plurality of individual parallel flows using a multi-channel system comprising a plurality of individual parallel passageways, and b) individually opening or closing these passageways to maximize production of the petroleum well.
[0032] All of the passageways may be open at the beginning of using the well. As the well is depleted, one or more of the passageways may be periodically closed so as to maintain desirable fluid production over the entire lifetime of the well.
[0033] In further embodiments, devices and methods for operating a petroleum well may comprise dividing the flow in the well into a plurality of individual flows using a plurality of passageways of a multi-channel system, and stopping individual flows by closing off said individual passageways. Such closing off may include compressing, crushing, inserting a restrictive object, other methods and devices for reducing of cross-sectional area, or plugging with a suitable substance, such as a glue, epoxy, flowable polymer of another injectable material capable of solidifying while inside the passageway so as to stop flow therethrough.
[0034] In further yet embodiments, a petroleum well may be equipped with a MCS system comprising a plurality of smaller diameter passages and one or more of larger diameter passages. Such individual flows may be selectively permitted to flow through a manifold and then consolidated in one or more groups of flows. In one example all flows emanating from smaller diameter conduits may be consolidated in a first outlet and all flows through larger diameter conduits may be consolidated in a second outlet. After further processing (such as water or liquid removal), all flows may be consolidated together.
[0035] The present invention together with an MCS conduit has compelling economic and operating advantages over other production technologies as it enables the maintenance of steady state flow in gas wells from initial production rates of from 1 MMcf of gas per day or more all the way down to as little as 3 to 5 Mcf of gas per day without a workover, and requires no external energy source to kick-off or maintain steady state fluid flow in such gas wells.
[0036] The present invention is contemplated to increase the overall withdrawal of petroleum from an individual well. This in turn may have a desirable economic and environmental benefit of reducing the total number of wells and subsequent reduction of environmental risks associated with operating each individual well.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a cross section design for an MCS extrusion as per the '651 patent cited above;
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section longitudinal view of one embodiment of the present invention together with its associated MCS conduit;
[0039] FIG. 2A shows a cross-section top view of the same;
[0040] FIG. 2B shows a cross-section view of the MCS extrusion conduit design of FIG. 2
[0041] FIG. 2C shows another cross-section top view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2 ;
[0042] FIG. 3 shows another cross-section view of an MCS conduit design;
[0043] FIG. 4 shows another yet cross-section view of an MCS conduit design;
[0044] FIG. 5A shows a further alternate cross-section view of an MCS conduit design;
[0045] FIG. 5B illustrates yet another alternate cross-section view of the MCS conduit design;
[0046] FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-section top view of a casing insert to facilitate operating a stopping valve of the present invention;
[0047] FIG. 7A shows a cross-section longitudinal view of another design of the MCS conduit, and
[0048] FIG. 7B shows a cross-sectional view of the same along lines 7 B- 7 B shown in FIG. 7A .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0049] The decision of what diameter production tubing to install in a gas, CBM, condensate or oil well is inherently a compromise. In a gas well, while initially installing a relatively large diameter production tubing will increase the production rate of gas resulting in increased revenue per day, the eventual onset of liquid loading will occur earlier in the life of the well (the cumulative production of gas will be less at such point), resulting in earlier implementation of artificial lift in efforts to evacuate the liquid and higher production costs over the life of the well. Conversely, while initially installing a relatively small diameter production tubing will result in an increase in the cumulative production of gas prior to the onset of liquid loading, the production rate of gas in such initial days and months or years of production will be less, resulting in less revenue per day during such early period.
[0050] In a dissolved gas or gas cap drive oil well, initially installing a relatively large diameter production tubing will increase the production rate of oil during the initial natural flowing stage of production (also called the fountain stage), resulting in increased revenue per day. However, eventual conversion to artificial lift operations to lift the liquid to the surface will occur earlier in the life of the oil well (the cumulative production of oil will be less at such point), resulting in earlier implementation of artificial lift in efforts to evacuate the liquid, whereby increasing production costs over the life of the well. Conversely, initial installation of a relatively small diameter production tubing will result in an increase in the cumulative production of oil prior to when artificial lift operations must start, whereby reducing the production rate of oil during the initial days and months or years, whereby resulting in less revenue per day during such initial period.
[0051] The same inherent compromise is true for the implementation of an MCS in a gas, condensate or an oil well. Employing an MCS with larger-diameter internal pathways and/or more individual pathways will result in greater earlier production (and revenue) during the initial free-flowing stage of a gas well or during the initial fountain stage of an oil well. In that case, however, a conversion to artificial lift operations will also occur at an earlier point in the cumulative production of gas, condensate or oil over the life of such wells, resulting in higher production costs over the life of the well. And conversely, employing an MCS with smaller-diameter internal passageways and/or a fewer number of internal passageways in gas, condensate or oil wells will result in greater cumulative production prior to artificial lift operations to lift the liquid to the surface, but daily revenue will be less during such initial days and months or years.
[0052] The difference between the two is that the traditional single passageway production tubing is similar to being binary (either on or off), while an MCS can be viewed as more progressive (in addition to on and off, there are gradations or steps between fully open and fully closed if one or several of the passageways are shut off). The present invention is an effort to capitalize on this gradual step-wise adjustment quality of an MCS, by permitting the selective shutting off of individual internal passageways to vary the performance characteristics of the production string to match up with the varying flux potential of the well over its life.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRST EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0053] For gas wells, in efforts to maintain the minimum critical velocity requirement (maintain gas flow velocity up the production tubing sufficient to carry all liquid to the surface to keep the wellbore clear of accumulated liquid), individual internal MCS passageways may be sequentially closed as the well reservoir depletes and reservoir pressure declines in order to maintain gas flow velocity above the critical flow rate, thereby maintaining steady state flow conditions in the production tubing over a greater portion of life of the well. If different tubing diameters are utilized within the MCS, then the production rate of the gas well may be maintained at steady state flow over its entire lifespan. One example of multiple diameter passageways includes a first plurality of smaller-diameter internal passageways (such as 7 mm in diameter) as described in the '363 patent used primarily to enable kick-off of the well and removal of a liquid column therefrom, and a second plurality of internal passageways of larger diameter (such as ¾-inch in diameter) that may be used in some conventional velocity strings.
[0054] FIGS. 2 and 2 a illustrate one exemplary design of MCS using six outer internal passageways ( 105 ) having the larger diameter are ¾-inch in diameter. That makes their combined cross sectional area (4½π square inches) to be approximately the same as the cross sectional area of the commonly used 2-inch internal diameter gas well production tubing (4π square inches), thereby resulting in similar production rate/volume capacity. Adding a second set of smaller-diameter internal passageways ( 106 ) allows to expect gas production to flow at steady state down to very low production rates (i.e., 5 Mcf per day and possibly lower). Such smaller passageways may include seven 7 mm diameter internal passageways as was utilized in the Kansas test well described above. This second set of smaller-diameter production passageways may also make the MCS capable of kicking off by itself if, for example, the well is shut in for some time and liquid accumulates in the bottom of the wellbore. This may constitute an important improvement over traditionally used smaller-diameter velocity strings (e.g., ¾-inch in diameter) where kickoff is sometimes not possible by itself. In summary, when utilizing an MCS design as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 2 a , having two sets of production passageway diameters of ¾-inch and 7 mm respectively, the gas well may be produced in a steady state manner over its entire life without compromising on (i) its maximum flow rate compared to the utilization of traditional 2-inch internal diameter production tubing or, (ii) on its minimum flow rate even when compared to using the most aggressive artificial lift techniques employed presently using traditional single-passageway production tubing.
[0055] When selectively closing the larger-diameter production passageways ( 105 ) shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 2 b , one possible concern in a higher-pressure well may be that the pressure differential between the individual passageways may have potential to cause a rupture between the passageways, leading to a catastrophic failure. If one such passageway is closed, and there is no liquid accumulation above the entrance to the MCS, the pressure at the top of such passageway will be approximately equal to the pressure at the bottom of the well. In its adjacent passageways that are open and used for producing fluid to the surface, there will be a pressure decline upwards along the passageway due to friction and increased energy dissipation associated with a multi-phase flow. If the pressure differential between the producing passageway and the adjacent non-producing passageway is excessive, then there is an increasing potential towards the top of the well for the extrusion material between the two passageways to burst or implode inbetween these passageways. To prevent this from occurring, the individual passageways ( 105 ) may be reinforced such as lined up with material that has resistance to bursting or crushing. This can be accomplished during MCS manufacturing by feeding tubes with high crush strength and/or high burst strength into the extruder when extruding the MCS. In embodiments, polymer tubing may be reinforced by embedding with braided fiber (e.g., fiberglass, metal or carbon) or by encasing a polymer tubing with a suitable sheathing (e.g., such as described in the '992 patent), or by using metallic tubes such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,965 entitled “PRODUCTION TUBING MEMBER WITH AUXILIARY CONDUIT” (the '965 patent) that is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
[0056] As depicted in FIG. 2 , FIG. 2 a , FIG. 2 b and FIG. 2 c , operation of the variable velocity string manifold ( 103 ) is described as follows. All fluid flowing through small diameter passageways ( 106 ) of MCS extrusion ( 101 ) flows first into manifold ( 103 ), together entering funneling manifold passageway ( 108 ), and then flow upwards into downstream consolidating tubing ( 102 ). Optionally, flow through funneling manifold passageway ( 108 ) may be closed by an included dedicated stopping valve such as a butterfly valve ( 130 ) that may be controlled, for example, by actuator ( 131 ). All fluid flowing through outer larger-diameter passageways ( 105 ) of MCS extrusion ( 101 ) flow into manifold ( 103 ), each flowing into their own internal passageway ( 111 ) of manifold ( 103 ), and then flow upwards into downstream consolidating tubing ( 102 ). Each manifold internal passageway ( 111 ) includes a dedicated stopping valve such as a ball valve ( 104 ) having flow opening element ( 109 ) that may be configured to be opened (fully or partially) or closed, such open or closed position may be controlled for example by an actuator ( 110 ). Tubular sleeve seal elements ( 107 ) may be used to ensure that fluid flowing up each MCS extrusion larger-diameter passageway ( 105 ) enters its own dedicated manifold internal passageway ( 111 ), preventing such flow from mixing into any other manifold internal passageway ( 111 ) or bleeding into funneling manifold passageway ( 108 ). Optional embedded high tensile strength lengths of material ( 120 ) shown in FIG. 2 b may increase the tensile strength of MCS extrusion ( 101 ) to enable deployment in deeper wells and if made of metal may provide an electrical pathway for delivering electric power to devices downhole or to transmit electronic signals for surface equipment to communicate with devices or sensors downhole.
[0057] In a young or relatively young gas well having a relatively high production rate (such as about 1 MMcf per day of gas or more) all MCS extrusion internal passageways ( 105 and 106 ) may be opened and allowed to flow therethrough, with all dedicated stopping valves ( 104 ) and ( 130 ) in the open position. As production ensues and reservoir pressure declines, eventually, the velocity of flow near the bottom of the outer larger-diameter passageways ( 105 ) of the MCS extrusion may decline to below the critical flow rate. That may cause the liquid to collect in the bottom of such passageways ( 105 ). Such collecting liquid will increase in volume (and in height of the well) with continued depletion, imposing backpressure on the reservoir and impeding the flow rate of gas. At some point, sufficiently large column of liquid will collect in the well causing the flow to convert from steady state flow into intermittent flow. At this point (or before, when it is noticed that liquid is collecting in the bottom of the well above the MCS extrusion entrance), one or more of the stopping valves ( 104 ) or ( 130 ) may be closed. This may reduce the effective cross section available for flow up the well. The end effect of closing at least one valve ( 104 ) may be similar to substituting a conventional 2-inch internal diameter production tubing for one that has a smaller diameter, such as a velocity string. Valve ( 104 ) closure may result in increasing the flow velocity in the remaining flowing large-diameter MCS passageways ( 105 ) and returning the flow to steady state.
[0058] Later in the life of a well, the same situation may happen again, where the gas velocity near the bottom of the large-diameter MCS passageways declines to where liquid starts to collect, and then another stopping valve ( 104 ) in the manifold ( 103 ) may be closed. This process continues iteratively until all of the stopping valves are closed, and then production will proceed only through the small-diameter passageways ( 106 ). And then, once the flow of gas becomes intermittent (i.e., having a gas flow rate of about 5 Mcf per day), the individual small diameter passageways may be individually closed off. Such closure may be accomplished for example by using a similar process of iteratively closing the ball valves ( 104 ) described above. Another alternative is to use a plugging screw or another plug—optionally together with a glue or epoxy to ensure it does not come loose. Given the low flow rate of gas at this point, removing the manifold ( 103 ) in order to gain access to plug the individual small-diameter passageways ( 106 ) may not result in much gas escaping into the atmosphere.
[0059] In further embodiments, the process of individually or sequentially closing each of the stopping valves ( 104 ) to maintain steady-state flow conditions as the well depletes and reservoir pressure declines may be automated. Small motors can be used to individually open, adjust and close the stopping valves ( 104 ) or butterfly valve ( 130 ). The replacement of actuator ( 110 ), together with casing sealing device described in FIG. 6 , with wireless communication means or wires to provide electricity and signals from a control box or controller would simplify the manufacture of manifold ( 103 ) as well as its installation in the wellhead. Sensors of various types may be utilized to detect appearance of intermittent flow through the MCS, signaling the controller to shut off one or more stopping valves ( 104 ) to further restrict the cross section available for flow, leading to an increase in the velocity of the fluid to above critical flow and therefore reestablishing steady-state flow. In addition to savings in labor at the well site, computerized programs and algorithms may be developed to optimize control of the stopping valves ( 104 ) and butterfly valve ( 130 ) in order to increase fluid production in the aggregate and to minimize damage to the reservoir caused by intermittent flow conditions.
[0060] The kick-off procedure may be also automated by a controller. Initially, all larger diameter passageways may be closed and butterfly valve ( 130 ) may be open, leaving only smaller diameter passageways available for fluid flow. Once all accumulated liquid is produced to the surface, sensors of suitable types can sense steady-state flow through the MCS, signaling to the controller to sequentially open stopping valves ( 104 ) until either 1) steady-state flow is interrupted due to too many stopping valves ( 104 ) being open, and then one or more stopping valves ( 104 ) are closed to reestablish steady-state flow, or 2) a sensor estimates flow velocity and signals to the controller to adjust the number of open stopping valves ( 104 ) to result in the desired or optimal velocity in maintaining the preferred steady-state flow rate.
[0061] Alternately, instead of utilizing a manifold ( 103 ) having stopping valves ( 104 ), the large-diameter MCS passageways ( 105 ) may be individually shut using a screw or a plug, preferably with some glue or epoxy to ensure the screw or plug does not come out or become loose. In this case, the blowdown of the well to atmospheric pressure will likely result in excessive gas escaping into the atmosphere unless there is a downhole valve (not shown) located for example at the entrance to the MCS extrusion ( 101 ) that can be closed to block the flow of gas. In any case, given that the remaining large-diameter passageways ( 105 ) of the MCS extrusion may be open, the kick-off capability of the inner small-diameter passageways ( 106 ) may be significantly compromised, given the bleeding of the gas phase into the large-diameter passageways ( 105 ), where they may not be able to lift the collected liquid in the wellbore out of the well due to excessive slippage of the gas phase past the liquid in such large-diameter passageways ( 105 ).
[0062] The manifold ( 103 ) may be made of rigid molded material such as plastic used to make rigid PVC pipe, or machined from a block of solid material, such as rigid PVC or metal (e.g., steel or aluminum). The round tubing sealing sleeves ( 107 ) may be made of rigid plastic as well (e.g. rigid PVC) or metal material (e.g., steel, copper, brass or aluminum) and may be bonded or otherwise attached onto the MCS conduit and may be bonded or otherwise attached to manifold ( 103 ). The stopping valves ( 104 ) can be off-the-shelf ball valves glued or welded into the manifold ( 103 ). Ball valves may be preferred, given that they are flow-through valves, causing a minimum amount of turbulence in the flow, in efforts to reduce the pressure drop across the valve and to not cause a “tripping event” (inducing solids to come out of solution, such as scale or paraffin). For this reason, gate valves may also be utilized as stopping valves ( 104 ), but that may result in the manifold having a larger diameter, which may be less desirable. Other suitable types of valves may be used as a substitute for a stopping valve, as may be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0063] It is understood that all embodiments of the present invention may be utilized in all types of petroleum wells (e.g., gas, CBM, condensate and oil wells).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FURTHER EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0064] The same principle described above applies in using an MCS in oil wells. During the initial fountain stage in a life of an oil well, the initial fluid produced at the surface may typically be entirely liquid phase. But as production ensues, and pressure at the wellhead declines with depletion, gas in the form of liquid phase starts to come out of solution with the oil, and fluid flow produced near the surface may be in a multi-phase form (gas phase and liquid phase, together with any solids present). The gas portion of the fluid flow provides the energy to lift the liquid phase (oil and any dissolved gas). Its potential energy is released in the form of gas expansion, including both the conversion of dissolved liquid-phase gas into gas-phase gas, and in the expansion of the gas phase as the pressure declines up the well tubing. This potential energy is converted into kinetic energy of the movement of gas and liquid up the well, ultimately resulting in an increase in the potential energy (height) of the liquid phase. As more and more gas comes out of solution, its proportion increases, resulting in successive bubble flow, slug flow, churn flow and then annular flow, progressively forming from the lower portion of the production tubing towards the top. Each such flow regime is successively associated with increased slippage of the gas phase past the liquid phase. In particular, annular flow is associated with very high gas-liquid ratios. As oil production ensues during the initial fountain stage, at some point annular flow appears in the well—first at the top of the production tubing, and with declining pressure with depletion, it appears lower and lower in the production tubing.
[0065] The key benefit of implementing MCS in oil wells (as with gas wells) may be to reduce the slippage of the gas phase past the liquid phase, thereby conserving the energy source that powers the lifting of the liquid phase during the initial fountain stage of production. At higher velocities, production through an MCS may result unfavorably in a higher pressure gradient as compared with a single conduit production tubing with equivalent cross-section area given the exponential relationship of tubing diameter on pressure drop vs. velocity. However, at relatively low velocities the effect of tubing diameter on the pressure drop up the production tubing becomes less consequential. In fact, at relatively low flow velocities up small-diameter round tubing, such as less than approximately 30 feet per second in ½-inch diameter tubing, efficiency of the gas phase in lifting liquid is higher vs. that for a 2-inch diameter tubing. Reference is made to an article by D. J. Reinman, et al published in 1990 and entitled Theory of Small - Diameter Airlift Pumps , where experiments in air/water systems using an air lift pump demonstrated that the efficiency of the gas phase in lifting liquid increased as the tubing diameter was reduced from 20 mm to 6 mm. The article explains that in this tubing diameter range, surface tension effects start having an effect at approximately 20 mm and progressively increase as the diameter is reduced down to 6 mm in diameter. In tubes smaller than 6 mm in diameter, surface tension forces exceed buoyancy forces and the bubble is trapped (does not rise in the tubing). In such small diameter air/water systems of 6 mm-diameter and less, the slippage of the gas phase past the liquid phase is nearly eliminated.
[0066] In an oil well during the initial fountain stage, the MCS extrusion cross-section design as shown in FIG. 2 b (assuming, for example, outer larger-diameter passageways of ¾-inch and the inner seven 7 mm-diameter passageways) may be employed to beneficially reduce the slippage of the gas phase past the liquid phase. At the same time, other cross-section designs may be better suited to the characteristics of oil production during the fountain stage compared to that which is best for gas wells. During the fountain stage of an oil well, the function provided by the small-diameter passageways (seven 7 mm diameter passageways) in kicking off the well may not be required, and in an oil well in the fountain stage such small diameters may be excessively restrictive. As such, the seven 7 mm-diameter passageways may preferably be replaced by a single ¾-inch passageway, for example.
[0067] Alternatively, another MCS conduit cross-section design for use in oil wells during the initial natural flowing stage is shown in FIG. 3 . Depicted are 19 smaller-diameter inner passageways ( 206 ), sized for example to be from about 6 mm to about 12 mm in diameter. These smaller diameter channels (nineteen channels 206 are seen in FIG. 3 ) may be optionally encased as a whole in a conduit ( 212 ) intended to protect against bursting or crushing relative to the larger-diameter outer passageways ( 205 ). The conduit or encasing material ( 212 ) may be made of a malleable material to improve the capability of the entire MCS conduit ( 217 ) to be spooled on a reel. Such malleable material may be, for example, aluminum, copper, plastic, wire mesh, or a suitable sheathing material. Appropriate examples of a sheathing design may include woven fibers as described in the '992 patent, as well as carbon or metallic fibers. An optional outer layer ( 213 ) may be used to provide protection against abrasion, as it may help to increase tensile strength and/or may help protect against bursting or crushing due to pressure differentials between the outer passageways ( 205 ) of MCS conduit ( 217 ) and the external environment. Such encasing outer layer ( 213 ) may be made also of a malleable material, for example, steel, aluminum, copper, plastic, or a sheathing material mentioned above.
[0068] In embodiments, instead of employing one stopping valve ( 104 ) for each one of the outer passageways ( 105 ), the flow through several (e.g., two, three or four) outer passageways ( 105 ) may be first consolidated and then directed towards a single stopping valve ( 104 ). Flow consolidation from a group of outer passageways may be accomplished in the lower end of the MCS manifold ( 103 ) and then directed towards a single flow conduit (not shown) prior to entering the middle section of the MCS manifold ( 103 ) where the dedicated stopping valve ( 104 ) may be located to control flow therethrough. In such case, reinforcement partition elements ( 416 ) seen in FIG. 5 may be optionally positioned between neighboring groups of outer passageways ( 405 ) in efforts to prevent bursting or crushing the outer ring extrusion ( 414 ) therebetween.
[0069] A further embodiment of the MCS cross-section design for oil wells during the initial natural flowing stage is shown in FIG. 4 . This design is intended for use in higher-pressure wells. Inner small-diameter passageways ( 306 ) may be sheathed or encased (not shown), and such tubular sheath may be made using any of the materials described herein for such sheathing or encasing function. Also, larger-diameter outer passageways ( 305 ) may be individually sheathed or encased by a layer ( 315 ). Such sheathing or encasing layer ( 315 ), as well as encasing outer layer ( 313 ) of MCS conduit ( 317 ), may be made using any of the materials described herein for such sheathing or encasing function. Outer larger-diameter passageways ( 305 ), as well as inner smaller-diameter passageways ( 306 ), may further be arranged in a spiral pattern along the length of the MCS conduit ( 317 ) in efforts to make the MCS conduit ( 317 ) more amenable to spooling without the binding or creeping of such outer passageways ( 305 ) within MCS conduit ( 317 ).
[0070] Further yet embodiments of the MCS cross-section design for higher-pressure oil wells feature protective partition elements ( 416 ) positioned between internal passageways ( 405 )—see FIG. 5A . Such protective partition elements ( 416 ) may be made of a material with high strength or high ability to resist potential pressure differentials between neighboring passageways ( 405 ). Partition elements ( 416 ) may improve the ability of the MCS to resist internal collapse when one or more of the internal passageways ( 405 ) are further pressurized as a result of their respective stopping valves ( 104 ) being turned from open to closed position.
[0071] In efforts to increase the integrity of the outer-ring extrusion ( 414 ), such protective partition elements ( 416 ) may be made of a mesh (e.g., woven wire mesh, woven fiberglass mesh or mesh woven from carbon fibers). When extruding the outer ring extrusion ( 414 ), the extruding material may be embedded in the woven mesh partition elements. This approach may make such outer ring extrusion ( 414 ) behave more like a unified extrusion within itself vs. being partitioned inside by a solid partition structure such as plastic or metal strips. Using mesh to make partition elements ( 416 ) may also likely be more flexible than using solid material such as plastic or metal, improving the capability of MCS conduit ( 417 ) to be spooled on a reel. Using a mesh to make partition elements ( 416 ) may further likely make it easier to use in the extrusion process by the extruder—by providing better feeding characteristics given that it is more flexible compared to a solid strip material. In addition, the partition elements ( 416 ) may be made of high tensile strength material to increase the tensile strength of MCS conduit ( 417 ). Given that using mesh material will increase the integrity of the bond between either side of the partitioned elements within the outer extrusion ring ( 414 ), the partition elements may better grip the extruded material comprising the outer extrusion ring ( 414 ), resulting in a more unified structure with a better tensile strength as a whole.
[0072] While the explanation of the benefits of the MCS conduit ( 417 ) together with the MCS manifold ( 103 ) are made specifically to improving the production performance during the initial fountain stage of oil wells, it is also preferable to use this approach as opposed to a conventional single passageway tubing during artificial gas lift operations after the initial fountain stage is passed.
[0073] Yet another design of the passageways of an MCS conduit is depicted in FIG. 5B . In a high-pressure, high-volume petroleum well, where the ability for a well to kick-off by itself is less important, the smaller 7 mm diameter passageways may be substituted with a single large-diameter passageway ( 606 ) (for example, 1½- to 3-inches in diameter), and the outer smaller-diameter passageways ( 605 ) may be increased in diameter to one inch or more. Especially in high-pressure wells, there may be a concern regarding pressure differentials in adjacent passageways causing rupture therebetween. In such higher-diameter MCS conduits, the ability to easily spool the conduit becomes a greater concern. Also, sheathing material (e.g. fiberglass weave as described for example in the '992 patent) that is resistant to burst is more-easily spooled than material that is resistant to being crushed (e.g., metal or plastic tubes), so designing an MCS passageway conduit that is dependent on resisting burst may provide more desirable spooling capability of the MCS conduit.
[0074] FIG. 5B depicts a large-diameter passageway ( 606 ) in the center of the MCS conduit ( 618 ), which is surrounded by an annular-shaped extrusion having smaller-diameter passageways ( 605 ). The large-diameter passageway ( 606 ) may be designed for example as described in the '992 patent. It may be formed by a lower-strength inner polymer liner ( 619 ) suitable for having contact with the production fluid, and having an outer woven layer ( 612 ) with high burst strength. Outer extrusion annulus-shaped layer ( 614 ) may include a plurality of passageways ( 605 ) each having a diameter smaller than the central passageway ( 606 ), all preferably wrapped in a sheathing material ( 617 ) (e.g., such as that described in the '992 patent). Optionally, one or more smaller-diameter passageways ( 605 ) may themselves be MCS extrusions with a plurality of their respective internal passageways having diameters small enough (e.g., 7 mm) to kick-off the well as explained in the pilot well installation described above (see FIG. 1 ).
[0075] In the circumstance where fluid is flowing up the MCS conduit at a steady-state rate, there is no significant accumulation of liquid at the bottom of the MCS conduit. In this case, the pressure at the top of the MCS passageways varies for different diameter passageways and depending on whether individual passageways are blocked. For example, the pressure near the top of a flowing small-diameter passageway ( 605 ) is lower than the pressure near the top of the flowing central large-diameter passageway ( 606 ), given that fluid flow resistance increases as diameter is reduced. Also, pressure at the top of a passageway that is stopped from flowing by the manifold stopping valve will approximate the pressure at the entrance to the MCS conduit, the highest of pressures in any of the passageways.
[0076] Implementing MCS design as in FIG. 5B in a new well may start with all passageways open for flow, with highest pressure at the top of the large-diameter central passageway ( 606 ), contained by the high-burst strength sheathing material ( 612 ). When the large-diameter central passageway ( 606 ) is shut off by using the stopping valve of the manifold at some point during the life of the well, the pressure increases further at the top of central passageway ( 606 ) and is contained by its sheathing ( 612 ). Therefore, the lower burst- and crush-strength material of annular extrusion ( 614 ) is sandwiched between the highest pressure region (casing pressure, i.e. external to outer layer 617 ) and the next-highest region (the large-diameter central passageway ( 606 )), resulting in a highly stable design. Such design may be characterized by minimizing crush strength requirements and by utilizing high burst strength materials to effectively contain pressure differentials within and without the MCS at the top of the MCS conduit passageways. This in turn may lead to a more-easily spooled MCS conduit, especially for the larger-diameter, higher-pressure, higher-volume petroleum wells.
[0077] MCS extrusion cross-sectional shape may be other than round. A rectangular extrusion is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. US20130146171 entitled “Multi-tube Spoolable Assembly”, as well being described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,965 B2 entitled Production Tubing Member With Auxiliary Conduit, that are together incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. These patents feature a rectangular shaped perimeter of their extrusion with rounded edges that may be beneficial in certain well conditions, especially high-pressure wells where the extrusion can be injected (snubbed) down into the wellhead while maintaining high wellhead pressure in the casing annulus. Such rectangular shape is beneficial in maintaining the moving seal between the extrusion and the wellhead equipment, while still being a spoolable production string. Also, a rectangular shape may more efficiently utilize the available space on the spool for flow passageways (higher cross-sectional density of flow area on the spool) vs. round.
[0078] In the U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,965, at least some or all tubes ( 34 ) and ( 32 ) may house MCS extrusions all with upward multi-phase flow, or alternately, tube(s) ( 34 ) may house MCS extrusions for upward multi-phase flow while high-pressure gas from the surface may be provided through internal tube ( 32 ), all controlled at the wellhead by the MCS manifold as per the present invention.
[0079] Alternatively, in U.S. Patent Publication No. US20130146171, as described in the example provided in paragraph [0031], four tubes of 4½ inch diameter would have a flow capacity similar to an 8-inch tube. Having the capability provided by the present invention to independently shut off the individual 4½ inch tubes using a manifold would permit extending the natural flowing phase of a well, and in a gas well extend the period of natural steady-state flow up the well before alternative artificial lift is necessary. Also, one or more of the four tubes may be used to deliver high-pressure gas and/or for injecting well production chemicals.
[0080] Manifold ( 523 ) of the present invention may be positioned at the wellhead above the hanger assembly that suspends the MCS extrusion in a well. For safety reasons, as well as to provide for fluid production through the annulus region ( 521 ) between the MCS extrusion ( 101 ) and the well outer casing ( 522 ), the manifold may be encased in conventional steel tubing or other material having a cross sectional dimension or diameter larger than the manifold. FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the cross section of manifold ( 523 ) together with outer casing ( 522 ).
[0081] To operate a stopping valve ( 524 ) of the manifold ( 523 ), access must be provided through the casing to engage an actuator ( 510 ) of such stopping valve. Also, in an operating well, it is likely that the annulus region ( 521 ) may have a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure of the outer environment. For safety reasons, as well as to contain reservoir fluids, FIG. 6 depicts a novel device configured to allow access to the actuator ( 510 ) of the stopping valve ( 524 ) while preventing reservoir fluids from escaping into the environment. An outer insert ( 528 ) having the shape of a short tube may have threads on both its inside and outside diameter surface. The outer threads of outer insert ( 528 ) may be threaded into the casing ( 522 ) to form a tight seal, and may include a bonding or sealing material therebetween. The inner insert ( 527 ) may be provided in the shape of a short tube and may have threads on its outer surface. It also may be equipped with a ring gasket ( 526 ) at its inner end facing the manifold ( 523 )—in order to provide a seal with the outer surface of such manifold. Inner insert ( 527 ) may further have slots (not shown) on its outer end to engage with a screw driver or other such tool for purposes of threading thereof into the inside surface of the outer insert ( 528 ) in order to engage the ring gasket ( 526 ) with the outer surface of manifold ( 523 ) and create a tight seal therebetween. When access to the actuator ( 510 ) is not required, a bolt ( 529 ) having ring gasket ( 536 ) may be tightly screwed into the inside threads of outer insert ( 528 ) to provide a secondary seal between the pressurized annulus region ( 521 ) and the outside environment.
[0082] In yet another embodiment of an MCS conduit as shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B , instead of all flow through MCS passageways ( 711 ) and ( 712 ) exiting from manifold ( 704 ) into one consolidating conduit ( 102 in FIG. 2 ), there are two or more consolidating exit conduits such as ( 703 ) and ( 709 ). Pluralities of similar diameter passageways have similar flow characteristics, and managing their flow as separate groups may have a number of advantages.
[0083] First, this capability to segregate exit flows will simplify kick-off operations. During kick-off, all large-diameter MCS passageways ( 711 ) should be closed initially, so that all flow is through the plurality of small-diameter passageways ( 712 ). Once all liquid has been evacuated from the wellbore, the desired number of stopping valves controlling flow through the large-diameter MCS passageways ( 711 ) are opened. By having one exit for the flow ( 709 ) through all of the large-diameter MCS passageways ( 711 ), one downstream valve in conduit ( 702 ) can stop flow through all large-diameter MCS passageways ( 711 ), simplifying stopping valve operations during kick-off and, given less utilization, extending the life and reliability of the stopping valves housed in manifold ( 704 ).
[0084] In addition, this capability to segregate exit flows from MCS manifold ( 704 ) may permit separate control of exit pressure of the small-diameter passageways at ( 708 ) vs. that of the large-diameter passageways at ( 709 ). The small-diameter passageways may be better at producing liquid given their lower gas slippage rate, and they may be better capable of taking advantage of high-pressure gradients to increase the lifting power in the column. The pressure ratio (well bottom pressure divided by wellhead pressure) in a typical steady-state flowing gas well is often as low as 1.1×. While flowing through smaller diameter tubes increases flow resistance, small-diameters are also associated with a much higher rate of transfer of energy from the carrier phase (gas) to the carried phase (liquid) during multi-phase flow conditions. The pressure ratio in the MCS pilot gas well installation cited above was approximately 3.2×, and resulted in a lower gas-liquid ratio. It is proposed to preferentially produce most gas through the large-diameter passageways ( 711 ) and to preferentially produce most liquid through the small-diameter passageways ( 712 ), assisted by lowering the exit pressure at ( 708 ).
[0085] Then at the surface, optionally after the liquid has been separated out, a compressor may be used to increase the gas pressure to that of the main flow ( 709 ) and be re-connected thereto, thereby minimizing the volume of gas (vs. gas-lift operations through a single large-diameter tube) that must be compressed given the efficiency of an MCS having small-diameter passageways.
[0086] Alternatively, gas flowing through exit conduit ( 703 ) may be re-combined with the main flow ( 709 ) downstream of the surface choke that controls the volume of flow through conduit ( 702 ) and reduces the line pressure. The equivalent of the pressure differential across the choke may now be added to the pressure gradient in the small-diameter MCS passageways ( 712 ), increasing the power of the MCS to lift liquid, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for a compressor.
[0087] In embodiments, using more than one exit flow from MCS manifold ( 704 ) allows butterfly stopping valve ( 730 ) to be replaced by a stopping valve downstream in conduit ( 703 ), where such stopping valve function would be easier to implement, having better access for control and repair, permitting a greater variety of suitable valve designs and simplifying the design of MCS manifold ( 704 ).
[0088] As indicated in FIG. 7A , flow through small-diameter passageways ( 712 ) may be consolidated in MCS manifold conduit ( 714 ) and flows on to exit in passageway ( 708 ) through conduit ( 703 ). Flow through large-diameter MCS passageways ( 711 ) may be individually directed through MCS manifold ( 704 ) and may be consolidated in flow stream ( 709 ) and on to flow out through conduit ( 702 ). Sealing ring ( 707 ) seals the flow from the consolidating conduit ( 714 ) into exit conduit ( 703 ), and may be threaded, bonded or the like. Sealing ring ( 717 ) seals the flow from the MCS manifold ( 704 ) to intermediate conduit ( 701 ), and may be threaded, bonded or the like. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of intermediate conduit ( 701 ) at 7 B- 7 B.
[0089] In yet further contemplated embodiments of the invention elements of the design depicted in FIG. 5B may be combined with elements of the design depicted in FIG. 7A . This design may also incorporate within manifold ( 704 ) the capability to direct flow in a downward direction toward the well bottom through one or more passageways ( 606 ), ( 605 ), ( 703 ), ( 711 ), ( 712 ) or ( 709 ). Such passageways may be used to carry compressed gas to the entrance to the MCS extrusion to assist in kicking off the well or to increase liquid production. These passageways may also be used to deliver well fluid treatment chemicals in a concentrated form through the MCS extrusion passageways ( 711 ) and ( 712 ). Passageways ( 711 ) and ( 712 ) may further be used to house wires or fiber optic cables to communicate with or provide power to downhole equipment, or to transfer hydraulic fluid.
[0090] It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented with respect to any method of the invention, and vice versa. It will be also understood that particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
[0091] All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
[0092] The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.
[0093] As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. In embodiments of any of the compositions and methods provided herein, “comprising” may be replaced with “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of”. As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” requires the specified integer(s) or steps as well as those that do not materially affect the character or function of the claimed invention. As used herein, the term “consisting” is used to indicate the presence of the recited integer (e.g., a feature, an element, a characteristic, a property, a method/process step or a limitation) or group of integers (e.g., feature(s), element(s), characteristic(s), propertie(s), method/process steps or limitation(s)) only.
[0094] The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
[0095] As used herein, words of approximation such as, without limitation, “about”, “substantial” or “substantially” refers to a condition that when so modified is understood to not necessarily be absolute or perfect but would be considered close enough to those of ordinary skill in the art to warrant designating the condition as being present. The extent to which the description may vary will depend on how great a change can be instituted and still have one of ordinary skilled in the art recognize the modified feature as still having the required characteristics and capabilities of the unmodified feature. In general, but subject to the preceding discussion, a numerical value herein that is modified by a word of approximation such as “about” may vary from the stated value by at least ±1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 or 25%.
[0096] All of the devices and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the devices and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the devices and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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The devices and methods for controlling flow through a multi-channel system deployed in a petroleum well are disclosed. The devices of the invention feature a manifold with a plurality of inlets operably connected to the passageways of the multi-channel system. Individual flows of the multi-phase petroleum fluid from the parallel passageways of the multi-channel system towards the inlets of the manifold are controlled by opening or closing of corresponding stopping valves installed on each inlet or group of inlets. After exiting the inlets through the stopping valves, the flows of the multi-phase fluid are consolidated and directed towards single or multiple outlets of the manifold and ultimately towards the outlet of the petroleum well. Individual opening or closing of the stopping valves has the effect of increasing or decreasing the total cross-sectional area available for producing fluid flow through the well.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a U.S. national stage of International Appl. No. PCT/DK2015/050057 filed Mar. 19, 2015, which claimed priority to Danish Appl. Nos. PA 2014 00217 filed Apr. 16, 2014 and PA 2014 70710 filed Nov. 18, 2014, which applications are all incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a method for marking a playing surface, and a robot unit especially suited for marking grass areas, artificial grass and other types of field cover, including football, baseball, cricket fields and other facilities where field marking is used, equipped with container for paint and device for creating stripes of paint on playing surface.
[0003] The invention also relates to use of the self-propelled marking robot for marking of grass areas, artificial grass and other types of field cover, including football, baseball, cricket fields and other facilities where field marking are used, marking of indoor areas, including ice hockey fields and marking of other outdoor areas, including parking spaces, schoolyards and other asphalted areas.
BACKGROUND
[0004] When marking football fields and other sports fields, manual vehicles are mostly used, which require operation by personnel during the whole marking. These vehicles often consist of 3 or 4 wheels attached to a frame, one or more containers for chalk solution attached to the frame and a guideway with control to the rate of chalking. Vehicles with 3 wheels in most cases use front wheel for direction finding, whilst vehicles with 4 wheels most cases possible to find direction according to the previous marking, but at longer time without marking or after periods with heavy rain, it can be necessary to place direction cords to ensure regular marking.
[0005] There are several drawbacks by manual marking.
The marking is time-consuming, especially if there has to be placed direction cords before the marking. It is expensive in salary, in the case that volunteers can not be found. There is risk of uneven marking, especially by circular markings. Robot units, for instance controlled by GPS signals, have been proposed, but they have been difficult to operate, not least since paint and or chalk containers require supervision and filling, and there is risk of remains of paint or chalk, in not fully emptied containers, setting hard and thereby causing need for extensive service of the unit.
[0010] From U.S. 2009/0114738 is known a robot unit for marking playing fields, but this unit has no safeguard against that the used paint is exposed to oxidation, since its surface is accessible for this.
[0011] From DE9301759U1 is known a field marker, which is manually operated, and includes containers, which are replaceable. But there is no explanation of how the paint in the container is protected from oxidation. Thus, there is a risk that a not fully emptied container, if it is left in the field marking, can lead to formation of congealed paint, which again can clog pump and hose systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is therefore an object of the invention to show a robot unit, which is quick and easy to operate and where filling of paint can occur quickly and easily, and where the paint is secured against oxidization before it is added to the surface.
[0013] According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the stripes are formed on the surface during the unit's movement by paint being pumped from a reservoir to a spraying nozzle and is submitted to the playing surface in accordance to control signals, since the paint is added to the reservoir consisting of portions of replaceable bag in box type, which is connected to the pump. It is hereby ensured that the paint does not come in contact with oxygen before it leaves the nozzle and, at the same time, supplying extra paint to the reservoir is easy, since the replaceable bag in box units are easily connected and disconnected the pump connection without waste of paint.
[0014] According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the paint is passed through a connection pipe to the pump, is pressurized in the pump and is directed from the pump under pump pressure in a nozzle pipe to the spraying nozzle where the paint is released during spreading. Hereby is achieved the advantage that the pump is freely positionable a suitable place on the robot unit. The pump can be designed as a piston pump or alternatively as a peristaltic pump, which has the additional advantage that the moving parts of the pump do not come into contact with the paint.
[0015] According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is preferred that the paint is supplied to the pump via a manifold, where paint from several different bag in box containers are joined to a stream. Hereby, the total paint reservoir will always consist of all the bag in box units, which are connected to the manifold, and there is no need for
[0016] According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the spreading of the paint from the spraying nozzle is limited by a cover on each side of the spraying nozzle. This ensures that the line width does not vary during operation.
[0017] According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the line width can be adjusted manually from the start of a marking. Alternatively, the adjustment can occur during laying out of stripes on the playing surface. Hereby, the robot unit becomes capable of laying out stripes in varying width, which can be advantageous in relation to certain branches of sport. It is also possible to adjust the spraying pressure from the pump and possibly at the same time adjust the spraying nozzle's geometry. It can hereby be ensured that there always occurs optimum release of paint from the nozzle according to the desired line width.
[0018] The invention also relates to a robot unit for painting stripes on a playing surface such as grass, gravel, ice, or synthetic material lanes where the robot unit via a control box is controlled by GPS signals. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the robot unit is provided with at least one replaceable container, which contains paint and includes an outer rigid framing element and an inner flexible bag, whereby a connecting pipe on the outside of the framing element is in fluid connection with the paint in the flexible bag, where the robot unit is further provided with at least one spraying nozzle and a pump which is pipe connected with the replaceable container and the spraying nozzle for release of paint during control of signals from the control box.
[0019] With such a robot unit, filling of paint becomes carried out by changing an emptied replaceable container with a full container. The paint does then not come into contact with the atmosphere before it leaves the spraying nozzle and evaporation of water or hardening of the paint in advance of laying out stripes is hereby prevented efficiently.
[0020] The outer framing element can here be a well-known cardboard or plastic bucket, which is a part of the replaceable container or the framing element can consist of a fixed part of the robot unit, such that it is only the inner bag, which is replaced when empty, or there is desired another type or color of the paint.
[0021] Appropriately, the connecting pipe includes, a quick clutch and a block tap. It can hereby be ensured that a quick connection between pump and reservoir is possible without waste of paint.
[0022] According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is appropriate if there are several replaceable containers on the robot unit, where each of them are pipe connected with the pump via a manifold, and where the outlet from the pump comprises a single nozzle pipe. A very simple and modular built system, is hereby achieved, where it is easy not only to replace the individual containers, but also where the different pipework can be replaced independently of each other should there occur clogging or other malfunction.
[0023] The robot unit is moved forward, by movable elements on each side of the spraying nozzle. A unit is hereby achieved where it is ensured that the movable elements as far as possible do not come into contact with new paint stripes, while ensuring a high manoeuvrability for the spraying nozzle, which for example will be able to rotate around its own axis and is brought to motion along virtually any preselected route.
[0024] The movable elements can include wheels, caterpillar tracks or alternatively pairs of segmented walking legs as it is gradually known from both four-legged and two-legged robots. Segmented walking legs have the advantage in connection with laying of stripes that they can be programmed such that they avoid stepping on newly laid down paint. It is expected that this type of robot legs and the associated control will fall significantly in price over the next years as they are becoming more and more popular not least driven by military technological applications.
[0025] The invention also relates to use of a robot unit, as specified, for marking grass areas, artificial turf and other types of field cover, including football, baseball, cricket fields and other facilities where field marking are used, marking of indoor areas, including ice hockey fields and marking of other outdoor areas, including parking lots, schoolyards and other paved areas.
[0026] The invention will now be explained more fully with reference to the drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 . shows schematic depiction of self-propelled unit on a sports field and GPS sending units,
[0028] FIG. 2 shows the robot unit slanted from above,
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the robot unit seen from below,
[0030] FIG. 4 shows the spraying nozzle and the guarding and
[0031] FIG. 5 shows bag in box unit partly in cutaway and partly in a 3D line drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] In FIG. 1 is seen a sports field 10 on which there is to be placed stripes 11 from paint 12 according to a predefined plan 13 . The paint 12 is applied to a playing surface 14 which is the part of the field 10 , which is visible to the athlete during use of the field. The playing field 14 can be grass, gravel, ice, artificial turf, parquet or wood, synthetic material or otherwise, which is used in connection to sport, and the paint 12 is applied via a spraying nozzle 1 , which is moved around on the sports field 10 by a robot unit 2 along the stripes 11 , controlled by GPS signals from a number of GPS sending units 15 , typically in the form of satellites 15 orbiting the earth. A GPS receiving antenna 18 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The Robot unit 2 here constantly calculates its position on the field 10 , such that it can constantly control two or more movable elements 16 , such as wheels, whereby it can follow the predefined plan 13 for marking the sports field 10 . The plan 13 will typically be embedded in a memory element, which forms part of a control box 20 , and as it is well known, various plans can be loaded from an external device, such as a computer (not shown) if the robot unit 2 is to mark a sports field, for which there is already no plan in the control box 20 . Parts of the control box's functionality can, as known from mobile robotic systems, be embedded in an external device such as a computer, which the robot unit is in continuous contact with, for example through a radio connection such as via WiFi or BlueTooth or corresponding RF protocol.
[0033] The robot unit will typically be provided with a number of sensors and safety devices such that there is achieved a reasonable precaution against the robot unit doing harm to pets, wild animals, children or objects that may be present on the sports field. Such sensors may for example comprise cameras for recording images in visible, UV or infrared spectrum, laser scanners, touch sensors, ultrasound or radar scanners and a more or less well-developed signal processing unit for analyzing sensor input.
[0034] Microphones and associated speech recognition module is also an option, such that random people in the robot's proximity can bring it to stop simply by shouting at it if any unforeseen situation should occur. Online connection to a human operator via for example a telephone connection could also be established for example in case of unusual sensory input, which it requires human capability to interpret. The operator can for example have an overview of a large number of robots since he is only supposed to intervene relatively infrequently, and he does not need to be near the playing field, but can sit anywhere as long as he is so close to the planet that the time delay due of the signal transmission over long distances does not become excessive.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows a robot unit 2 in schematic depiction. The unit 2 includes a reservoir 3 for paint 12 , where the reservoir 3 includes portions 4 of the bag in box type, which are connected a joint pump 4 via a quick connection 6 and connection pipe 7 . In the shown example, according to FIG. 2 , there is placed two bag in box cartons 5 on the robot unit 2 , but more portions of paint can be placed on a robot unit, for instance stacked in layers or side by side as shown. The robot unit 2 also includes a control box 20 , a battery 19 and a chassis frame 23 .
[0036] The bag in box cartons 5 thus comprise replaceable containers for paint. Either the whole bag in box carton 5 is replaced or it is only the bag 27 itself in the bag in box system, which is changed. The outer part 26 can here consist of a framing element consisting of a latticework (not shown), which sits mounted or is a part of the chassis frame 23 .
[0037] In FIG. 5 is seen the bag in box unit in cutaway and from the outside. The sectional drawing to the left in the figure illustrates the outer framing element 26 and the inner flexible bag 27 . A connecting pipe 28 is provided externally on the framing element 26 , and this pipe is in fluid connection with the paint in the bag 27 . The connecting pipe 28 can be shaped as one part of a quick clutch 6 . The pipe 7 will then be shaped with the corresponding part, such that the pipe can be connected easily and without waste to the connecting pipe 28 via the quick clutch 6 . Appropriately, there will also be a block tap 31 , either in connection with the connecting pipe 28 or in connection with the pipe 7 . With such an arrangement, emptied and used paint containers can easily be changed and replaced by new filled containers.
[0038] The two connection pipes 7 are assembled at the pump 4 in a manifold 8 .
[0039] From the pump 4 , a single nozzle pipe 17 runs to the spraying nozzle 1 as shown in FIG. 3 . On each side of the spraying nozzle 1 there is mounted a screen 21 , 22 and at least one monitor 21 is designed adjustable in direction towards or away from the nozzle 1 . This allows the width of the added stripe to be varied in the extent the nozzle 1 can reach according to a maximum spread radius. This will depend, as is known from paint nozzles, of the paint's rheology and the nozzle's outlet geometry and the pumping force. The setting of the one or two adjustable screens 21 , 22 can occur manually, or it can occur automatically during operation, for example depending on which part of the marking is being performed. In FIG. 4 , the arrow a shows the minimum distance and arrow A, the maximum distance between the screens 21 , 22 . An actuator (not shown) can be provided to influence one or both screens towards or away from the nozzle via signals from the control box.
[0040] The screens 21 , 22 will during operation be applied paint 12 , and even with a non-stick coating on the inside of the screens, there is a risk that, over time, there will build up a larger number of layers of old dry paint, which could interfere with the operation. The screens 21 , 22 can for preventing this be replaceable. New screens can thus be supplied with each new batch of paint. Another possibility is to provide the inside of each screen with a self-adhesive foil, and then similarly deliver new self-adhesive foils with each batch of paint. Alternatively, the screens can be made from rubber-elastic material such that a user of the robotic unit by light bending of the
[0041] It is also possible to place the screens 21 , 22 on an adjustable arm (not illustrated) such that the user can bring the displays from the relatively inaccessible position below the robot unit and forward to an easily accessible position.
[0042] The robot unit's movement around the sports field 10 is effected by movable elements 16 shown in the figures as wheels. Other moving elements can be used, for example caterpillar tracks or pairs of walking legs. Such legs that mimic the movements of insects or higher 4-legged animals, or two-legged living beings have become popular and have the advantage over wheels that they allow for movements over uneven surfaces, such as stairs, and in connection with the marking of sports fields, they have the particular advantage that they allow the robot unit 2 to move across newly out-sprayed paint without the stripe being tread on, such that the movable elements do not leave erroneous imprints of paint 12 on the playing surface 14 .
[0043] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment where the robot unit has 2 driven wheels 16 and a non-driven wheel 24 , where the non-driven wheel 24 sits mounted on the chassis frame 23 such that it can rotate around an axis, which is perpendicular to the wheel's axis of rotation. In this way the wheel can be made self-aligning such that the robot unit's movements are controlled by controlling the two driven wheels 16 . Preferably, the wheels 16 are driven by respective electric motor in accordance with control signals from the control unit 20 . The unit could also be four wheeled for achieving better stability and lower wheel pressure against the playing field's surface.
[0044] Preferably, the nozzle 1 is provided between the two movable elements 16 . This causes that the robot unit quite simply can place stripes, which have a non linear course or which create geometric figures such as right or apex angles.
USED DESCRIPTIONS
[0000]
1 spraying nozzle
2 robot unit
3 reservoir
4 pump
5 portions
6 quick clutch
7 connection pipe
8 manifold
10 sports field
11 stripes
12 paint
13 predefined plan
14 playing surface
15 GPS sending units
16 movable elements
17 nozzle pipe
18 GPS receiving antenna
19 battery
20 control box
21 adjustable screen
22 screen
23 chassis frame
24 additional wheel
26 framing element
27 flexible bag
28 connecting pipe
31 block tap
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The invention relates to a method for marking sports field by placing stripes of paint according to a predefined plan via a spraying nozzle on a level playing surface such as grass, gravel, ice, artificial grass or synthetic material field. A robot unit is provided that is configured to move along the stripes according to the predefined plan. The robot unit receives signals from a number of GPS sending units and continuously calculates its current position on the sports field, and uses the current position on the sports field to calculate a set of control signals to two or more movable elements for propulsion of the unit and for controlling the emission of paint. The invention also relates to a robot unit and use of a robot unit for marking fields.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD
[0001] This relates to a method and apparatus for supporting cables within coiled tubing.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Coiled tubing has become a more common element for use in downhole operations, and may be used to house cables, such as, supply lines, capillary tubing, and the like, U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,113 (Neuroth), entitled “Method and apparatus to remove coiled tubing deployed equipment in high sand applications” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,988 (Neuroth et al.), entitled “Coiled tubing supported electrical cable having indentations” each describe different supports used to support a cable within the coiled tubing.
SUMMARY
[0003] According to an aspect, there is provided a method of hanging a cable within a coiled tubing string. The cable has a first end and a second end. The method comprises the steps of providing a coiled tubing string having a length required within a well having a wellhead, the coiled tubing having a wellhead attachment section and a downhole end spaced from the wellhead attachment section; determining a length of a cable required within the coiled tubing string, the cable comprising an elongate structural component that extends along the length of the cable, the structural component being sufficient to independently support the weight of the cable; cutting the coiled tubing string into first and second sections and installing a hanger sub in the coiled tubing string between the first and second sections toward the wellhead attachment section relative to the downhole end, the hanger sub comprising an inner shoulder that extends radially into the hanger sub and defines an opening; attaching an outer shoulder to the elongate structural component of the cable and inserting the cable into the coiled tubing string until the outer shoulder engages the inner shoulder of the hanger sub such that the cable is hanging within the coiled tubing string below the inner shoulder; and installing the coiled tubing string in a wellhead such that the wellhead attachment section is adjacent to the wellhead and the hanger sub is below the wellhead.
[0004] According to another aspect, the hanger sub may be attached to the coiled tubing such that the outer profile is in line with the outer profile of the coiled tubing
[0005] According to another aspect, the cable may comprise a supply line.
[0006] According to another aspect, the method may further comprise the step of attaching the second end of the cable to a downhole tool. The downhole tool may be an electric submersible pump.
[0007] According to another aspect, the structural component may comprise a metal capillary tube.
[0008] According to another aspect, the cable may comprise a bundle of supply lines. The hanger sub may comprise two or more apertures, at least one aperture comprising the inner shoulder that engages the elongate structural component, at least a portion of the bundle of supply lines passing through a separate aperture, the elongate structural component structurally engaging the supply lines below the hanger sub. The elongate structural component may comprise a metal capillary tube in the bundle of supply lines.
[0009] According to another aspect, the cable may comprise a resistive heating element.
[0010] According to another aspect, the hanger sub in the coiled tubing string may be between 1 and 50 meters below the wellhead when installed, or between 5 m and 25 m below the wellhead when installed.
[0011] According to another aspect, the hanger sub in the coiled tubing string may be positioned below the wellhead end of the coiled tubing string at a depth of between 1% and 5% of the wellbore depth.
[0012] According to another aspect, at least one of the shoulder of the hanger sub and the shoulder on the cable may be slotted to prevent rotation of the cable.
[0013] According to another aspect, the weight of the cable may be supported solely by the hanger sub.
[0014] According to an aspect, there may be provided, in combination, a cable and a length of coiled tubing string. The cable has a first end and a second end and comprises a structural component along the length of the cable. The structural component is sufficient to support the weight of the cable. The length of coiled tubing string has a wellhead end and a downhole end. The coiled tubing string has a first section and a second section connected by a hanger sub. The hanger sub comprises an inner shoulder that extends radially into the hanger sub and defines an opening. The cable has an outer shoulder capable of engaging the inner shoulder of the hanger sub, such that, when installed through a wellhead, the hanger sub is positioned below the wellhead.
[0015] According to another aspect, the outer profile of the hanger sub may be in line with the outer profile of the coiled tubing
[0016] According to another aspect, the cable may comprise a supply line.
[0017] According to another aspect, the second end of the cable may have a downhole tool attached. The downhole tool may be an electric submersible pump.
[0018] According to another aspect, the structural component may comprise a metal capillary tube.
[0019] According to another aspect, the cable may comprise a bundle of supply lines. The hanger sub may comprises two or more apertures, at least one aperture comprising the inner shoulder that engages the elongate structural component, at least a portion of the bundle of supply lines passing through a separate aperture, the elongate structural component structurally engaging the supply lines below the hanger sub. At least one supply line may comprise a metal capillary tube, the metal capillary tube providing structural support to the supply lines.
[0020] According to another aspect, the cable may comprise a resistive heating element.
[0021] According to another aspect, the hanger sub may be installed, at a distance of between 1 and 50 meters from the wellhead end, or at a distance of between 5 and 25 m from the wellhead end.
[0022] According to another aspect, the hanger sub in the coiled tubing string may be positioned below the wellhead end of the coiled tubing string at a depth of between 1% and 5% of the well bore depth.
[0023] According to another aspect, at least one of the shoulder of the hanger sub and the shoulder on the cable may be slotted to prevent rotation of the cable.
[0024] According to another aspect, the weight of the cable may be supported solely by the hanger sub when installed in the wellhead.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view in section of a supply line hanging in a coiled tubing string.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a top view of a hanger sub.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a top view of a hanger sub in a particular embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a hanger sub.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of an apparatus for servicing an electric submersible pump.
[0031] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a well completion with an electric submersible pump connected to surface by a coiled tubing string and elongate supply lines within the coiled tubing string.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] An apparatus and method of positioning a cable within a coiled tubing string will be described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 in the context of an electric submersible pump in a well with a positive well head pressure. It will be understood that the support described below may also be used in other situations as well.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 6 , well 12 , which may be a pressurized well, includes a casing 14 and a wellhead 16 mounted to casing 14 . Wellhead 16 has a sealable injection port 18 , and production ports 20 . Referring to FIG. 5 , injection port 18 may be sealed by a blow out preventer (BOP) 32 as shown, or it may also be sealed by a valve, a plug, etc., which may be above or below the actual port 18 . Referring again to FIG. 6 , the number of production ports 20 may vary depending upon the design of wellhead 16 . Production tubing 22 is positioned in casing 14 and is connected to wellhead 16 . Production fluids that are pumped upward by electric submersible pump 10 flow through production tubing 22 and out production ports 20 of wellhead 16 . Electric submersible pump 10 is carried by a coded tubing string 24 at a downhole end 26 of coiled tubing string 24 , and is sized such that it is able to be run through production tubing 22 . Cables, which may include a metal capillary tube 28 and other supply lines 29 as shown, are run through and enclosed within coiled tubing string 24 and connect to electric submersible pump 10 . Metal capillary tube 28 is preferably used to supply oil, while other supply lines 29 may be used for power, communication lines, control lines, instrumentation lines, resistive heating elements, and the like. The choice of cable may be such that the cable is structurally self-supporting. Alternatively, metal capillary tube 28 provides structural support to supply lines 29 . A pump-receiving housing 30 , shown in FIG. 5 , is located above injection port 18 of wellhead 16 . The height of pump receiving housing 30 will depend upon the size of electric submersible pump 10 . Pump-receiving housing 30 is designed such that is may be sealed to the atmosphere when injection port 18 is open, and openable to the atmosphere when injection port 18 is sealed. In other words, housing 30 works with injection port 18 to ensure that well 12 is always sealed when it is pressurized. Referring to FIG. 5 , a BOP 32 is located above wellhead 16 and below pump-receiving housing 30 . Coiled tubing injector 34 is located above pump-receiving housing 30 and, referring to FIG. 6 , is used to control the position of coiled tubing string 24 and electric submersible pump 10 in well 12 .
[0034] Referring to FIG. 1 , metal capillary tube 28 provides structural support to supply lines 29 . As shown, this is done by attaching supply lines 29 to capillary tube 28 using clamps 31 , although it may also be done in other ways. For example, supply lines 29 and capillary tube 28 may be encapsulated together. Furthermore, supply lines 29 and capillary tube 28 may be any self-supporting cable that acts as a structural component and that may be used in downhole applications.
[0035] As shown, supply lines 29 generally require structural support as the lengths of tube 28 and lines 29 may be long enough to overcome the inherent strength of lines 29 and stretch or break. Once supply lines 29 are supported by capillary tube 28 they become self-supporting. Capillary tube 28 and supply lines 29 are mounted within and supported by coiled tubing string 24 . This is done by providing coiled tubing string 24 with a hanger sub 102 that has a shoulder 104 that engages a corresponding shoulder 106 carried by capillary tube 28 . Hanger sub 102 is preferably close to surface 108 , such as between 1 meter and 50 meters below surface, such that the majority of the length of capillary tube 28 is below hanger sub 102 and coiled tubing string 24 and there will not be movement at the surface where there is required an anchor point, Alternatively, capillary tube 28 may be mounted at a position that is based on a percentage of the depth of the wellbore, such as between 1% and 5%, Hanger sub 102 is preferably a single body but may be a two-piece that can be placed around supply lines 29 . As shown, the hanger sub shoulder is integrally formed with the hanger sub. The hanger sub is welded or otherwise attached to the coiled tubing such that the outer profile is in line with the outer profile of the coiled tubing. This ensures that the coiled tubing does not have an external upset or any increased outer diameter, which allows for ease of transport and installation. The hanger sub is attached by welding or another method in such a way that it does not substantially degrade the mechanical properties of the coiled tubing and has properties that are within the specifications for the coiled tubing string as a whole. This is particularly useful in thermal applications. Where the properties including resistance to corrosion are maintained within the specifications required for the coiled tubing.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 , hanger sub 102 has an opening 110 through which the cable will pass. The shoulder 106 attached to the cable will engage hanger sub shoulder 104 , positioning the cable within the hanger sub 102 .
[0037] Referring to FIG. 3 , in a particular embodiment, hanger sub shoulder 104 may have an additional opening 112 that provides a passage for an additional support cable if needed. In this embodiment the cable may have a support line such as a capillary support tube, metal wire, or rod, attached to the cable to provide structural support below the hanger sub. The support line may carry the shoulder 106 which is positioned above opening 112 , shoulder 106 engaging with hanger sub shoulder 104 at opening 112 .
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4 , hanger sub 102 is shown from a side elevation.
[0039] The description above assumes a situation where both power or communication and fluid supply are connected to a downhole tool. However, this may change depending on the circumstances. For example, rather than a bundle of supply lines 28 and 29 , in some circumstances there may only be a metal capillary tube 28 , or more than one capillary tube 28 . In other circumstances, there may not be a capillary tube 28 . While a metal capillary tube 28 is useful for providing structural support, other structural members may also be provided if fluid is not required downhole, such as a metal wire or rod that are less expensive than capillary tube 28 .
[0040] When one hanger sub 102 is provided, capillary tube 28 may be run in to coiled tubing string 24 without any other hindrance, and will be properly positioned once it is correctly inserted without taking any additional steps in the process. By knowing the length of coiled tubing string 24 and the length of capillary tube 28 , hanger sub 102 and outer shoulder 106 may be installed to have each end at the correct position, such as to attached to an electric submersible pump 10 as shown in FIG. 6 , or any other downhole tool that may be run on a coiled tubing string.
[0041] The above structure may be used when installing or removing an electric submersible pump 10 without having to cool well 12 . In the depicted example, in order to insert electric submersible pump 10 into a well with a positive well head pressure, injection port 18 is first sealed by closing BOP 32 . Pump-receiving housing 30 contains electric submersible pump (ESP) 10 , which is then connected to coiled tubing string 24 . Pump receiving housing 30 is then mounted to the BOP 32 . Pump-receiving housing 30 is then closed and sealed to atmosphere and BOP 32 is opened to allow electric submersible pump 10 to be inserted through injection port 18 in wellhead 16 and into well 12 by operating coiled tubing injector 34 . In order to remove electric submersible pump 10 from pressurized well 10 , the process is reversed, with coiled tubing injector 34 lifting electric submersible pump 10 through wellhead 16 and into housing 30 . BOP 32 is then closed and sealed, and housing 30 is either opened or removed from BOP 32 to provide access to electric submersible pump 10 . Electric submersible pump 10 may then be serviced or replaced, as necessary.
[0042] As depicted, electric submersible pump 10 is preferably an inverted electric submersible pump, and is run off a 1¼″-3½″ coiled tubing string 24 that contains the instrumentation lines. Other sizes may also be used, depending On the preferences of the user and the requirements of the well. When compared with traditional electric submersible pumps, electric submersible pump 10 lacks the seal section, motor pothead and wellhead feedthrough. As shown, electric submersible pump 10 includes a power head 27 , motor section 38 , thrust chamber 40 , one or more seal rings 42 and electric submersible pump section 44 . Thrust chamber 40 includes two mechanical seals with a check valve (not shown), and replaces the conventional seal/protector section that separates pump section 44 and motor section 38 . The check valve in thrust chamber 40 allows the lubricating fluid supplied by capillary tube 28 to exit thrust chamber 40 and comingle with, for example, produced fluids from the well with the pump discharge from outlet ports 50 . Seal rings 42 seal against a pressure sealing seat 46 that is carried by production tubing 22 , to provide seal between inlet ports 48 and outlet ports 50 . Inlet ports 48 are in communication with downhole fluids to be pumped to surface via outlet ports 50 , which are positioned within production tubing 22 .
[0043] In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
[0044] The following claims are to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described, above, what is conceptually equivalent, and what can be obviously substituted. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope of the claims. The illustrated embodiments have been set forth only as examples and should not be taken as limiting the invention. it is to be understood that, within the scope of the following claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically illustrated and described.
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A method of hanging a cable within a coiled tubing string includes the steps of determining a length of coiled tubing required within a well having a wellhead; determining a length of a cable required within the coiled tubing, the cable having a structural component along the length of the cable sufficient to support the weight of the cable; cutting the tubing string and installing a hanger sub in the coiled tubing string toward, the wellhead attachment section relative to the downhole end, the hanger sub comprising an inner shoulder that extends radially into the hanger sub and defines an opening; and attaching an outer shoulder to the cable and inserting the cable into the coiled tubing string until the outer shoulder of the cable engages the inner shoulder of the hanger sub such that the inner shoulder positions the cable below the outer shoulder.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/317,073 filed Dec. 18, 2008 and of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/255,160 filed Oct. 20, 2005 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,625 on Feb. 3, 2009), both of which are a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/059,584 filed Feb. 16, 2005 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,654 on Jan. 9, 2007) which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/825,590 filed Apr. 15, 2004 (abandoned)—from all (applications and patents) of which the present invention and application claim the benefit of priority under the Patent Laws and all of which are incorporated fully herein in their entirety for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention is directed to systems and methods for monitoring drilling operations and to identifying items, e.g. items used in drilling operations, e.g., but not limited to, a drill bit; in certain aspects to identifying items in the oil and gas industry; and to identifying tubulars, including, but not limited to, pieces of drill pipe, using wave-energizable identification apparatuses, e.g. radio frequency identification devices and/or sensible indicia.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] The prior art discloses a variety of systems and methods for using surface acoustic wave tags or radio frequency identification tags in identifying items, including items used in the oil and gas industry such as drill pipe. (See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,698,631; 5,142,128; 5,202,680; 5,360,967; 6,333,699; 6,333,700; 6,347,292; 6,480,811; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/323,536 filed Dec. 18, 2002; Ser. No. 09/843,998 filed Apr. 27, 2001; Ser. No. 10/047,436 filed Jan. 14, 2002; Ser. No. 10/261,551 filed Sep. 30, 2002; Ser. No. 10/032,114 filed Dec. 21, 2001; and Ser. No. 10/013,255 filed Nov. 5, 2001; all incorporated fully herein for all purposes.) In many of these systems a radio frequency identification tag or “RFIDT” is used on pipe at such a location either interiorly or exteriorly of a pipe, that the RFIDT is exposed to extreme temperatures and conditions downhole in a wellbore. Often an RFIDT so positioned fails and is of no further use. Also, in many instances, an RFIDT so positioned is subjected to damage above ground due to the rigors of handling and manipulation.
[0006] The present inventors have realized that, in certain embodiments, drill bits (and containers therefore) can be provided with effective identification apparatus; and that substantial usefulness can be achieved for a drill bit identification system.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0007] The present invention, in certain aspects, provides an item, an apparatus, or a tubular, e.g. a piece of drill pipe, with a radio frequency identification tag either affixed exteriorly to the item, apparatus or tubular or in a recess in an end thereof so that the RFIDT is protected from shocks (pressure, impacts, thermal) that may be encountered in a wellbore or during drilling operations. In one particular aspect one or more RFIDT's are covered with heat and/or impact resistant materials on the exterior of an item. In one particular aspect, the present invention discloses systems and methods in which a piece of drill pipe with threaded pin and box ends has one or more circumferential recesses formed in the pin end into which is emplaced one or more radio frequency identification tags each with an integrated circuit and with an antenna encircling the pin end within A recess. The RFIDT (OR RFIDT'S) in a recess is protected by a layer of filler, glue or adhesive, e.g. epoxy material, and/or by a cap ring corresponding to and closing off the recess. Such a cap ring may be made of metal (magnetic; or nonmagnetic, e.g. aluminum, stainless steel, silver, gold, platinum and titanium), plastic, composite, polytetrafluoroethylene, fiberglass, ceramic, and/or cement. The RFIDT can be, in certain aspects, any known commercially-available read-only or read-write radio frequency identification tag and any suitable known reader system, manual, fixed, and/or automatic may be used to read the RFIDT.
[0008] The present invention, in certain aspects, provides an item, apparatus, or tubular, e.g. a piece of drill pipe, with one or more radio frequency identification tags wrapped in heat and impact resistant materials; in one aspect, located in an area 2-3″ in length beginning ½ from the 18 degree taper of the pin and drill pipe tool joint so that the RFIDT (or RFIDT's) is protected from shocks (pressure, impacts, thermal) that may be encountered on a rig, in a wellbore, or during wellbore (e.g. drilling or casing) operations. In one particular aspect, the present invention discloses systems and methods in which a piece of drill pie with threaded pin and box ends has one or more radio frequency identification tags each with an integrated circuit and with an antenna encircling the pin end upset area located exteriorly on the pipe, e.g. in an area ½″-2½″ from a pin end 18 degree taper. The RFIDT (or RFIDT's) is protected by wrapping the entire RFIDT and antenna in a heat resistant material wrapped around the circumference of the tube body and held in place by heat resistant glue or adhesive, e.g. epoxy material which encases the RFIDT. This material is covered with a layer of impact resistant material and wrapped with multiple layers of wrapping material such as epoxy bonded wrap material. Preferably this wrapping does not exceed the tool joint OD. The RFIDT can be (as can be any disclosed herein), in certain aspects, any known commercially-available read-only or read-write radio frequency identification tag and any suitable know reader system, manual, fixed, and/or automatic may be used to read the RFIDT. Such installation of RFIDT's can be carried out in the field, in a factory, on a rig, with no machining necessary. Optionally, a metal tag designating a unique serial number of each item, apparatus, or length of drill pipe located under the wrap with the RFIDT(s) insures “Traceability” is never lost due to failure of the RFIDT(s). Replacement of failed RFIDT's can be carried out without leaving a location, eliminating expensive transportation or trucking costs. Optionally the wrap is applied in a distinctive and/or a bright color for easy identification. Determining whether an item, apparatus, or a tubular or a length of drill pipe or a drill pipe string is RFID-tagged or not is visibly noticeable, e.g. from a distance once the RFIDT's are in place.
[0009] In certain particular aspects an RFIDT is encased in a ring of protective material whose shape and configuration corresponds to the shape of the pin end's recess and the ring is either permanently or removably positioned in the recess. Such a ring may be used without or in conjunction with an amount of protective material covering the ring or with a cap ring that protectively covers the RFIDT. Two or more RFIDT's may be used in one recess and/or there may be multiple recesses at different levels. In other aspects a ring is provided which is emplaceable around a member, either a generally cylindrical circular member or a member with some other shape.
[0010] With an RFIDT located in a pipe's pin end as described herein, upon makeup of a joint including two such pieces of pipe, an RFIDT in one pipe's pin end is completely surrounded by pipe material—including that of a corresponding pipe's box end—and the RFIDT is sealingly protected from access by materials flowing through the pipe and from materials exterior to the pipe. The mass of pipe material surrounding the enclosed RFIDT also protects it from the temperature extremes of materials within and outside of the pipe.
[0011] In other aspects [with or without an RFIDT in a recess] sensible material and/or indicia are located within a recess and, in one aspect, transparent material is placed above the material and/or indicia for visual inspection or monitoring; and, in one aspect, such sensible material and/or indicia are in or on a cap ring.
[0012] A pipe with a pin end recess as described herein can be a piece of typical pipe in which the recess is formed, e.g. by machining or with laser apparatus or by drilling; or the pipe can be manufactured with the recess formed integrally thereof. In certain particular aspects, in cross-section a recess has a shape that is square, rectangular, triangular, semi-triangular, circular, semi-circular, trapezoid, dovetail, or rhomboid.
[0013] It has also been discovered that the location of an RFIDT or RFIDT's according to the present invention can be accomplished in other items, apparatuses, tubulars and generally tubular apparatuses in addition to drill pipe, or in a member, device, or apparatus that has a cross-section area that permits exterior wrapping of RFIDT(s) or circumferential installation of antenna apparatus including, but not limited to, in or on casing, drill collars, (magnetic or nonmagnetic) pipe, thread protectors, centralizers, stabilizers, control line protectors, mills, plugs (including but not limited to cementing plugs), and risers; and in or on other apparatuses, including, but not limited to, whipstocks, tubular handlers, tubular manipulators, tubular rotators, top drives, tongs, spinners, downhole motors, elevators, spiders, powered mouse holes, and pipe handlers, sucker rods, and drill bits (all which can be made of or have portions of magnetizable metal or nonmagnetizable metal).
[0014] In certain aspects the present invention discloses a rig with a rig floor having thereon or embedded therein or positioned therebelow a tag reader system which reads RFIDT's in pipe or other apparatus placed on the rig floor above the tag reader system. All of such rig-floor-based reader systems, manually-operated reader systems, and other fixed reader systems useful in methods and systems according to the present invention may be, in certain aspects, in communication with one or more control systems, e.g. computers, computerized systems, consoles, and/or control system located on the rig, on site, and/or remotely from the rig, either via lines and/or cables or wirelessly. Such system can provide identification, inventory, and quality control functions and, in one aspect, are useful to insure that desired tubulars, and only desired tubulars, go downhole and/or that desired apparatus, and only desired apparatus, is used on the rig. In certain aspects one or more RFIDT's is affixed exteriorly of or positioned in a recess an item, apparatus, or tubular, e.g., in one aspect, in a box end of a tubular. In certain aspects antennas of RFIDT's according to the present invention have a diameter between one quarter inch to ten inches and in particular aspects this range is between two inches and four inches. Such systems can also be used with certain RFIDT's to record on a read-write apparatus therein historical information related to current use of an item, apparatus or of a tubular member; e.g., but not limited to, that this particular item, apparatus, or tubular member is being used at this time in this particular location or string, and/or with particular torque applied thereto by this particular apparatus.
[0015] In other aspects, a pipe with a pin end recess described therein has emplaced therein or thereon a member or ring with or without an RFIDT and with sensible indicia, e.g., one or a series of signature cuts, etchings, holes, notches, indentations, alpha and/or numeric characters, raised portion(s) and/or voids, filled in or not with filler material (e.g. but not limited to, epoxy material and/or nonmagnetic or magnetic metal, composite, fiberglass, plastic, ceramic and/or cement), which indicia are visually identifiable and/or can be sensed by sensing systems (including, but not limited to, systems using ultrasonic sensing, eddy current sensing, optical/laser sensing, and/or microwave sensing). Similarly it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a cap ring (or a ring to be emplaced in a recess) as described herein (either for closing off a recess or for attachment to a pin end which has no such recess) with such indicia which can be sensed visually or with sensing equipment.
[0016] It is within the scope of this invention to provide an item, apparatus, or tubular member as described herein exteriorly affixed (RFIDT(s) and/or with a circular recess as described above with energizable identification apparatus other than or in addition to one or more RFIDT's; including, for example one or more surface acoustic wave tags (“SAW tags”) with its antenna apparatus in the circular apparatus.
[0017] The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, an item handling method, the item (e.g., but not limited to, a drill bit) for use in a well operation, the method including producing information about an item, the item for a specific well task, the information including design information about the item and intended use information about the item, producing an item identification specific to the item, associating the information with the item identification producing thereby an information package for the item, installing the information package in at least one wave-energizable apparatus, and applying the at least one wave-energizable apparatus to the item. Such a method can include delivering the item to a well operations rig, reading the information package from the at least one wave-energizable apparatus, and using the information to facilitate the specific well task; and/or associating with the item a memory device having information about the item and using information from the memory device to facilitate the specific well task. In one aspect the at least one wave-energizable apparatus is a first apparatus and a second apparatus, and the method further includes applying the first apparatus to the item, and applying the second apparatus to a container for the item.
[0018] The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, an item, the item for use in a well operation in a specific well task, the item including: the item having a body; at least one wave-energizable apparatus on the body; at least one wave-energizable apparatus having installed therein an information package; the information package including an item identification and information about the item; and the information including design information about the item and intended use information about the item. In one particular aspect, the item is a drill bit.
[0019] Accordingly, the present invention includes features and advantages which are believed to enable it to advance well operations technology. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention described above and additional features and benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of embodiments and referring to the accompanying drawings.
[0020] Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures, functions, and/or results achieved. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0021] What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, other objects and purposes will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention's teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide:
[0022] New, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious devices, items and drill bits with apparatus for identification and/or for tracking, inventory and control and, in certain aspects, such things employing identification device(s), e.g. wave energizable devices, e.g., one or more radio frequency identification tags and/or one or more SAW tags and/or one or more memory devices;
[0023] New, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious devices, items, drill bits, systems and methods for apparatus identification, tracking, inventory and control and, in certain aspects, such systems and methods employing identification device(s), e.g. one or more RFIDT and/or one or more SAW tags;
[0024] Such things with at least one wave-energizable apparatus and/or at least one memory device with information and/or data related to the item, bit, etc.; the data and/or information, in certain aspects, including manufacturing information, testing information, quality control information, intended use information, actual use information, and/or post-use observation and/or testing;
[0025] Such systems and methods in which a member is provided with one or more exteriorly affixed RFIDT's and/or one or more recesses into which one or more identification devices are placed; and/or such systems and methods in which the member is a cylindrical or tubular member and the recess (or recesses) is a circumferential recess around either or both ends thereof, made or integrally formed therein;
[0026] Such systems and methods in which filler material and/or a cap ring is installed permanently or releasably over a recess to close it off and protect identification device(s);
[0027] Such systems and methods in which aspects of the present invention are combined in a nonobvious and new manner with existing apparatuses to provide dual redundancy identification;
[0028] Such systems and methods in which a sensing-containing member (flexible or rigid) is placed within or on an item; and
[0029] Such systems and methods which include a system on, in, or under a rig floor, and/or on equipment, for sensing identification device apparatus according to the present invention.
[0030] The present invention recognizes and addresses the problems and needs in this area and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one of skill in this art who has the benefits of this invention's realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, various purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of certain embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent's object to claim this invention no matter how others may later attempt to disguise it by variations in form, changes, or additions of further improvements.
[0031] The Abstract that is part hereof is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and scientists, engineers, researchers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent terms or legal terms of phraseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection or review the nature and general area of the disclosure of this invention. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is done by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting of the scope of the invention or of the claims in any way.
[0032] It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention may include one, some, or all of the disclosed, described, and/or enumerated improvements and/or technical advantages and/or elements in claims to this invention.
[0033] Certain aspects, certain embodiments, and certain preferable features of the invention are set out herein. Any combination of aspects or features shown in any aspect or embodiment can be used except where such aspects or features are mutually exclusive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] A more particular description of embodiments of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by references to the embodiments which are shown in the drawings which form a part of this specification. These drawings illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective or legally equivalent embodiments.
[0035] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a pin end of a drill pipe according to the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 1B is a perspective views of a pin end of a drill pipe according to the present invention.
[0037] FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional view of the drill pipe of FIG. 1A .
[0038] FIG. 1D shows shapes for recesses according to the present invention.
[0039] FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of a prior art commercially-available radio frequency identification tag apparatus.
[0040] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a torus according to the present invention.
[0041] FIG. 2B is a side view partially in cross-section, of the torus of FIG. 2B .
[0042] FIG. 2C is a top perspective view of a torus according to the present invention.
[0043] FIG. 2D is a side view in cross-section of a recess according to the present invention with the torus of FIG. 2C therein.
[0044] FIG. 2E is a top view in cross-section of a torus according to the present invention.
[0045] FIG. 2F is a top view of a torus according to the present invention.
[0046] FIG. 2G is a side view of the torus of FIG. 2F .
[0047] FIG. 2H is a side view of a torus according to the present invention.
[0048] FIG. 2I is a top view of a cap ring according to the present invention.
[0049] FIG. 2J is a side view of the cap ring of FIG. 2I .
[0050] FIG. 2K is a top view of a cap ring according to the present invention.
[0051] FIG. 2L is a side view of the cap ring of FIG. 2K .
[0052] FIG. 2M is a top view of a cap ring according to the present invention.
[0053] FIG. 3A is a side view, partially in cross-section, of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0054] FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a box end of the tubular of FIG. 3A .
[0055] FIG. 3C is an enlarged view of a pin end of the tubular of FIG. 3A .
[0056] FIG. 4A is a side schematic view of a rig according to the present invention.
[0057] FIG. 4B is a side view partially in cross-section of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0058] FIG. 4C is a schematic view of the system of FIG. 4A .
[0059] FIG. 5A is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
[0060] FIG. 5B is a side view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0061] FIG. 5C is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
[0062] FIG. 5D is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
[0063] FIG. 6 is a side view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0064] FIG. 7A is a side view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0065] FIG. 7B is a cross-section view of the tubular of FIG. 7B .
[0066] FIG. 8A is a side view of a stabilizer according to the present invention.
[0067] FIG. 8B is a cross-section view of the stabilizer of FIG. 8A .
[0068] FIG. 8C is a side view of a centralizer according to the present invention.
[0069] FIG. 8D is a cross-section view of the centralizer of FIG. 8C .
[0070] FIG. 8E is a side view of a centralizer according to the present invention.
[0071] FIG. 8F is a cross-section view of the centralizer of FIG. 8E .
[0072] FIG. 8G is a side view of a centralizer according to the present invention.
[0073] FIG. 8H is a cross-section view of the centralizer of FIG. 8E .
[0074] FIG. 9A is a side cross-section view of a thread protector according to the present invention.
[0075] FIG. 9B is a side cross-section view of a thread protector according to the present invention.
[0076] FIG. 10A is a side cross-section view of a thread protector according to the present invention.
[0077] FIG. 10B is a perspective view of a thread protector according to the present invention.
[0078] FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of a thread protector according to the present invention.
[0079] FIG. 12A is a schematic side view of a drilling rig system according to the present invention.
[0080] FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of part of the system of FIG. 12A .
[0081] FIG. 13A is a side view of a system according to the present invention.
[0082] FIG. 13B is a side view of part of the system of FIG. 13A .
[0083] FIG. 14A is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention with a powered mouse hole.
[0084] FIG. 14B is a side view of the powered mouse hole of FIG. 14A .
[0085] FIG. 14C is a cross-section view of part of the powered mouse hole of FIGS. 14 A and B.
[0086] FIG. 14D is a side view of a powered mouse hole tool according to the present invention.
[0087] FIG. 15A is a side view of a top drive according to the present invention.
[0088] FIG. 15B is an enlarged view of part of the top drive of FIG. 15A .
[0089] FIG. 16A is a side cross-section view of a plug according to the present invention.
[0090] FIG. 16B is a side cross-section view of a plug according to the present invention.
[0091] FIG. 17A is a perspective view of a portable RFIDT bearing ring according to the present invention.
[0092] FIG. 17B is a side view of the ring of FIG. 17A .
[0093] FIG. 17C is a perspective view of the ring of FIG. 17A with the ring opened.
[0094] FIG. 17D is a top view of a ring according to the present invention.
[0095] FIG. 17E is a top view of a ring according to the present invention.
[0096] FIG. 18A is a side view of a whipstock according to the present invention.
[0097] FIG. 18B is a bottom view of the whipstock of FIG. 18A .
[0098] FIG. 19 is a side view of a mill according to the present invention.
[0099] FIG. 20A is a perspective views of a pipe manipulator according to the present invention.
[0100] FIG. 20B is a perspective views of a pipe manipulator according to the present invention.
[0101] FIG. 21 is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
[0102] FIG. 22 is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
[0103] FIG. 23 is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
[0104] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a blowout preventer according to the present invention.
[0105] FIG. 25 is a side view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0106] FIG. 26 is an enlargement of part of FIG. 25 .
[0107] FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0108] FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0109] FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0110] FIG. 29A is a schematic of part of the tubular of FIG. 29 .
[0111] FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0112] FIG. 30A is a perspective view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0113] FIG. 30B is a perspective view of a tubular according to the present invention.
[0114] FIG. 31 is a schematic view of a bit according to the present invention in a container according to the present invention.
[0115] FIG. 32 is a schematic view of a system and of a method according to the present invention.
[0116] FIG. 33 is a schematic view of a system and of a method according to the present invention.
[0117] FIG. 34 is a schematic view of a system and of a method according to the present invention.
[0118] FIG. 35 is a schematic view of an item according to the present invention in a container according to the present invention.
[0119] FIG. 36 is a schematic view of a system and of a method according to the present invention.
[0120] FIG. 37 is a schematic view of a system and of a method according to the present invention.
[0121] Certain embodiments of the invention are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. Various aspects and features of embodiments of the invention are described below and some are set out in the dependent claims. Any combination of aspects and/or features described below or shown in the dependent claims can be used except where such aspects and/or features are mutually exclusive. It should be understood that the appended drawings and description herein are of certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention or the appended claims. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In showing and describing these embodiments, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
[0122] As used herein and throughout all the various portions (and headings) of this patent, the terms “invention”, “present invention” and variations thereof mean one or more embodiments, and are not intended to mean the claimed invention of any particular appended claim(s) or all of the appended claims. Accordingly, the subject or topic of each such reference is not automatically or necessarily part of, or required by, any particular claim(s) merely because of such reference. So long as they are not mutually exclusive or contradictory any aspect or feature or combination of aspects or features of any embodiment disclosed herein may be used in any other embodiment disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0123] FIGS. 1A-1C show a pin end 10 of a drill pipe according to the present invention which has a sealing shoulder 12 and a threaded end portion 14 . A typical flow channel 18 extends through the drill pipe from one end to the other. A recess 20 in the top 16 (as viewed in FIG. 1C ) of the pin end 10 extends around the entire circumference of the top 16 . This recess 20 is shown with a generally rectangular shape, but it is within the scope of this invention to provide a recess with any desired cross-sectional shape, including, but not limited to, the shapes shown in FIG. 1D . In one aspect an entire drill pipe piece with a pin end 10 is like the tubular shown in FIG. 3A or the drill pipe of FIG. 12B . The recess 20 (as is true for any recess of any embodiment disclosed herein) may be at any depth (as viewed in FIG. 1C ) from the end of the pin end and, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C may, according to the present invention, be located so that no thread is adjacent the recess.
[0124] It is within the scope of the present invention to form the recess 20 in a standard piece of drill pipe with a typical machine tool, drill, with a laser apparatus such as a laser cutting apparatus, or with etching apparatus. Alternatively, it is within the scope of the present invention to manufacture a piece of drill pipe (or other tubular) with the recess formed integrally in the pin end (and/or in a box end). The recess as shown in FIG. 1C is about 5 mm wide and 5 mm deep; but it is within the scope of certain embodiments of the present invention to have such a recess that is between 1 mm and 10 mm wide and between 2 mm and 20 mm deep.
[0125] A cap ring 22 is installed over the recess 20 which seals the space within the recess 20 . This cap ring 22 (as may be any cap ring of any embodiment herein) may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to: metal, aluminum, zinc, brass, bronze, steel, stainless steel, iron, silver, gold, platinum, titanium, aluminum alloys, zinc alloys, or carbon steel; composite; plastic, fiberglass, fiber material such as ARAMID™ fiber material; KEVLAR™ or other similar material; ceramic; or cement. The cap ring 22 may be sealingly installed using glue, adhesive, and/or welding (e.g., but not limited to Tig, Mig, and resistance welding and laser welding processes).
[0126] Disposed within the recess 20 beneath the cap ring 22 , as shown in FIG. 1C , is an RFIDT device 28 which includes a tag 24 and an antenna 26 . The antenna 26 encircles the recess 20 around the pin end's circumference and has two ends, each connected to the tag 24 . The RFIDT tag device may be any suitable known device, including, but not limited to the RFID devices commercially available, as in FIG. 2 , e.g. from MBBS Company of Switzerland, e.g. its E-Units™ (TAGs) devices e.g., as in FIG. 2 . The RFIDT device 28 may be a read-only or a read-write device. It is within the scope of this invention to provide one, two, three or more such devices in a recess 20 (or in any recess of any embodiment herein). Optionally, the RFIDT device (or devices) is eliminated and a recess 20 with a particular varied bottom and/or varied side wall(s) and/or a cap ring with a nonuniform, varied, and/or structured surface or part(s) is used which variation(s) can be sensed and which provide a unique signature for a particular piece of drill pipe (as may be the case for any other embodiment of the present invention). These variations, etc. may be provided by different heights in a recess or different dimensions of projections or protrusions from a recess lower surface or recess side wall surface, by etchings thereon or on a cap ring, by cuts thereon or therein, and/or by a series of notches and/or voids in a recess and/or in a cap ring and/or by sensible indicia. Optionally, instead of the RFIDT device 28 (and for any embodiment herein any RFIDT) a SAW tag may be used and corresponding suitable apparatuses and systems for energizing the SAW tag(s) and reading them.
[0127] In certain aspects of the present invention with a recess like the recess 20 as described above, a ring or torus is releasably or permanently installed within the recess with or without a cap ring thereover (like the cap ring 22 ). Such a ring or torus may have one, two, or more (or no) RFIDT's therein. FIGS. 2A and 2B show a torus 30 installable within a recess, like the recess 20 or any recess as in FIG. 1C , which includes a body 31 with a central opening 31 a . An RFIDT 32 is encased on the body 31 . The RFIDT 32 has an integrated circuit 33 and an antenna 34 which encircles the body 31 . In certain aspects the body 31 (as may be any body of any torus or ring according to the present invention) is made of metal, plastic, polytetrafluorethylene, fiberglass, composite, ceramic, or of a nonmagnetizable metal. The opening 31 a (as may be any opening of any torus or ring herein) may be any desired diameter. Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT device 28 , and RFIDT device 28 a (or devices 28 a ) is affixed exteriorly to the pin end 10 with a multi-layer wrap as described below (see FIGS. 28 , 26 ) [any RFIDT(s) or SAW tag(s) may be used for the RFIDT 28 a].
[0128] FIGS. 2C and 2D show a torus 35 which has a central opening 35 a , a body 36 and an RFIDT 37 therein with an antenna 38 that encircles the body 36 and an integrated circuit 39 . In one aspect a recess 20 a in a body for receiving a torus 35 has an upper lip 20 b (or inwardly inclined edge or edges as shown in FIG. 2D ) and the body 36 is made of resilient material which is sufficiently flexible that the torus 35 may be pushed into the recess 20 a and releasably held therein without adhesives and without a cap ring, although it is within the scope of the present invention to use adhesive and/or a cap ring with a torus 35 .
[0129] FIG. 2E shows a torus 40 according to the present invention with a body 40 a which is insertable into a recess (like the recess 20 , the recess 20 a , or any recess disclosed herein) which has one or more elements 41 therein which serve as strengthening members and/or as members which provide a unique sensible signature for the torus 40 and, therefore, for any pipe or other item employing a torus 40 . The torus 40 has a central opening 40 b and may, according to the present invention, also include one, two or more RFIDT's (not shown).
[0130] FIGS. 2F and 2G show a torus 44 according to the present invention insertable into any recess disclosed herein which has a body 45 , a central opening 44 a , and a series of voids 46 a , 46 b , and 46 c . With such a torus 44 made of metal, the voids 46 a - 46 c can be sensed by any sensing apparatus or method disclosed herein and provide a unique sensible signature for the torus 44 and for any item employing such a torus 44 . Any torus described herein may have such a series of voids and any such series of voids may, according to the present invention, contain any desired number (one or more) of voids of any desired dimensions. In one particular aspect, a series of voids provides a barcode which is readable by suitable known barcode reading devices. A torus 44 can be used with or without a cap ring. As desired, as is true of any torus according to the present invention, one, two, or more RFIDT's may be used within or on the torus body. Voids may be made by machining, by drilling, by etching, by laser etching, by hardfacing or using a photovoltaic process.
[0131] FIG. 2H shows a torus 47 according to the present invention useful in any recess of any embodiment herein which has a series of sensible ridges 48 a - 48 f which can be made by adding material to a torus body 49 [such a torus may have visually readable indicia, e.g. alpha (letter) and/or numeric characters]. Any torus, ring, or cap ring herein may have one or more such ridges and the ridges can have different cross-sections (e.g. as in FIG. 2H ) or similar cross-sections and they can be any suitable material, including, but not limited to metal, plastic, epoxy, carbides, and hardfacing. Also, according to the present invention, a cap ring with one or more RFIDT's and/or any other sensible material and/or indicia disclosed herein may be placed around and secured to a tubular's pin end or box end without using a recess.
[0132] FIG. 2M shows a cap ring 22 a , like the cap ring 22 , but with sensible indicia 22 b - 22 f made therein or thereon for sensing by an optical sensing system, an ultrasonic sensing system, an eddy current sensing system, a barcode sensing system, or a microwave sensing system. A cap ring 22 a may be releasably or permanently installed in or over a recess like any recess disclosed herein. The indicia 22 b - 22 f may be like any of the indicia or sensible structures disclosed herein.
[0133] FIGS. 2I and 2J show a specific cap ring 50 according to the present invention for use with drill pipe having a pin end. The ring 50 has a body with an outer diameter 50 a of 98 mm, a thickness 50 b of 5 mm, and a wall thickness 50 c of 5 mm. FIGS. 2K and 2L show a specific cap ring 51 according to the present invention for use with a drill pipe pin end having an end portion diameter of about four inches. The ring 51 has an outer diameter 51 a of 98 mm, a thickness 51 b of 8 to 10 mm, and a wall thickness 51 c of 3 mm.
[0134] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a tubular having a box end and a pin end (each threaded or not) (e.g. casing, riser, pipe, drill pipe, drill collar, tubing), each end with an RFIDT in a recess therein (as any recess described herein) with or without a cap ring (as any described herein). FIGS. 3A-3C show a generally cylindrical hollow tubular member 480 according to the present invention with a flow channel 480 a therethrough from top to bottom and which has a threaded pin end 481 and a threaded box end 482 . The threaded box end 482 has a circumferential recess 483 with an RFIDT 484 therein. The RFIDT has an IC 485 and an antenna 486 which encircles the box end. Optionally, filler material 487 in the recess 483 encases and protects the IC 485 and the antenna 486 ; and an optional circular cap ring 488 closes off the recess. The RFIDT and its parts and the cap ring may be as any disclosed or referred to herein. Optionally, the tubular member 480 may have a shoulder recess 483 a with an RFIDT 484 a with an IC 485 a and an antenna 486 a . Filler material 487 a (optional) encases the RFIDT 484 a and, optionally, a cap ring 488 a closes off the recess.
[0135] The pin end 481 has a circumferential recess 491 in which is disposed an RFIDT 492 with an IC 493 and an antenna 494 around the pin end. As with the box end, filler material and/or a cap ring may be used with the recess 491 . Antenna size is related to how easy it is to energize an IC and, therefore, the larger the antenna, the easier [less power needed and/or able to energize at a greater distance] to energize: and, due to the relatively large circumference of some tubulars, energizing end antennas is facilitated.
[0136] FIG. 4A shows a system 70 according to the present invention with a rig 60 according to the present invention which has in a rig floor 61 a reading system 65 (shown schematically) for reading one or more RFIDT's in a drill pipe 66 which is to be used in drilling a wellbore. The reading system 65 incorporates one or more known reading apparatuses for reading RFIDT'S, including, but not limited to suitable readers as disclosed in the prior art and readers as commercially available from MBBS Co. of Switzerland. The present invention provides improvements of the apparatuses and systems disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/906,957 filed Jul. 16, 2001 and published on Feb. 7, 2002 as Publication No. 2002/0014966. In an improved system 70 according to the present invention a drill pipe 66 ( FIG. 4B ) is like the drill pipes 16 in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/906,957, but the drill pipe 66 has a recess 67 with a torus 68 therein having at least one RFIDT 69 (shown schematically in FIG. 4B ) and a cap ring 68 a over the torus 68 . The drill pipe 66 may be connected with a tool joint 76 to other similar pieces of drill pipe in a drill string 77 (see FIG. 4A ) as in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/906,957 (incorporated fully herein) and the systems and apparatuses associated with the system 70 ( FIG. 4A and FIG. 4C ) operate in a manner similar to that of the systems 10 and the system of FIG. 1B of said patent application. Drill string 77 includes a plurality of drill pipes 66 coupled by a plurality of tool joints 76 and extends through a rotary table 78 , and into a wellbore through a bell nipple 73 mounted on top of a blowout preventer stack 72 . An identification tag (e.g. an RFIDT) 71 is provided on one or more drilling components, such as illustrated in FIG. 4A , associated with the system 70 , or the drill pipe 66 . An electromagnetic signal generator system 74 that includes an antenna and a signal generator is positioned proximate to an identification tag, for example just below rotary table 78 as illustrated in FIG. 4A . Electromagnetic signal generator system 74 establishes a communications link with an identification tag 71 to energize the antenna, interrogate it, and to convey information relating to the equipment or drill pipe.
[0137] The drilling system 70 includes the rig 60 with supports 83 , a swivel 91 , which supports the drill string 77 , a kelly joint 92 , a kelly drive bushing 93 , and a spider 79 with an RFIDT sensor and/or reader 79 a . A tool joint 76 is illustrated in FIG. 4A as connecting two drilling components such as drill pipes 66 . The identification tag 71 (or the RFIDT 69 read by the system 65 ) is operated to communicate a response to an incoming electromagnetic signal generated by electromagnetic signal generator system 74 (or by the system 65 ) that includes information related to the drilling component with the identification tag. The information may be used, for example, to inform an operator of system 70 of a drilling component's identity, age, weaknesses, previous usage or adaptability. According to the teachings of the present invention, this information may be communicated while drill system 70 is in operation. Some or all of the information provided in an identification tag may assist an operator in making a determination of when drilling components need to be replaced, or which drilling components may be used under certain conditions. The electromagnetic signal communicated by an identification tag or RFIDT may provide general inventory management data (such as informing an operator of the drilling components availability on the drilling site, or the drilling component's size, weight, etc.), or any other relevant drilling information associated with the system.
[0138] Additional drill string components 84 , which are illustrated in FIG. 4A in a racked position, may be coupled to drill pipe 66 and inserted into the well bore, forming a portion of the drill string. One or more of drill string components may also include identification tags or RFIDT's.
[0139] FIG. 4C shows typical information that may be included within an identification tag's or RFIDT's, antenna as the antenna cooperates with electromagnetic signal generator 74 and/or the system 65 to transmit an electromagnetic energizing signal 85 to an identification tag 71 (or 69 ). The electromagnetic signal generators use an antenna to interrogate the RFIDT's for desired information associated with a corresponding pipe or drilling component.
[0140] The electromagnetic signal 85 is communicated to an RFIDT that responds to the transmitted electromagnetic signal by returning data or information 86 in an electromagnetic signal form that is received by one of the antennas, and subsequently communicated to a reader 87 which may subsequently process or simply store electromagnetic signal 86 . The reader 87 may be handheld, i.e. mobile, or fixed according to particular needs.
[0141] The RFIDT's 69 and 71 may be passive (e.g. requiring minimal incident power, for example power density in the approximate range of 15-25 mW/cm 2 ) in order to establish a communications link between an antenna and the RFIDT. “Passive” refers to an identification tag not requiring a battery or any other power source in order to function and to deriving requisite power to transmit an electromagnetic signal from an incoming electromagnetic signal it receives via an antenna. Alternatively, an RFIDT (as may any in any embodiment herein) may include a battery or other suitable power source that would enable an RFIDT to communicate an electromagnetic signal response 86 .
[0142] Antennas are coupled to reader 87 by any suitable wiring configuration, or alternatively, the two elements may communicate using any other appropriate wireless apparatus and protocol. The reader 87 is coupled to a control system which in one aspect is a computer (or computers) 88 which may include a monitor display and/or printing capabilities for the user. Computer 88 may be optionally coupled to a handheld reader 89 to be used on the rig or remote therefrom. Computer 88 may also be connected to a manual keyboard 89 a or similar input device permitting user entry into computer 88 of items such as drill pipe identity, drill string serial numbers, physical information (such as size, drilling component lengths, weight, age, etc.) well bore inclination, depth intervals, number of drill pipes in the drill string, and suspended loads or weights, for example.
[0143] The computer 88 may be coupled to a series of interfaces 90 that may include one or more sensors capable of indicating any number of elements associated with drill rig derrick 83 , such as: a block travel characteristic 90 a , a rotation counter characteristic 90 b , a drill string weight 90 c , a heave compensator 90 d , and a blowout preventer (BOP) distance sensor 90 e . A micro-controller may include one or more of these sensors or any other additional information as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/906,957. The control system may be or may include a microprocessor based system and/or one or more programmable logic controllers.
[0144] A drill pipe 66 with an RFIDT 69 and an RFIDT 71 provides a redundancy feature for identification of the drill pipe 66 so that, in the event one of the RFIDT's fails, the other one which has not failed can still be used to identify the particular drill pipe. This is useful, e.g. when the RFIDT 71 , which has relatively more exposure to down hole conditions, fails. Then the RFIDT 69 can still be used to identify the particular piece of drill pipe. It is within the scope of the present invention for any item according to the present invention to have two (or more RFIDT's like the RFIDT 69 and the RFIDT 71 . Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 69 , an RFIDT 69 a (or RFIDT's 69 a ) may be affixed exteriorly of the pipe 66 with wrap material 69 b (as described below, e.g. as in FIGS. 25-32 ).
[0145] FIGS. 5A-5D present improvements according to the present invention of prior art systems and apparatuses in U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,811 B2 issued Nov. 12, 2002 (incorporated fully herein for all purposes). FIG. 5B shows schematically and partially a drill pipe 91 with an RFIDT 92 (like the identifier assemblies 12 , U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,063 B2 or like any RFIDT disclosed herein and with an RFIDT 99 , (as any RFIDT disclosed herein in a drill pipe's pin end). It is within the scope of the present invention to provide any oilfield equipment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,063 B2 with two (or more) RFIDT's (e.g., one in an end and one in a side, e.g. like those shown in FIG. 5B ).
[0146] FIGS. 5A , 5 C and 5 D show an oilfield equipment identifying apparatus 100 according to the present invention for use with pipe or equipment as in FIG. 5B with two (or more) RFIDT's on respective pieces 114 of oilfield equipment. The RFIDT's may be any disclosed or referred to herein and those not mounted in a recess according to the present invention may be as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,811 B2 indicated by the reference numerals 112 a and 112 b on pieces of equipment 114 a and 114 b with RFIDT's in recesses according to the present invention shown schematically and indicated by reference numerals 109 a , 109 b ; and/or one or more RFIDT's may be affixed exteriorly (see e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 ) to either piece 114 of oilfield equipment. Each of the identifier assemblies 112 and RFIDT's like 109 a , 109 b are capable of transmitting a unique identification code for each piece of pipe or oilfield equipment.
[0147] The oilfield equipment identifying apparatus 100 with a reader 118 is capable of reading each of the identifier assemblies and RFIDT's. The reader 118 includes a hand-held wand 120 , which communicates with a portable computer 122 via a signal path 124 . In one embodiment, each identifier assembly 112 includes a passive circuit as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,128 (fully incorporated herein for all purposes) and the reader 118 can be constructed and operated in a manner as set forth in said patent or may be any other reader or reader system disclosed or referred to herein.
[0148] In use, the wand 120 of the reader 118 is positioned near a particular one of the identifier assemblies 112 or RFIDT's. A unique identification code is transmitted from the identifier assembly or RFIDT to the wand 120 via a signal path 126 which can be an airwave communication system. Upon receipt of the unique identification code, the wand 120 transmits the unique identification code to the portable computer 122 via the signal path 124 . The portable computer 122 receives the unique identification code transmitted by the wand 120 and then decodes the unique identification code, identifying a particular one of the identifier assemblies 112 or RFIDT's and then transmitting (optionally in real time or in batch mode) the code to a central computer (or computers) 132 via a signal path 134 . The signal path 134 can be a cable or airwave transmission system.
[0149] FIG. 5C shows an embodiment of an oilfield equipment identifying apparatus 100 a according to the present invention which includes a plurality of the identifier assemblies 112 and/or RFIDT's 109 which are mounted on respective pieces 114 of pipe or oilfield equipment as described above. The oilfield equipment identifying apparatus includes a reader 152 , which communicates with the central computer 132 . The central computer 132 contains an oilfield equipment database (which in certain aspects, can function as the oilfield equipment database set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,128). In one aspect the oilfield equipment database in the central computer 132 may function as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,128. In one aspect the oilfield equipment identifying apparatus 100 a is utilized in reading the identifier assemblies 112 (and/or RFIDT's 109 ) on various pieces 114 of pipe or oilfield equipment located on a rig floor 151 of an oil drilling rig.
[0150] The reader 152 includes a hand-held wand 156 (but a fixed reader apparatus may be used). The hand-held wand 156 is constructed in a similar manner as the hand-held wand 120 described above. The wand 156 may be manually operable and individually mobile. The hand-held wand 156 is attached to a storage box 158 via a signal path 160 , which may be a cable having a desired length. Storage box 158 is positioned on the rig floor 151 and serves as a receptacle to receive the hand-held wand 156 and the signal path 160 when the hand-held wand 156 is not in use.
[0151] An electronic conversion package 162 communicates with a connector on the storage box 158 via signal path 164 , which may be an airway or a cable communication system so that the electronic conversion package 162 receives the signals indicative of the identification code stored in the identifier assemblies 112 and/or RFIDT's, which are read by the hand-held wand 156 . In response to receiving such signal, the electronic conversion package 162 converts the signal into a format which can be communicated an appreciable distance therefrom. The converted signal is then output by the electronic conversion package 162 to a buss 166 via a signal path 168 . The buss 166 , which is connected to a drilling rig local area network and/or a programmable logic controller (not shown) in a well-known manner, receives the converted signal output by the electronic conversion package 162 .
[0152] The central computer 132 includes an interface unit 170 . The interface 170 communicates with the central computer 132 via a signal path 172 or other serial device, or a parallel port. The interface unit 170 may also communicates with the buss 166 via a signal path 173 . The interface unit 170 receives the signal, which is indicative of the unique identification codes and/or information read by the hand-held wand 156 , from the buss 166 , and a signal from a drilling monitoring device 174 via a signal path 176 . The drilling monitoring device 174 communicates with at least a portion of a drilling device 178 ( FIG. 5D ) via a signal path 179 . The drilling device 178 can be supported by the rig floor 151 , or by the drilling rig. The drilling device 178 can be any drilling device which is utilized to turn pieces 114 of oilfield equipment, such as drill pipe, casing (in casing drilling operations) or a drill bit to drill a well bore. For example, but not by way of limitation, the drilling device 178 can be a rotary table supported by the rig floor 151 , or a top mounted drive (“top drive”) supported by the drilling rig, or a downhole mud motor suspended by the drill string and supported by the drilling rig. Optionally, the drilling device 178 has at least one RFIDT 178 a therein or t hereon and an RFIDT reader 178 b therein or thereon. The RFIDT reader 178 a is interconnected with the other systems as is the reader 152 , e.g. via the signal path 173 as indicated by the dotted line 173 a.
[0153] The drilling monitoring device 174 monitors the drilling device 178 so as to determine when the piece 114 or pieces 114 of oilfield equipment in the drill string are in a rotating condition or a non-rotating condition. The drilling monitoring device 174 outputs a signal to the interface unit 170 via the signal path 176 , the signal being indicative of whether the piece(s) 114 of oilfield equipment are in the rotating or the non-rotating condition. The central computer 132 may be loaded with a pipe and identification program in its oilfield equipment database which receives and automatically utilizes the signal received by the interface unit 170 from the signal path 176 to monitor, on an individualized basis, the rotating and non-rotating hours of each piece 114 of oilfield equipment in the drill string.
[0154] For example, when the drilling device 178 is a downhole mud motor (which selectively rotates the drill string's drill bit while the drill string's pipe remains stationary), the central computer 132 logs the non-rotating usage of each piece 114 of the drill string's pipe. In the case where the drilling device 178 is the downhole mud motor, the central computer 132 has stored therein a reference indicating that the drilling device 178 is the downhole mud motor so that the central computer 132 accurately logs the non-rotating usage of each piece 114 of oilfield equipment included in the drill string that suspends the drilling device 178 .
[0155] FIG. 5D shows a system 250 according to the present invention for rotating pieces of drill pipe 114 which have at least one identifier assembly 112 and/or one RFIDT in a pin end (or box end, or both) recess according to the present invention to connect a pin connection 252 of the piece 114 to a box connection 254 of an adjacently disposed piece 114 in a well known manner. Each piece 114 may have an RFIDT in its pin end and/or box end. The system 250 includes a reader system 250 a (shown schematically) for reading the RFIDT in the pin end recess prior to makeup of a joint. The apparatus 250 can be, for example, but not by way of limitation, an Iron Roughneck, an ST-80 Iron Roughneck, or an AR 5000 Automated Iron Roughneck from Varco International and/or apparatus as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,603,464; 4,348,920; and 4,765,401. The reader system 250 a may be located at any appropriate location on or in the apparatus 250 .
[0156] The apparatus 250 is supported on wheels 256 which engage tracks (not shown) positioned on the rig floor 151 for moving the apparatus 250 towards and away from the well bore. Formed on an upper end of the apparatus 250 is a pipe spinner assembly 258 (or tong or rotating device) for selectively engaging and turning the piece 114 to connect the pin connection 252 to the box connection 254 . Optionally the assembly 258 has an RFIDT reader 258 a . An optional funnel-shaped mudguard 260 can be disposed below the pipe spinner assembly 258 . The mudguard 260 defines a mudguard bore 262 , which is sized and adapted so as to receive the piece 114 of oilfield equipment therethrough. The apparatus 250 also may include a tong or a torque assembly or torque wrench 263 disposed below the pipe spinner assembly 258 . An opening 264 is formed through the mudguard 260 and communicates with a mudguard bore 262 . Optionally an oilfield equipment identifying apparatus 110 includes a fixed mount reader 266 for automating the reading of the RFIDT's and of the identifier assemblies 112 , rather than the hand-held wand 156 . In one embodiment a flange 268 is located substantially adjacent to the opening 264 so as to position the fixed mount reader 266 through the opening 264 whereby the fixed mount reader 266 is located adjacent to the piece 114 of oilfield equipment when the piece 114 of oilfield equipment is moved and is being spun by the pipe spinner assembly 258 . The reader(s) of the apparatus 250 are interconnected with an in communication with suitable control apparatus, e.g. as any disclosed herein. In certain aspects, the fixed mount reader 266 can be located on the apparatus 250 below the pipe spinner assembly 258 and above the torque assembly or torque wrench 263 , or within or on the spinner assembly 258 ; or within or on the torque wrench 263 .
[0157] The prior art discloses a variety of tubular members including, but not limited to casing, pipe, risers, and tubing, around which are emplaced a variety of encompassing items, e.g., but not limited to centralizers, stabilizers, and buoyant members. According to the present invention these items are provided with one or more RFIDT's with antenna(s) within and encircling the item and with a body or relatively massive part thereof protecting the RFIDT. FIG. 6 shows schematically a tubular member 190 with an encompassing item 192 having therein an RFIDT 194 (like any disclosed or referred to herein as may be the case for all RFIDT's mentioned herein) with an IC (integrated circuit) or microchip 196 to which is attached an antenna 198 which encircles the tubular member 190 (which is generally cylindrical and hollow with a flow channel therethrough from one end to the other or which is solid) and with which the IC 196 can be energized for reading and/or for writing thereto. In one aspect the RFIDT 194 is located midway between exterior and interior surfaces of the encompassing item 192 ; while in other aspects it is nearer to one or these surfaces than the other. The encompassing item may be made of any material mentioned or referred to herein. The RFIDT 194 is shown midway between a top and a bottom (as viewed in FIG. 6 ) of the encompassing item 192 ; but it is within the scope of this invention to locate the RFIDT at any desired level of the encompassing item 192 . Although the encompassing item 192 is shown with generally uniform dimensions, it is within the scope of the present invention for the encompassing item to have one or more portions thicker than others; and, in one particular aspect, the RFIDT (or the IC 196 or the antenna 198 ) is located in the thicker portion(s). In certain particular aspects the encompassing item is a centralizer, stabilizer, or protector. Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 194 , one or more RFIDT's 194 a in wrap material 194 b may be affixed exteriorly (see e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 ) of the member 190 and/or of the encompassing item 192 .
[0158] FIG. 7A shows a buoyant drill pipe 200 which is similar to such pipes as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,244 (incorporated fully herein for all purposes), but which, as shown in FIG. 7A , has improvements according to the present invention. The drill pipe 200 has a pin end 202 and a box end 204 at ends of a hollow tubular body 206 having a flow channel (not shown) therethrough. A buoyant element 210 encompasses the tubular body 206 . Within the buoyant element 210 is at least one RFIDT 208 which may be like and be located as the RFIDT 198 , FIG. 6 . As shown in FIG. 7B , in one aspect the buoyant member 210 has two halves which are emplaced around the tubular body 206 and then secured together. In such an embodiment either one or both ends of an antenna 201 are releasably connectable to an IC 203 of an RFIDT 208 or two parts of the antenna 201 itself are releasably connectable. As shown in FIG. 7B , antenna parts 201 a and 201 b are releasably connected together, e.g. with connector apparatus 201 c , and an end of the antenna part 201 b is releasably connected to the IC 203 . Alternatively an optional location provides an RFIDT that is entirely within one half of the buoyant member 210 , e.g. like the optional RFIDT 208 a shown in FIG. 7A . The pin end 202 may have any RFIDT therein and/or cap ring according to the present invention as disclosed herein. The two halves of the buoyant member may be held together by adhesive, any known suitable locking mechanism, or any known suitable latch mechanism (as may be any two part ring or item herein according to the present invention).
[0159] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a stabilizer as is used in oil and gas wellbore operations with one or more RFIDT's. FIGS. 8A and 8B show a stabilizer 220 according to the present invention which is like the stabilizers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,626 (incorporated fully herein for all purposes) but which has improvements according to the present invention. An RFIDT 222 (like any disclosed or referred to herein) is embedded within a stabilizer body 224 with an IC 223 in a relatively thicker portion 221 of the body 224 and an antenna 225 that is within and encircles part of the body 224 . Parts 225 a and 225 b of the antenna 225 are connected together with a connector 226 . The stabilizer 220 may, optionally, have a recess at either end with an RFIDT therein as described herein according to the present invention. Optionally, the stabilizer 220 may have one or more RFIDT's located as are the RFIDT's in FIGS. 6 and 7A .
[0160] Various stabilizers have a tubular body that is interposed between other tubular members, a body which is not clamped on around an existing tubular members. According to the present invention such stabilizers may have one or more RFIDT's as disclosed herein; and, in certain aspects, have an RFIDT located as are the RFIDT's in FIG. 6 , 7 A or 8 A and/or an RFIDT in an end recess (e.g. pin end and/or box end) as described herein according to the present invention. FIGS. 8C and 8D show a stabilizer 230 according to the present invention which has a tubular body 231 and a plurality of rollers 232 rotatably mounted to the body 231 (as in the stabilizer of U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,285, incorporated fully herein, and of which the stabilizer 230 is an improvement according to the present invention). An RFIDT 233 with an IC 234 and an antenna 235 is disposed within one or the rollers 232 . The stabilizer 230 has a pin end 236 and a box end 237 which permit it to be threadedly connected to tubulars at either of its ends. A recess may, according to the present invention, be provided in the pin end 236 and/or the box end 237 and an RFIDT and/or cap ring used therewith as described herein according to the present invention. The antenna 235 is within and encircles part of the roller 232 .
[0161] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a centralizer with one or more RFIDT's as disclosed herein. A centralizer 240 , FIG. 8E , is like the centralizers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,981 (incorporated fully herein), but with improvements according to the present invention. FIGS. 8E and 8F show the centralizer 240 on a tubular TR with a hollow body 241 with a plurality of spaced-apart ribs 242 projecting outwardly from the body 241 . A plurality of screws 244 releasably secure the body 241 around the tubular TR. An RFIDT 245 with an IC 246 and an antenna 247 is located within the body 241 . Optionally a plug 241 a (or filler material) seals off a recess 241 b in which the IC 246 is located. Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 245 one or more RFIDT's 245 a are affixed exteriorly of the centralizer 240 under multiple layers of wrap material 245 b (see, e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 )
[0162] FIGS. 8G and 8H show a centralizer 270 according to the present invention which is like centralizers (or stabilizers) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,633 (incorporated fully herein for all purposes), but which has improvements according to the present invention. The centralizer 270 has a hollow tubular body 271 with a plurality of spaced-apart ribs 272 projecting outwardly therefrom. An RFIDT 273 with an IC 274 and an antenna 275 (dotted circular line) is disposed within the body 271 with the IC 274 within one of the ribs 272 and the antenna 275 within and encircling part of the body 271 . Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 273 , one or more RFIDT's 273 a is affixed exteriorly to the centralizer 270 under layers of wrap material 273 b (see, e.g. FIGS. 25 , 26 ).
[0163] Often thread protectors are used at the threaded ends of tubular members to prevent damage to the threads. It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a thread protector, either a threaded thread protector or a non-threaded thread protector, with one or more RFIDT's as disclosed herein. FIGS. 9A , 10 A, and 11 show examples of such thread protectors.
[0164] FIGS. 9A and 9B and 10 A and 10 B show thread protectors like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,508 (incorporated fully herein), but with improvements according to the present invention. A thread protector 280 , FIG. 9A , according to the present invention protecting threads of a pin end of a tubular TB has an RFIDT 283 within a body 282 . The RFIDT 283 has an IC 284 and an antenna 285 . A thread protector 281 , FIG. 9B , according to the present invention protecting threads of a box end of a tubular TL has a body 286 and an RFIDT 287 with an IC 288 and an antenna 298 within the body 286 . Both the bodies 282 and 286 are generally cylindrical and both antennas 285 and 298 encircle a part of their respective bodies. Optionally the thread protector 281 has an RFIDT 287 a within a recess 286 a of the body 286 . The RFIDT 287 a has an IC 288 a and an antenna 289 a . Optionally, any thread protector herein may be provided with a recess according to the present invention as described herein with an RFIDT and/or torus and/or cap ring according to the present invention (as may any item according to the present invention as in FIGS. 6-8G ). Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 283 , one or more RFIDT's 283 a is affixed exteriorly (see, e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 ) to the thread protector 280 under layers of wrap material 283 b.
[0165] FIGS. 10A and 10B show a thread protector 300 according to the present invention which is like thread protectors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,508 B1 (incorporated fully herein), but with improvements according to the present invention. The thread protector 300 for protecting a box end of a tubular TU has a body 302 with upper opposed spaced-apart sidewalls 303 a , 303 b . An RFIDT 304 with an IC 305 and an antenna 306 is disposed between portions of the two sidewalls 303 a , 303 b . Optionally, an amount of filler material 307 (or a cap ring as described above) is placed over the RFIDT 304 . Optionally, or as an alternative, an RFIDT 304 a is provided within the body 302 with an IC 305 a and an antenna 306 a . Optionally, or as an alternative, an RFIDT 304 b is provided within the body 302 with an IC 305 b and an antenna 306 b.
[0166] A variety or prior art thread protectors have a strap or tightening apparatus which permits them to be selectively secured over threads of a tubular. FIG. 11 shows a thread protector 310 according to the present invention which is like the thread protectors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,835 (incorporated fully herein), but with improvements according to the present invention. The thread protector 310 has a body 312 with two ends 312 a and 312 b . A strap apparatus 313 with a selectively lockable closure mechanism 314 permits the thread protector 310 to be installed on threads of a tubular member. An RFIDT 315 with an IC 316 and an antenna 317 is disposed within the body 312 . The antenna 317 may be connected or secured to, or part of, the strap apparatus 313 and activation of the lockable closure mechanism 314 may complete a circuit through the antenna. In one aspect the antenna has ends connected to metallic parts 318 , 319 and the antenna is operational when these parts are in contact. The bodies of any thread protector according to the present invention may be made of any material referred to herein, including, but not limited to, any metal or plastic referred to herein or in the patents incorporated by reference herein.
[0167] FIG. 12A shows a system 400 according to the present invention which has a rig 410 that includes a vertical derrick or mast 412 having a crown block 414 at its upper end and a horizontal rig floor 416 at its lower end. Drill line 418 is fixed to deadline anchor 420 , which is commonly provided with hook load sensor 421 , and extends upwardly to crown block 414 having a plurality of sheaves (not shown). From block 414 , drill line 418 extends downwardly to traveling block 422 that similarly includes a plurality of sheaves (not shown). Drill line 418 extends back and forth between the sheaves of crown block 414 and the sheaves of traveling block 422 , then extends downwardly from crown block 414 to drawworks 424 having rotating drum 426 upon which drill line 418 is wrapped in layers. The rotation of drum 426 causes drill line 418 to be taken in or out, which raises or lowers traveling block 422 as required. Drawworks 424 may be provided with a sensor 427 which monitors the rotation of drum 426 . Alternatively, sensor 427 may be located in crown block 414 to monitor the rotation of one or more of the sheaves therein. Hook 428 and any elevator 430 is attached to traveling block 422 . Hook 428 is used to attach kelly 432 to traveling block 422 during drilling operations, and elevators 430 are used to attach drill string 434 to traveling block 422 during tripping operations. Shown schematically the elevator 430 has an RFIDT reader 431 (which may be any reader disclosed or referred to herein and which is interconnected with and in communication with suitable control apparatus, e.g. as any disclosed herein, as is the case for reader 439 and a reader 444 . Drill string 434 is made up of a plurality of individual drill pipe pieces, a grouping of which are typically stored within mast 412 as joints 435 (singles, doubles, or triples) in a pipe rack. Drill string 434 extends down into wellbore 436 and terminates at its lower end with bottom hole assembly (BHA) 437 that typically includes a drill bit, several heavy drilling collars, and instrumentation devices commonly referred to as measurement-while-drilling (MWD) or logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools. A mouse hole 438 , which may have a spring at the bottom thereof, extends through and below rig floor 416 and serves the purpose of storing next pipe 440 to be attached to the drill string 434 . With drill pipe according to the present invention having an RFIDT 448 in a pin end 442 , an RFIDT reader apparatus 439 at the bottom of the mouse hole 438 can energize an antenna of the RFIDT 448 and identify the drill pipe 440 . Optionally, if the drill pipe 440 has an RFIDT in a box end 443 , an RFIDT reader apparatus can energize an antenna in the RFIDT 446 and identify the drill pipe 440 . Optionally, the drill bit 437 has at least one RFIDT 437 a (any disclosed herein) (shown schematically). Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 448 , the drill pipe 440 has one or more RFIDT's 448 a affixed exteriorly to the drill pipe 440 (see, e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 ) under wrap layers 448 b.
[0168] During a drilling operation, power rotating means (not shown) rotates a rotary table (not shown) having rotary bushing 442 releasably attached thereto located on rig floor 416 . Kelly 432 , which passes through rotary bushing 442 and is free to move vertically therein, is rotated by the rotary table and rotates drill string 434 and BHA 437 attached thereto. During the drilling operation, after kelly 432 has reached its lowest point commonly referred to as the “kelly down” position, the new drill pipe 440 in the mouse hole 438 is added to the drill string 434 by reeling in drill line 418 onto rotating drum 426 until traveling block 422 raises kelly 432 and the top portion of drill string 434 above rig floor 416 . Slips 445 , which may be manual or hydraulic, are placed around the top portion of drill string 434 and into the rotary table such that a slight lowering of traveling block 422 causes slips 444 to be firmly wedged between drill string 434 and the rotary table. At this time, drill string 434 is “in-slips” since its weight is supported thereby as opposed to when the weight is supported by traveling block 422 , or “out-of-slips”. Once drill string 434 is in-slips, kelly 432 is disconnected from string 434 and moved over to and secured to new pipe 440 in mouse hole 438 . New pipe 440 is then hoisted out of mouse hole 438 by raising traveling block 422 , and attached to drill string 434 . Traveling block 422 is then slightly raised which allows slips 445 to be removed from the rotary table. Traveling block 422 is then lowered and drilling resumed. “Tripping-out” is the process where some or all of drill string 434 is removed from wellbore 436 . In a trip-out, kelly 432 is disconnected from drill string 434 , set aside, and detached from hook 428 . Elevators 430 are then lowered and used to grasp the uppermost pipe of drill string 434 extending above rig floor 416 . Drawworks 424 reel in drill line 418 which hoists drill string 434 until the section of drill string 434 (usually a “triple”) to be removed is suspended above rig floor 416 . String 434 is then placed in-slips, and the section removed and stored in the pipe rack. “Tripping-in” is the process where some or all of drill string 434 is replaced in wellbore 436 and is basically the opposite of tripping out. In some drilling rigs, rotating the drill string is accomplished by a device commonly referred to as a “top drive” (not shown). This device is fixed to hook 428 and replaces kelly 432 , rotary bushing 442 , and the rotary table. Pipe added to drill string 434 is connected to the bottom of the top drive. As with rotary table drives, additional pipe may either come from mouse hole 438 in singles, or from the pipe racks as singles, doubles, or triples. Optionally, drilling is accomplished with a downhole motor system 434 a which has at least one RFIDT 434 b (shown schematically in FIG. 12A )
[0169] As shown in FIG. 12B , the reader apparatus 439 is in communication with a control apparatus 449 (e.g. any computerized or PLC system referred to or disclosed herein) which selectively controls the reader apparatus 439 , receives signals from it and, in certain aspects, processes those signals and transmits them to other computing and/or control apparatus. Similarly when the optional reader apparatus 444 is used, it also is in communication with the control apparatus 449 and is controlled thereby. With a reader at the pin end and a reader at the box end, the length of the piece of drill pipe be determined and/or its passage beyond a certain point. In one aspect the reader apparatus 439 is deleted and the reader apparatus 444 reads the RFIDT (or RFIDT's) in and/or on the drill pipe 440 as the drill pipe 440 passes by the reader apparatus 444 as the drill pipe 440 is either lowered into the mouse hole 438 or raised out of it. The reader apparatus 444 may be located on or underneath the rig floor 416 . It is within the scope of the present invention to use a reader apparatus 439 and/or a reader apparatus 444 in association with any system's mouse hole or rat hole (e.g., but not limited to, systems as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,107,705; 4,610,315; and in the prior art cited therein), and with so-called “mouse hole sleeves” and mouse hole scabbards” as disclosed in, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,351,767; 4,834,604; and in the prior art references cited in these two patents. With respect to the drilling operation depicted in FIG. 12A (and, any drilling operation referred to herein according to the present invention) the drilling may be “casing drilling” and the drill pipe can be casing.
[0170] FIGS. 13A and 13B show a system 450 according to the present invention which has a mouse hole 451 associated with a rig 452 (shown partially). The mouse hole 451 includes a mouse hole scabbard 454 (shown schematically, e.g. like the one in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,604, but with improvements according to the present invention). The mouse hole scabbard 454 includes an RFIDT reader apparatus 456 (like any such apparatus described or referred to herein) with connection apparatus 458 via which a line or cable 459 connects the reader apparatus 456 to control apparatus 455 (shown schematically, like any described or referred to herein). It is within the scope of the present invention to provide, optionally, reader apparatuses (E.G. other than adjacent the pipe or adjacent a mouse hole, or tubular preparation hole) 453 and/or 459 on the rig 452 . Optionally, one or more antenna energizers are provided on a rig and reader apparatuses are located elsewhere. According to the present invention a scabbard can be made of nonmagnetic metal, plastic, polytetrafluoroethylene, fiberglass or composite to facilitate energizing of an RFIDT's antenna of an RFIDT located within the scabbard. Optionally a scabbard may be tapered to prevent a pipe end from contacting or damaging the reader apparatus 456 and/or, as shown in FIG. 13B , stops 454 a may be provided to achieve this.
[0171] Various prior art systems employ apparatuses known as “powered mouse holes” or “rotating mouse hole tools”. It is within the scope of the present invention to improve such systems with an RFIDT reader apparatus for identifying a tubular within the powered mouse hole. FIGS. 14A-14C show a system 460 according to the present invention which includes a rig system 461 and a powered mouse hole 462 . The powered mouse hole 462 is like the powered mouse hole disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,767 (incorporated fully herein for all purposes) with the addition of an RFIDT reader apparatus. The powered mouse hole 462 has a receptacle 463 for receiving an end of a tubular member. An RFIDT reader apparatus 464 is located at the bottom of the receptacle 463 (which may be like any RFIDT reader apparatus disclosed or referred to herein). A line or cable 465 connects the RFIDT reader apparatus 464 to control apparatus (not shown; like any disclosed or referred to herein). Optionally as shown in FIG. 14B , an RFIDT reader apparatus 466 in communication with control apparatus 467 is located adjacent the top of the receptacle 463 .
[0172] FIG. 14D shows a rotating mouse hole tool 470 which is like the PHANTOM MOUSE™ tool commercially-available from Varco International (and which is co-owned with the present invention), but the tool 470 has an upper ring 471 on a circular receptacle 473 (like the receptacle 463 , FIG. 14C ). The upper ring 471 has an energizing antenna 472 for energizing an RFIDT on a tubular or in an end of a tubular placed into the receptacle 473 . The antenna 472 encircles the top of the receptacle 473 . The antenna 472 is connected to reader apparatus 474 (like any disclosed or referred to herein) which may be mounted on the tool 470 or adjacent thereto.
[0173] The prior art discloses a wide variety of top drive units (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,421,179; 4,529,045; 6,257,349; 6,024,181; 5,921,329; 5,794,723; 5,755,296; 5,501,286; 5,388,651; 5,368,112; and 5,107,940 and the references cited therein). The present invention discloses improved top drives which have one, two, or more RFIDT readers and/or antenna energizers. It is within the scope of the present invention to locate an RFIDT reader and/or antenna energizer at any convenient place on a top drive from which an RFIDT in a tubular can be energized and/or read and/or written to. Such locations are, in certain aspects, at a point past which a tubular or a part thereof with an RFIDT moves. FIGS. 15A and 15B show a top drive system 500 according to the present invention which is like the top drives of U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,333 (incorporated fully herein), but with an RFIDT reader 501 located within a top drive assembly portion 502 . The reader 501 is located for reading an RFIDT 503 on or in a tubular 504 which is being held within the top drive assembly portion 502 . Alternatively, or in addition to the reader 501 , an RFIDT reader 507 is located in a gripper section 505 which can energize and read the RFIDT 503 as the gripper section moves into the tubular 504 . In particular aspects, the tubular is a piece of drill pipe or a piece of casing. Appropriate cables or lines 508 , 509 , respectively connect the readers 501 , 507 to control apparatus (not shown, as any described or referred to herein).
[0174] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a cementing plug (or pipeline pig) with one or more RFIDT's with an antenna that encircles a generally circular part or portion of the plug or pig and with an IC embedded in a body part of the plug or pig and/or with an IC and/or antenna in a recess (as any recess described or referred to herein) and/or with one or more RFIDT's affixed exteriorly of the plug or pig. FIG. 16A shows a cementing plug 510 according to the present invention with a generally cylindrical body 512 and exterior wipers 513 (there may be any desired number of wipers). An RFIDT 514 is encased in the body 512 . An antenna 515 encircles part of the body 512 . The body 512 (as may be any plug according to the present invention) may be made of any known material used for plugs, as may be the wipers 513 . An IC 516 of the RFIDT 514 is like any IC disclosed or referred to herein. Optionally a cap ring (not shown) may be used over the recess 515 as may be filler material within the recess. Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 514 , one or more RFIDT's 514 a is affixed exteriorly to the plug 510 under wrap layers 514 b (see, e.g. FIGS. 25 , 26 ). One or more such RFIDT's may be affixed to the plug 520 .
[0175] FIG. 16B shows a cementing plug 520 according to the present invention which has a generally cylindrical body 522 with a bore 523 therethrough from top to bottom. A plurality of wipers 524 are on the exterior of the body 522 . An RFIDT 525 has an IC 526 encased in the body 522 and an antenna 527 that encircles part of the body 522 . Both antennas 515 and 527 are circular as viewed from above and extend around and within the entire circumference of their respective bodies. It is within the scope of the present invention to have the RFIDT 514 and/or the RFIDT 525 within recesses in their respective bodies (as any recess disclosed herein or referred to herein) with or without a cap ring or filler.
[0176] FIGS. 17A-17D show a portable ring 530 which has a flexible body 532 made, e.g. from rubber, plastic, fiberglass, and/or composite which has two ends 531 a , 531 b . The end 531 a has a recess 536 sized and configured for receiving and holding with a friction fit a correspondingly sized and configured pin 533 projecting out from the end 531 b . The two ends 531 a , 531 b may be held together with any suitable locking mechanism, latch apparatus, and/or adhesive. As shown, each end 531 a , 531 b has a piece of releasably cooperating hook-and-loop fastener material 534 a , 534 b , respectively thereon (e.g. VELCRO™ material) and a corresponding piece of such material 535 is releasably connected to the pieces 534 a , 534 b ( FIG. 17C ) to hold the two ends 531 a , 531 b together. The body 532 encases an RFIDT 537 which has an IC 538 and an antenna 539 . Ends of the antenna 539 meet at the projection 533 —recess 536 interface and/or the projection 533 is made of antenna material and the recess 536 is lined with such material which is connected to an antenna end. Optionally, as shown in FIG. 17D the ring 530 may include one or more (one shown) protective layers 532 a , e.g. made of a durable material, e.g., but not limited to metal, KEVLAR™ material or ARAMID™ material. A hole 532 b formed when the two ends 531 a , 531 b are connected together can be any desired size to accommodate any item or tubular to be encompassed by the ring 530 . The ring 530 may have one, two or more RFIDT's therein one or both of which are read-only; or one or both of which are read-write. Such a ring may be releasably emplaceable around a member, e.g., but not limited to, a solid or hollow generally cylindrical member. Any ring or torus herein according to the present invention may have an RFIDT with an antenna that has any desired number of loops (e.g., but not limited to, five, ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty or fifty loops), as may be the case with any antenna of any RFIDT in any embodiment disclosed herein.
[0177] FIG. 17E shows a portable ring 530 a , like the ring 530 but without two separable ends. The ring 530 a has a body 530 b made of either rigid or flexible material and with a center opening 530 f so it is releasably emplaceable around another member. An RFIDT 530 c within the body 530 b has an IC 530 e and an antenna 530 d.
[0178] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a whipstock with one or more RFIDT's with an RFIDT circular antenna that encircles a generally circular part of a generally cylindrical part of a whipstock. FIGS. 18A and 18B show a whipstock 540 like a whipstock disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,675 (incorporated fully herein for all purposes), but with an RFIDT 541 in a lower part 542 of the whipstock 540 . The RFIDT 541 has an antenna 543 and an IC 544 (each like any as disclosed or referred to herein). Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 541 , one or more RFIDT's 541 a is affixed exteriorly to the whipstock 540 under wrap layers 541 b (see, e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 ).
[0179] An RFIDT 551 (as any disclosed herein) may, according to the present invention, be provided in a generally cylindrical part of a mill or milling tool used in downhole milling operations. Also with respect to certain mills that have a tubular portion, one or both ends of such a mill may have one or more RFIDT's therein according to the present invention. FIG. 19 shows a mill 550 which is like the mill disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,051 (incorporated fully herein), but with an RFIDT 551 in a threaded pin end 552 of a body 553 of the mill 550 . The RFIDT 551 may be emplaced and/or mounted in the pin end 552 as is any similar RFIDT disclosed herein. Optionally an RFIDT may be emplaced within a milling section 554 . Optionally, or in addition to the RFIDT 551 , one or more RFIDT's 551 a may be affixed exteriorly of the mill 550 under wrap layers 551 b (see, e.g., FIGS. 25 , 26 ).
[0180] The prior art discloses a variety of pipe handlers and pipe manipulators, some with gripping mechanisms for gripping pipe. It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a pipe handler with an RFIDT reader for reading an RFIDT in a tubular member which is located in one of the embodiments of the present invention as described herein. Often an end of a tubular is near, adjacent, or passing by a part of a pipe handler. An RFIDT on or in a tubular according to the present invention can be sensed by an RFIDT reader apparatus and a signal can be transmitted therefrom to control apparatus regarding the tubular's identity or other information stored in the RFIDT. FIGS. 20A and 20B show pipe manipulators 560 and 570 [which are like pipe manipulators disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,525 (incorporated fully herein), but with improvements according to the present invention] which have movable arms 561 , 562 , (pipe manipulator 560 ) and movable arm 571 (pipe manipulator 570 ). Each manipulator has a pipe gripper 563 , 573 . Each manipulator has an RFIDT reader apparatus—apparatus 565 on manipulator 560 and apparatus 575 on manipulator 570 . Optionally, such a reader apparatus is located on a gripper mechanism.
[0181] FIG. 21 shows a tubular inspection system 600 [which may be any known tubular inspection system, including those which move with respect to a tubular and those with respect to which a tubular moves, including, but not limited to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,622,561; 6,578,422; 5,534,775; 5,043,663; 5,030,911; 4,792,756; 4,710,712; 4,636,727; 4,629,985; 4,718,277; 5,914,596; 5,585,565; 5,600,069; 5,303,592; 5,291,272; and Int'l Patent Application WO 98/16842 published Apr. 23, 1998 and in the references cited therein] which is used to inspect a tubular 610 (e.g., but not limited to pipe, casing, tubing, collar) which has at least one RFIDT 602 with an IC 604 and an antenna 606 and/or at least one RFIDT 602 a affixed exteriorly thereof according to the present invention. The tubular 610 may be any tubular disclosed herein and it may have any RFIDT, RFIDT's, recess, recesses, cap ring, and/or sensible material and/or indicia disclosed herein.
[0182] FIG. 22 shows schematically a method 620 for making a tubular member according to the present invention. A tubular body is made—“MAKE TUBULAR BODY”—using any suitable known process for making a tubular body, including, but not limited to, known methods for making pipe, drill pipe, casing, risers, and tubing. An end recess is formed—“FORM END RECESS”—in one or both ends of the tubular member. An identification device is installed in the recess—“INSTALL ID DEVICE” (which may be any identification apparatus, device, torus ring or cap ring according to the present invention). Optionally, a protector is installed in the recess—“INSTALL PROTECTOR” (which may be any protector according to the present invention).
[0183] FIG. 23 shows schematically a system 650 according to the present invention which is like the systems described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,631 but which is for identifying an item 652 according to the present invention which has at least one end recess (as any end recess disclosed herein) and/or within a ring or torus according to the present invention with at least one SAW tag identification apparatus 654 in the recess (es) and/or ring(s) or torus(es) and/or with an exteriorly affixed RFIDT according to the present invention.
[0184] The system 650 (as systems in U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,631) has an energizing antenna apparatus 656 connected to a reader 658 which provides radio frequency pulses or bursts which are beamed through the antenna apparatus 656 to the SAW tag identification apparatus 654 . The reader 658 senses responsive signals from the apparatus 654 . In one aspect the responsive signals are phase modulated in accord with code encoded in the apparatus 654 . The reader 658 sends received signals to a computer interface unit 660 which processes the signals and sends them to a computer system 662 .
[0185] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a blowout preventer according to the present invention with one or more wave energizable identification apparatuses, e.g. in a flange, side outlet, and/or door or bonnet or a blowout preventer. FIG. 24 shows a blowout preventer 670 according to the present invention which has a main body 672 , a flow bore 674 therethrough from top to bottom, a bottom flange 676 , a top flange 678 , a side outlet 682 , and four ram-enclosing bonnets 680 . An RFIDT 690 (like any disclosed herein) has an antenna 691 encircling and within the top flange 678 with an IC 692 connected thereto. An RFIDT 692 (like any disclosed herein) has an antenna 694 encircling and within the bottom flange 676 with an IC 695 . An RFIDT 696 (like any disclosed herein) has an antenna 697 encircling and within a bonnet 680 with an IC 698 . An RFIDT 684 (like any disclosed herein) has an antenna 685 encircling and within a flange 689 of the side outlet 682 , with an IC 686 . Optionally, or in addition to the other RFIDT's at least one RFIDT 690 a is affixed exteriorly to the blowout preventer 670 under wrap layers 690 b (see, e.g., FIG. 25 , 26 ) and/or at least one RFIDT 690 c is affixed exteriorly to the blowout preventer 270 under wrap layers 690 d (see, e.g., FIG. 25 , 26 ).
[0186] FIGS. 25 and 26 show a tool joint 700 according to the present invention with RFIDT apparatus 720 according to the present invention applied exteriorly thereto. The tool joint 700 has a pin end 702 with a threaded pin 704 , a joint body portion 706 , an upset area 707 and a tube body portion 708 . The joint body portion 706 has a larger OD than the tube body portion 708 . The “WELDLINE’ is an area in which the tool joint is welded (e.g. inertia welded) by the manufacturer to the upset area.
[0187] Although RFIDT's encased in a non-conductor or otherwise enclosed or protected can be emplaced directly on a tubular (or other item or apparatus according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 the RFIDT's to be applied to the tool joint 700 are first enclosed within non-conducting material, e.g. any suitable heat-resistant material, e.g., but not limited to, RYTON (Trademark) fabric membrane wrapping material, prior to emplacing them on the tool joint 700 . In one particular aspect, one, two, three, or four wraps, folds, or layers of commercially available RYT-WRAP (Trademark) material commercially from Tuboscope, Inc. a related company of the owner of the present invention is used which, in one particular aspect, includes three layers of RYT-WRAP (Trademark) fabric membrane material adhered together and encased in epoxy. As shown, three RFIDT's 720 are wrapped three times in the RYT-WRAP (Trademark) material 722 so that no part of any of them will contact the metal of the tool joint 700 . In one aspect such a wrapping of RYT-WRAP (Trademark) material includes RYTON (Trademark) fabric membrane material with cured epoxy wrapped around a tubular body (initially the material is saturated in place with liquid epoxy that is allowed to cure).
[0188] Prior to emplacing the wrapped RFIDT's 720 on the tool joint 700 , the area to which they are to be affixed is, preferably, cleaned using suitable cleaning materials, by buffing, and/or by sandblasting as shown in FIG. 27 . Any desired number of RFIDT's 720 may be used. As shown in FIG. 29A , in this embodiment three RFIDT's 720 are equally spaced apart around the exterior of the tool joint 700 .
[0189] According to the present invention, RFIDT's may be applied exteriorly to any item, apparatus, or tubular at any exterior location thereon with any or all of the layers and/or wraps disclosed herein. In the particular tool joint 700 as disclosed in FIG. 25 , the RFIDT's 720 are applied about two to three inches from a thirty-five degree taper 709 of the joint body portion 706 to reduce the likelihood of the RFIDT's contacting other items, handling tools, grippers, or structures that may contact the portion 706 .
[0190] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 26 , either in the initial layers or wraps which enclose the RFIDT's 720 or in any other layer or wrap, an identification tag 724 is included with the RFIDT's, either a single such tag or one tag for each RFIDT. In one aspect the tag(s) 724 are plastic or fiberglass. In another aspect the tag(s) 724 are metal, e.g. steel, stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, bronze, or brass. If metal is used, the tag(s) 724 are not in contact with an RFIDT.
[0191] As shown in FIG. 28 , an adhesive may be applied to the tool joint 700 to assist in securing a layer 723 , “FOLDED MEMBRANE,” (e.g., a double layer of RYT-WRAP (Trademark) wrap material.
[0192] As shown in FIG. 29 , the three RFIDT's 720 are emplaced on the layer 723 and, optionally, the identification tag or tags 724 .
[0193] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 30 , part 723 a of the layer 723 is folded over to cover the RFIDT's 720 and the tag(s) 724 . If this folding is done, no adhesive is applied to the tool joint under the portion of the layer 723 which is to be folded over. Optionally, prior to folding adhesive is applied on top of the portion of the layer 723 to be folded over. Optionally, prior to folding the part 723 a over on the RFIDT's 720 and the tag(s) 724 an adhesive (e.g. two part epoxy) is applied over the RFIDT's 720 and over the tag(s) 724 .
[0194] After allowing the structure of layer 723 a as shown in FIG. 30 to dry (e.g., for forty minutes to one hour), as shown in FIG. 30A the folded layer 723 with the RFIDT's 720 and tag(s) 724 is, optionally, wrapped in a layer 726 of heat shrink material and/or impact resistant material (heat resistant material may also be impact resistant). In one particular optional aspect, commercially available RAYCHEM (Trademark) heat shrink material or commercially available RCANUSA (Trademark) heat shrink material is used, centered over the folded layer 723 , with, preferably, a small end-to-end overlap to enhance secure bonding as the material is heated.
[0195] As shown in FIG. 30B , optionally, the layer 726 is wrapped with layers 728 of material [e.g. RYT-WRAP (Trademark) material] (e.g. with two to five layers). In one particular aspect the layer(s) 728 completely cover the layer 726 and extend for one-half inch on both extremities of the layer 726 . Preferably, the final wrap layer of the layers 728 does not exceed the OD of the joint body portion 706 so that movement of and handling of the tool joint 700 is not impeded.
[0196] Curing can be done in ambient temperature and/or with fan-assisted dryers.
[0197] Any known wave energizable apparatus may be substituted for any RFIDT herein.
[0198] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a member having a body, the body having at least a portion thereof with a generally cylindrical portion, the generally cylindrical portion having a circumference, radio frequency identification apparatus with integrated circuit apparatus and antenna apparatus within the generally cylindrical portion of the body, and the antenna apparatus encircling the circumference of the cylindrical portion of the body. Such a member may include one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: the body having a first end spaced-apart from a second end, and the radio frequency identification apparatus positioned within the first end of the body; the first end of the body having a recess in the first end, and the radio frequency identification apparatus is within the recess; a protector in the recess covering the radio frequency identification apparatus; the body comprising a pipe; wherein the first end is a pin end of the pipe; wherein an end of the pipe has an exterior shoulder and the radio frequency identification apparatus is within the shoulder; wherein the second end is a box end of the pipe; wherein the first end is threaded externally and the second end is threaded internally; wherein the member is a piece of drill pipe with an externally threaded pin end spaced-apart from an internally threaded box end, and the body is generally cylindrical and hollow with a flow channel therethrough from the pin end to the box end, the pin end having a pin end portion with a pin end recess therearound, and the radio frequency identification apparatus within the pin end recess and the antenna apparatus encircling the pin end portion; wherein a protector in the pin end recess covers the radio frequency identification apparatus therein; wherein the protector is a cap ring within the pin end recess which covers the radio frequency identification apparatus; wherein the protector is an amount of protective material in the recess which covers the radio frequency identification apparatus; the member having a box end having a box end portion having a box end recess therein, a box end radio frequency identification apparatus within the box end recess, the box end radio frequency identification apparatus having antenna apparatus and integrated circuit apparatus, the antenna encircling the box end portion; wherein a protector in the box end covers the radio frequency identification apparatus therein; wherein the recess has a cross-section shape from the group consisting of square, rectangular, semi-triangular, rhomboidal, triangular, trapezoidal, circular, and semi-circular; wherein the generally cylindrical portion is part of an item from the group consisting of pipe, drill pipe, casing, drill bit, tubing, stabilizer, centralizer, cementing plug, buoyant tubular, thread protector, downhole motor, whipstock, blowout preventer, mill, and torus; a piece of pipe with a pin end, the pin end having a recess therein, and sensible indicia in the recess; wherein the sensible indicia is from the group consisting of raised portions, indented portions, visually sensible indicia, spaced-apart indicia, numeral indicia, letter indicia, and colored indicia; the member including the body having a side wall with an exterior surface and a wall recess in the side wall, the wall recess extending inwardly from the exterior surface, and secondary radio frequency identification apparatus within the wall recess; and/or wherein the radio frequency identification apparatus is a plurality of radio frequency identification tag devices.
[0199] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a tubular member with a body with a first end spaced-apart from a second end, the first end having a pin end having a pin end recess in the first end and identification apparatus in the pin end recess, and a protector in the pin end recess protecting the identification apparatus therein.
[0200] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a method for sensing a radio frequency identification apparatus in a member, the member having a body, the body having at least a portion thereof with a generally cylindrical portion, the generally cylindrical portion having a circumference, wave energizable identification apparatus with antenna apparatus within the generally cylindrical portion of the body, and the antenna apparatus encircling the circumference of the cylindrical portion of the body, the method including energizing the wave energizable identification apparatus by directing energizing energy to the antenna apparatus, the wave energizable identification apparatus upon being energized producing a signal, positioning the member adjacent sensing apparatus, and sensing with the sensing apparatus the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus. Such a method may include one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: wherein the sensing apparatus is on an item from the group consisting of rig, elevator, spider, derrick, tubular handler, tubular manipulator, tubular rotator, top drive, mouse hole, powered mouse hole, or floor; wherein the sensing apparatus is in communication with and is controlled by computer apparatus [e.g. including but not limited to, computer system(s), programmable logic controller(s) and/or microprocessor system(s)], the method further including controlling the sensing apparatus with the computer apparatus; wherein the energizing is effected by energizing apparatus in communication with and controlled by computer apparatus, the method further including controlling the energizing apparatus with the computer apparatus; wherein the signal is an identification signal identifying the member and the sensing apparatus produces and conveys a corresponding signal to computer apparatus, the computer apparatus including a programmable portion programmed to receive and analyze the corresponding signal, and the computer apparatus for producing an analysis signal indicative of accepting or rejecting the member based on said analysis, the method further including the wave energizable identification apparatus and producing an identification signal received by the sensing apparatus, the sensing apparatus producing a corresponding signal indicative of identification of the member and conveying the corresponding signal to the computer apparatus, and the computer apparatus analyzing the corresponding signal and producing the analysis signal; wherein the computer apparatus conveys the analysis signal to handling apparatus for handling the member, the handling apparatus operable to accept or reject the member based on the analysis signal; wherein the member is a tubular member for use in well operations and the handling apparatus is a tubular member handling apparatus; wherein the tubular member handling apparatus is from the group consisting of tubular manipulator, tubular rotator, top drive, tong, spinner, downhole motor, elevator, spider, powered mouse hole, and pipe handler; wherein the handling apparatus has handling sensing apparatus thereon for sensing a signal from the wave energizable identification apparatus, and wherein the handling apparatus includes communication apparatus in communication with computer apparatus, the method further including sending a handling signal from the communication apparatus to the computer apparatus corresponding to the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus; wherein the computer apparatus controls the handling apparatus; wherein the member is a tubular member and wherein the sensing apparatus is connected to and in communication with a tubular inspection system, the method further including conveying a secondary signal from the sensing apparatus to the tubular inspection system, the secondary signal corresponding to the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus; and/or wherein the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus identifies the tubular member.
[0201] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a method for handling drill pipe on a drilling rig, the drill pipe comprising a plurality of pieces of drill pipe, each piece of drill pipe comprising a body with an externally threaded pin end spaced-apart from an internally threaded box end, the body having a flow channel therethrough from the pin end to the box end, radio frequency identification apparatus with integrated circuit apparatus and antenna apparatus within the pin end of the body, and the antenna apparatus encircling the pin end, the method including energizing the radio frequency identification apparatus by directing energizing energy to the antenna apparatus, the radio frequency identification apparatus upon being energized producing a signal, positioning each piece of drill pipe adjacent sensing apparatus, and sensing with the sensing apparatus a signal produced by each piece of drill pipe's radio frequency identification apparatus. Such a method may include one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: wherein the sensing apparatus is in communication and is controlled by computer apparatus and wherein the radio frequency identification apparatus produces an identification signal receivable by the sensing apparatus, and wherein the sensing apparatus produces a corresponding signal indicative of the identification of the particular piece of drill pipe, the corresponding signal conveyable from the sensing apparatus to the computer apparatus, the method further including controlling the sensing apparatus with the computer apparatus; wherein the energizing is effected by energizing apparatus in communication with and controlled by computer apparatus, the method further including controlling the energizing apparatus with the computer apparatus; wherein the signal is an identification signal identifying the particular piece of drill pipe and the sensing apparatus conveys a corresponding signal to computer apparatus, the computer apparatus including a programmable portion programmed to receive and analyze the corresponding signal; and/or the computer apparatus for producing an analysis signal indicative of accepting or rejecting the particular piece of drill pipe based on said analysis, the method further including the computer apparatus analyzing the corresponding signal and producing the analysis signal, and the computer apparatus conveying the analysis signal to handling apparatus for handling the member, the handling apparatus operable to accept or reject the member based on the analysis signal.
[0202] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a system for handling a tubular member, the system including handling apparatus, and a tubular member in contact with the handling apparatus, the tubular member with a body with a first end spaced-apart from a second end, the first end being a pin end having a pin end recess in the first end and identification apparatus in the pin end recess, and a protector in the pin end recess protecting the identification apparatus therein; and such a system wherein the handling apparatus is from the group consisting of tubular manipulator, tubular rotator, top drive, tong, spinner, downhole motor, elevator, spider, powered mouse hole, and pipe handler.
[0203] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a ring with a body with a central hole therethrough, the body having a generally circular shape, the body sized and configured for receipt within a circular recess in an end of a generally cylindrical member having a circumference, wave energizable identification apparatus within the body, the wave energizable identification apparatus having antenna apparatus, and the antenna apparatus extending around a portion of the body; and such a ring with sensible indicia on or in the body.
[0204] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a ring with a body with a central hole therethrough, the body having a central hole therethrough the body sized and configured for receipt within a circular recess in an end of a generally cylindrical member having a circumference, identification apparatus within or on the body, and the identification apparatus being sensible indicia.
[0205] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a method for making a tubular member, the method including making a body for a tubular member, the body having a first end spaced-apart from a second end, and forming a recess around the end of the body, the recess sized and shaped for receipt therein of wave energizable identification apparatus. Such a method may include one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: installing wave energizable identification apparatus in the recess; installing a protector in the recess over the wave energizable identification apparatus; and/or wherein the tubular member is a piece of drill pipe with an externally threaded pin end spaced-apart from an internally threaded box end, the recess is a recess encircling the pin end, and the wave energizable identification apparatus has antenna apparatus, the method further including positioning the antenna apparatus around and within the pin end recess.
[0206] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a method for enhancing a tubular member, the tubular member having a generally cylindrical body with a first end spaced-apart from a second end, the method including forming a circular recess in an end of the tubular member, the recess sized and shaped for receipt therein of wave energizable identification apparatus, the wave energizable identification apparatus including antenna apparatus with antenna apparatus positionable around the circular recess.
[0207] The present invention, therefore, provides, in at least some embodiments, a member with a body, the body having two spaced-apart ends, wave energizable identification apparatus on the exterior of the body, and encasement structure encasing the wave energizable identification apparatus, Such a member may have one or some, in any possible combination, of the following: the encasement structure is at least one layer of heat resistant material; wherein the encasement structure is at least one layer of impact resistant material; wherein the wave energizable identification apparatus is radio frequency identification apparatus with integrated circuit apparatus and antenna apparatus; the body has a first end spaced-apart from a second end, and at least a portion comprising a generally cylindrical portion, the generally cylindrical portion having a circumference, and the radio frequency identification apparatus positioned exteriorly on the circumference of the body; wherein the body is a pipe; wherein the pipe is a tool joint with an upset portion and the wave energizable identification apparatus is adjacent said upset portion; wherein the body has a generally cylindrical portion which is part of an item from the group consisting of pipe, drill pipe, casing, drill bit, tubing, stabilizer, centralizer, cementing plug, buoyant tubular, thread protector, downhole motor, whipstock, mill, and torus; and/or wherein the wave energizable identification apparatus comprises a plurality of radio frequency identification tag devices.
[0208] The present invention, therefore, provides in at least some, although not necessarily all, embodiments a method for sensing a wave energizable identification apparatus of a member, the member as any disclosed herein with a body having two spaced-apart ends and wave energizable identification apparatus on the body, and encasement structure encasing the wave energizable identification apparatus, the encasement structure having at least one layer of heat resistant material, the wave energizable identification apparatus with antenna apparatus on the body, the method including energizing the wave energizable identification apparatus by directing energizing energy to the antenna apparatus, the wave energizable identification apparatus upon being energized producing a signal, positioning the member adjacent sensing apparatus, and sensing with the sensing apparatus the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus. Such a method may have one or some, in any possible combination, of the following: wherein the sensing apparatus is on an item from the group consisting of rig, elevator, spider, derrick, tubular handler, tubular manipulator, tubular rotator, top drive, mouse hole, powered mouse hole, or floor; wherein the sensing apparatus is in communication with and is controlled by computer apparatus, the method including controlling the sensing apparatus with the computer apparatus; wherein the energizing is effected by energizing apparatus in communication with and controlled by computer apparatus, the method including controlling the energizing apparatus with the computer apparatus; wherein the signal is an identification signal identifying the member and the sensing apparatus produces and conveys a corresponding signal to computer apparatus, the computer apparatus including a programmable portion programmed to receive and analyze the corresponding signal, and the computer apparatus for producing an analysis signal indicative of accepting or rejecting the member based on said analysis, the method further including the wave energizable identification apparatus producing an identification signal received by the sensing apparatus, the sensing apparatus producing a corresponding signal indicative of identification of the member and conveying the corresponding signal to the computer apparatus, and the computer apparatus analyzing the corresponding signal and producing the analysis signal; wherein the computer apparatus conveys the analysis signal to handling apparatus for handling the member, the handling apparatus operable to accept or reject the member based on the analysis signal; wherein the member is a tubular member for use in well operations and the handling apparatus is a tubular member handling apparatus; wherein the tubular member handling apparatus is from the group consisting of tubular manipulator, tubular rotator, top drive, tong, spinner, downhole motor, elevator, spider, powered mouse hole, and pipe handler; wherein the handling apparatus has handling sensing apparatus thereon for sensing a signal from the wave energizable identification apparatus, and wherein the handling apparatus includes communication apparatus in communication with computer apparatus, the method including sending a handling signal from the communication apparatus to the computer apparatus corresponding to the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus; wherein the computer apparatus controls the handling apparatus; wherein the member is a tubular member and wherein the sensing apparatus is connected to and in communication with a tubular inspection system, the method including conveying a secondary signal from the sensing apparatus to the tubular inspection system, the secondary signal corresponding to the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus; and/or wherein the signal produced by the wave energizable identification apparatus identifies the tubular member.
[0209] The present invention, therefore, provides in at least certain, if not all, embodiments a method for handling drill pipe on a drilling rig, the drill pipe comprising a plurality of pieces of drill pipe, each piece of drill pipe being a body with an externally threaded pin end spaced-apart from an internally threaded box end, the body having a flow channel therethrough from the pin end to the box end, radio frequency identification apparatus with integrated circuit apparatus and antenna apparatus on the body, and encased in heat resistant material, the method including energizing the radio frequency identification apparatus by directing energizing energy to the antenna apparatus, the radio frequency identification apparatus upon being energized producing a signal, positioning each piece of drill pipe adjacent sensing apparatus, and sensing with the sensing apparatus a signal produced by each piece of drill pipe's radio frequency identification apparatus. Such a method may include, wherein the sensing apparatus is in communication and is controlled by computer apparatus and wherein the radio frequency identification apparatus produces an identification signal receivable by the sensing apparatus, and wherein the sensing apparatus produces a corresponding signal indicative of the identification of the particular piece of drill pipe, said corresponding signal conveyable from the sensing apparatus to the computer apparatus, controlling the sensing apparatus with the computer apparatus, and wherein the energizing is effected by energizing apparatus in communication with and controlled by computer apparatus, controlling the energizing apparatus with the computer apparatus, and wherein the signal is an identification signal identifying the particular piece of drill pipe and the sensing apparatus conveys a corresponding signal to computer apparatus, the computer apparatus including a programmable portion programmed to receive and analyze the corresponding signal, the computer apparatus for producing an analysis signal indicative of accepting or rejecting the particular piece of drill pipe based on said analysis, the computer apparatus analyzing the corresponding signal and producing the analysis signal, and the computer apparatus conveying the analysis signal to handling apparatus for handling the member, the handling apparatus operable to accept or reject the member based on the analysis signal.
[0210] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a tool joint with a body having a pin end spaced-apart from a tube body, an upset portion, a tool joint portion between the upset portion and the pin end, and wave energizable identification apparatus on the tube body adjacent the upset portion, the wave energizable identification apparatus encased in heat resistant material.
[0211] FIG. 31 shows a bit 437 in a container 437 b . The bit has a wave-energizable apparatus 437 d attached thereto and the container has a wave-energizable apparatus 437 c attached thereto (e.g., as may be the case with any such apparatus disclosed herein, i.e., any wave-energizable apparatus or device disclosed herein may be in a container, the container having its own wave-energizable apparatus; the attaching done with adhesive, tape, and/or attachment material and/or wrap material, and/or in any way disclosed herein for attaching an apparatus to an item). The apparatuses 437 c , 437 d may be any suitable wave-energizable apparatus including, but not limited to, any tag disclosed or referred to herein and they may be connected to and/or applied to a bit in any way disclosed herein. In one aspect, the apparatuses 437 c , 437 d have identical information. In other aspects, their information differs, for example, and without limitation, apparatus 437 d may contain data on the materials used and the manufacturing process of the bit and manufacturing process history of the bit, while apparatus 437 c may contain data on inventory, shipping and handling instructions and quality control documentation for the bit. Optionally, one or the other of the apparatuses 437 c , 437 d is deleted.
[0212] It is within the scope of the present invention to provide multiple wave-energizable apparatuses on any item, e.g., but not limited to, any item disclosed herein. At a delivery location and/or site of use, one apparatus (or tag) can remain on the item (e.g., but not limited to, a bit) and the other apparatus (e.g. a tag) can be removed, used, and/or stored for future use and/or, e.g., in the event of damage to or destruction of the other apparatus (e.g. tag), the stored apparatus (or tag) can be applied to the item. A second or removed apparatus (or tag) can also be used to confirm that an item (e.g. a bit) that is retrieved and/or returned is the actual one that was sent originally.
[0213] Optionally, the bit 437 has associated therewith and/or connected thereto a memory device 437 m , e.g. a memory stick, portable computer drive, flash drive, or other media for holding data in computerized or digital form and the container 437 b has a memory device 437 p associated therewith and/or connected thereto. Any data and/or information on apparatus 437 d and/or 437 c (and on any tag disclosed herein) may be on the device 437 m and/or the device 437 (and any item herein according to the present invention may have a device 437 m and/or a device 437 p ). In certain aspects, a device 437 m or 437 p is shipped with a bit 437 (or an item with such a device) so that is and its data and/or information is available to an end user of the bit (or item) and is available at a place of use of the bit (or item).
[0214] FIG. 32 is the system 400 of FIG. 12A (like numerals indicate like parts) with the addition of a remote system RS; a transmission system TS; a driller system DS with a driller (not shown); and, optionally, a bit designer and/or manufacturer BM. The remote system RS can be any known remote monitoring and/or control system for any drilling operation or method. The transmission system TS can be any known system for transmitting data and/or signals of any kind to and/or from a drilling site to a location on-site and/or remote. The driller system DS can be any known drilling and/or driller monitoring and/or control system.
[0215] FIG. 33 depicts methods with the system of FIG. 32 .
[0216] Initially, a drilling application (“APP. NEED”) is presented to a bit designer (e.g. bit manufacturer BM) with information and data about the application (e.g. location, formation, depth, intervals, performance goals, etc.). The designer analyzes the information and the data using design information, e.g., previous bit designs; type of bit; bit size and weight; previous bit run history in relevant applications; VIBRASCOPE (TRADEMARK) system analysis which provides an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the drillstring, BHA (bottom hole assembly) and bit; testing of the bit and/or test results; metallurgy; bottom hole assembly designs; operational options, such as using a mud motor, hole opener, shock sub, reamer(s), etc; downhole and/or surface instrumentation options; control systems of varying capabilities, manual control of varying levels of quality; rig capabilities; operational cost factors; availability of personnel with appropriate skill levels; bit durability goals (e.g. as drill an interval of a desired length with one bit or get to next casing point with no more than two bits).
[0217] The designer arrives at a bit drilling solution for a well task (any job or operation employing the bit) (“SOLUTION”) in a drilling information package which specifies one, some, or all of the following:
[0218] a bit;
[0219] a bottom hole assembly including the specification of BHA components and capabilities;
[0220] an operational strategy for an intended use which defines key goals, such as, e.g., run bit at maximum efficiency (even though this results in lower ROP than maximum possible) to extend bit durability enough to get to next casing point without making a trip;
[0221] limits for an intended use such as e.g., a bit weight range of 10-40 Klbs, bit rotational speed range of 120-200 rpm, mud motor rotational speed range of 60-140 rpm, and drillstring rotational speed of 0-80 rpm (further, these ranges may be inter related to some manner, such as if bit weight is over a certain weight, e.g. 35 Klbs, then bit rotational speed can not exceed a certain speed, e.g. 140 rpm);
[0222] control suggestions for an intended use (e.g. if a mud motor is present in the string, then a drill control system, e.g. an autodriller control system based on mud motor differential pressure and not control on bit weight);
[0223] suggestions for recording data (e.g. if a calculated parameter indicating drillstring vibrations is over a specified threshold value, then change surface data recording rate from 1 second interval to a rate of 10 values per second); and/or
[0224] any data and/or information and/or information embodying or regarding things used by the designer as mentioned in the previous numbered paragraph, including, but not limited to, any information or data analyzed by the designer.
[0225] A specific bit identification is produced and assigned to the bit and to the information about the bit (“BIT ID”) (e.g. the bit 437 ).
[0226] Information about the solution is assembled in an information package (“INFO”) which is stored and associated with the bit identification (e.g. in a computer and/or in any type or kind of memory storage device or apparatus, memory stick, flash drive, portable drive, etc.; including, but not limited to, in a tag or tags).
[0227] A wave-energizable apparatus (e.g. apparatus 437 a , like apparatus 437 d ) is applied to the bit and/or a container for the bit (e.g. the bit 437 , FIG. 12A or FIG. 31 ) which has the bit identification and the information package j (and/or, optionally, a memory device like the device 437 m is applied to or associated with the bit and/or a memory device 4370 is applied to or associated with the container).
[0228] The bit is then delivered to a drilling rig for use. At the rig the wave-energizable apparatus (or apparatuses) associated with the bit (and/or memory device or devices) is scanned by a reader apparatus and the information therein is provided to a variety of systems, in one aspect, both on-site and remote (“INFO RIG”; e.g. systems such as the driller system DS and/or the remote system RS). In one aspect, systems and methods according to the present invention are useful to insure that the correct bit is delivered to the correct location and that at the location the correct bit is used for the correct drilling task or job; and, in certain circumstances, that a bit that was delivered and/or used is the bit that is returned for repair or refurbishing. In certain aspects, the apparatuses 437 c and/or 437 d contain an identification code that links the bit to data and/or information on an associated memory device.
[0229] Operators, personnel, controllers, and engineers either at the rig, remote, or both who are monitoring the drilling in real time (“REAL TIME MONITOR”) have the information package and they receive real time data about the bit and the drilling operation.
[0230] Optionally, the bit designer and/or manufacturer (“BIT MFGER.”) is provided access, in real time or otherwise, to some or all of the information and data. Rig control systems (on-site and/or remote; e.g., the system DS and/or the system RS) receive the information in the information package, enhancing control strategy by making use of previous engineering design work and effective utilization of the capabilities of surface and downhole equipment. This “enhancing” may consist of simply executing an optimum operation plan and instructions. Also it may be interactive, including pre-planned investigative exercises to be executed if a specific problem is detected and then, based on the results of those exercises, selection of a new set of operational instructions.
[0231] A rig information system RS, e.g., but not limited to, the RIGSENSE (TRADEMARK) system of National Oilwell Varco, provides key information (e.g. bit weight, drillstring rotational speed, and rate-of-penetration) from the information package to the driller's control system (“DRILLER”). Any and all information generated during design, during manufacture, during testing, and/or prior to and/or during a delivery and/or during an operation can be provided to a driller (or to other personnel and/or apparatuses, remote or on-site) in real-time and/or as logged data and/or as history for a certain item, device, apparatus or equipment, etc., or regarding actual uses thereof. Such provision may be, according to the present invention, on request or provided automatically.
[0232] In any system or method according to the present invention, specific information (including, but not limited to, pre-use information and/or manufacturing process information, manufacturing history (to include repair and refurbishment), and/or quality control documentation and/or design information) about a bit or an item (defined below) is conveyable to all personnel, including, but not limited to, rig operator(s), controller(s) on site and/or off site, and/or driller(s). Key information from the information package is, in real time, compared (e.g. using the driller system DS and/or the remote system RS) to actual run data and the comparisons are analyzed to enhance the drilling operation (“REAL TIME ANALYSIS”). For example, the effects of actual drillstring vibrations (which may be measured and/or derived, at the surface and/or downhole) are recorded and then compared to the drillstring vibrations, e.g. predicted by VIBRASCOPE (TRADEMARK) system runs and analysis, for similar operation parameters by the bit designer/manufacturer. The VIBRASCOPE (TRADEMARK) system runs referred to here may be done early in a SOLUTION phase and/or in real-time during drilling or post-drilling. This analysis can close the loop between modeling and actual performance, improving insight into the underlying physics affecting drilling performance and producing improvements in the quality of the modeling. Another example is the comparison of actual ROP's versus those predicted in a SOLUTION phase, for the same set of operating conditions. This can be helpful in predicting the ROP and is of considerable economic value.
[0233] After a bit has been used, data and/or information can be added to any and all wave-energizable apparatuses associated with the bit (and/or memory devices) and/or with any related equipment or apparatuses.
[0234] As shown in FIG. 34 , interested personnel (on-site and/or remote) subscribe via an information transfer system (e.g., but not limited to the known WELLDATA (TRADEMARK) system) to receive data and/or information about the selected bit and its use (“SUBSCRIBE”), including, but not limited to, in real time. This can be done via the driller system DS and/or via the remote system RS, via any suitable known transmission system, via Internet, ethernet, and/or via a transmission system TS.
[0235] The wave-energizable apparatus or apparatuses (and/or memory device or devices) on and/or associated with a bit or its container are scanned at the drilling site (“RUN SCAN”) and a monitoring system monitors (“SYSTEM MONITOR”), among other things, the particular bit (e.g., via the bit identification and/or serial number) and notes if the bit in use has been changed (“BIT ID'D”).
[0236] If the information package associated with the bit contains information for possible multiple applications, personnel are presented a selection of applications (“SELECT PACKAGE”) and one application is chosen. Drilling commences (“DRILL”) and subscribed personnel and connected systems are notified of this (“START RUN NOTIFY”), in real time and/or otherwise; this notification can include which application was selected.
[0237] When the bit is removed from the wellbore, the wave energizable apparatus is scanned (“BIT PULL SCAN”) and subscribed personnel and connected systems are notified of the end of the drilling run (“NOTIFY END RUN”). A control system (e.g. the driller system DS and/or the remote system RS) then automatically requests any required user actions and inputs (“AUTO REQUEST ACTIONS INPUTS”) (e.g. actions: photograph bit, clean bit, photograph bit again, visually observe the bit, produce a description of the observed bit; e.g. inputs: bit dull grading, visual observations of bit, producing a description, written, oral, etc., of the used bit, and/or comments describing key aspects of the bit run).
[0238] Actual data and information from the run is recorded automatically (e.g., in the systems DS and/or RS) and assembled into a run information package (“DATA COLLECT PACKAGE”) which is sent to subscribed personnel and connected systems (“DATA PACKAGE SEND”). Any, some, or all such data can be recorded in any wave-energizable apparatus associated with a bit.
[0239] The systems and methods described above for FIGS. 31-34 are directed to, among other things, drilling and drill bits. It is within the scope of the present invention to provide systems and methods directed to any well or rig operation that employs tools, devices, tubulars, equipment, apparatuses, replaceable parts or pieces, slips, dies, inserts, control systems, equipment, tongs, whipstocks, mills, reamers, plugs, protectors, centralizers, spinners, iron roughnecks, elevators, spiders, screens, shakers, pumps, motors, fishing tools, tubular exponders, engines, generators, continuous circulation systems,—all collectively referred to by the term “item”. FIGS. 35-37 illustrate systems and methods according to the present invention which employ an item in a well or rig operation, e.g., but not limited to, drilling, tripping, running casing, completing a well, producing a well, and cementing.
[0240] FIG. 35 shows an item 597 in a container 597 b . The item has a wave-energizable apparatus 597 d attached thereto and the container has a wave-energizable apparatus 597 c attached thereto. The apparatuses 597 c , 597 d may be any suitable wave-energizable apparatus including, but not limited to, any tag disclosed or referred to herein and they may be connected to and/or applied to an item in any way disclosed herein. In one aspect, the apparatuses 597 c , 597 d have identical information. In other aspects, their information differs, for example, and without limitation, apparatus 597 d may contain data on the materials used and the manufacturing process of the item, while apparatus 597 c may contain data on inventory, shipping and handling instructions. Optionally, one or the other of the apparatuses 597 c , 597 d is deleted. Optionally, a memory device 597 m is connected to or associated with the item (like the device 437 m described above) and/or a memory device 597 p is connected to or associated with the item (like the memory device 437 p described above) and the or these memory devices are used as are the devices described above. It is within the scope of the present invention to provide multiple wave-energizable apparatuses on any item.
[0241] FIG. 36 is the system of FIG. 12A and of FIG. 34 (like numerals indicate like parts) directed to an item rather than specifically to a bit.
[0242] FIG. 37 depicts methods with a system according to the present invention.
[0243] Initially, an application (“APP. NEED”) is presented to an item designer (e.g. item manufacturer IM) with information and data about the application (e.g. task, operation, location, formation, depth, intervals, performance goals, etc.). The designer analyzes the information and the data using, e.g. previous item designs; item size, type, and/or weight; testing and/or test results; previous item use or run history in relevant applications; system analysis which provides an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the item; metallurgy; bottom hole assembly designs; operational options; downhole and/or surface instrumentation options; control systems of varying capabilities, manual control of varying levels of quality; rig capabilities; operational cost factors; availability of personnel with appropriate skill levels; item durability goals.
[0244] The designer arrives at an item use solution (“SOLUTION”) in an information package which specifies anything mentioned above in describing the information package for a drill bit, including, but not limited to:
[0245] an item;
[0246] a bottom hole assembly, if needed, including the specification of BRA components and capabilities;
[0247] an operational strategy which defines key goals, such as, e.g., run item at maximum efficiency to extend item durability;
[0248] limits on item use;
[0249] control suggestions;
[0250] suggestions for recording data.
[0251] A specific item identification is produced and assigned to the item and to the information about the item (“ITEM ID”) (e.g. the item 597 ).
[0252] Information about the solution is assembled in an information package (“INFO”) which is stored and associated with the item identification (e.g. in a computer and/or in any type or kind of memory storage device or apparatus; including, but not limited to, in a tag or tags).
[0253] A wave-energizable apparatus is applied to the item and/or a container for the item which has the item identification and the information package.
[0254] The item is then delivered to a rig for use. At the rig the wave-energizable apparatus (or apparatuses) associated with the item is scanned by a reader apparatus and the information therein is provided to a variety of systems, in one aspect, both on-site and remote (“INFO RIG”; e.g. systems such as the driller system DS and/or the remote system RS). In one aspect, systems and methods according to the present invention are useful to insure that the correct item is delivered to the correct location and that at the location the correct item is used for the correct task or job; and, in certain circumstances, that an item that was delivered and/or used is the item that is returned for repair or refurbishing.
[0255] Operators, personnel, controllers, and engineers either at the rig, remote, or both who are monitoring the operation in real time (“REAL TIME MONITOR”) have the information package and they receive real time data about the item and the operation.
[0256] Optionally, the bit designer and/or manufacturer (“ITEM MFGER.”) is provided access, in real time or otherwise, to some or all of the information and data. Rig control systems (on-site and/or remote; e.g., the system DS and/or the system RS) receive the information in the information package, enhancing control strategy by making use of previous engineering design work and effective utilization of the capabilities of surface and downhole equipment. This “enhancing” may consist of simply executing an optimum operation plan and instructions. Also it may be interactive, including pre-planned investigative exercises to be executed if a specific problem is detected and then, based on the results of those exercises, selection of a new set of operational instructions.
[0257] A rig information system RS, e.g., but not limited to, the RIGSENSE (TRADEMARK) system of National Oilwell Varco, provides key information from the information package to the driller's control system (“DRILLER”) or to any other control system, on site or off site. Any and all information generated during design, during manufacture, during testing, and/or prior to and/or during a delivery and/or during an operation can be provided to personnel and/or apparatuses, remote or on-site, in real-time and/or as logged data and/or as history for a certain item, device, apparatus or equipment, etc., or regarding actual uses thereof. Such provision may be, according to the present invention, on request or provided automatically.
[0258] In any system or method according to the present invention, specific information (including, but not limited to, any pre-use information and/or manufacturing and/or design information) about an item is conveyable to all personnel, including, but not limited to, rig operator(s) controller(s) on site and/or off site, and/or driller(s). Key information from the information package is, in real time, compared (e.g. using the driller system DS and/or the remote system RS) to actual data and information and the comparisons are analyzed to enhance the operation (“REAL TIME ANALYSIS”).
[0259] After an item has been used, data and/or information can be added to any and all wave-energizable apparatuses associated with the item and/or with any related equipment or apparatuses.
[0260] As shown in FIG. 37 , interested personnel (on-site and/or remote) subscribe via an information transfer system (e.g., but not limited to the known WELLDATA (TRADEMARK) system) to receive data and/or information about the selected item and its use (“SUBSCRIBE”), including, but not limited to, in real time. This can be done via the driller system DS and/or via the remote system RS, via any suitable known transmission system, via Internet, ethernet, and/or via a transmission system TS.
[0261] The wave-energizable apparatus or apparatuses on the item are scanned at the site (“RUN SCAN”) and a monitoring system monitors (“SYSTEM MONITOR”), among other things, the particular item (e.g., via the item identification and/or serial number) and notes if the item in use has been changed (“ITEM ID'D”).
[0262] If the information package associated with the item contains information for possible multiple applications, personnel are presented a selection of applications (“SELECT PACKAGE”) and one application is chosen. The operation commences (“DRILL” or any other operation) and subscribed personnel and connected systems are notified of this (“START RUN NOTIFY”), in real time and/or otherwise; this notification can include which application was selected.
[0263] When the item has been used, the wave energizable apparatus is scanned (“ITEM PULL SCAN”) and subscribed personnel and connected systems are notified of the end of the operation (“NOTIFY END RUN”). A control system (e.g. the driller system DS and/or the remote system RS) then automatically requests any required user actions and inputs (“AUTO REQUEST ACTIONS INPUTS”) e.g, but not limited to, like the subsequent actions described above for a bit.
[0264] Actual data and information from the run is recorded automatically (e.g., in the systems DS and/or RS) and assembled into a run information package (“DATA COLLECT PACKAGE”) which is sent to subscribed personnel and connected systems (“DATA PACKAGE SEND”). Any, some, or all such data can be recorded in any wave-energizable apparatus associated with an item.
[0265] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides an item handling method, the item for use in a well operation, the method including: producing information about an item, the item for a specific well task, the information including design information about the item and intended use information about the item; producing an item identification specific to the item; associating the information with the item identification producing thereby an information package for the item; installing the information package in at least one wave-energizable apparatus; and applying the at least one wave-energizable apparatus to the item. Such a method may include one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: delivering the item to a well operations rig, reading the information package from the at least one wave-energizable apparatus, and using the information to facilitate the specific well task; wherein the item includes a body, the body having an exterior surface and two spaced-apart ends, the at least one wave-energizable apparatus on the exterior surface of the body, the at least one wave-energizable apparatus wrapped in fabric material, the fabric material comprising heat-resistant non-conducting material, and the at least one wave-energizable apparatus wrapped and positioned on the body so that the at least one wave-energizable apparatus does not contact the body; associating with the item a memory device having information about the item; using information from the memory device to facilitate the specific well task; and/or wherein the at least one wave-energizable apparatus is a first apparatus and a second apparatus, the method further including applying the first apparatus to the item, and applying the second apparatus to a container for the item.
[0266] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides a bit handling method including: producing information about a drill bit, the drill bit for a specific drilling task, the information including design information for the bit and intended use information for the drill bit; producing a bit identification specific to the drill bit; associating the information with the bit identification producing thereby an information package for the drill bit; installing the information package in at least one wave-energizable apparatus; and applying the at least one wave-energizable apparatus to the drill bit. Such a method may include one or some (in any possible combination) of the following: wherein the bit includes a body, the body having an exterior surface and two spaced-apart ends, the at least one wave-energizable apparatus on the exterior surface of the body, the at least one wave-energizable apparatus wrapped in fabric material, the fabric material comprising heat-resistant non-conducting material, and the at least one wave-energizable apparatus wrapped and positioned on the body so that the at least one wave-energizable apparatus does not contact the body; associating with the item a memory device having information about the item; using information from the memory device to facilitate the specific well task; applying the first apparatus to the item, and applying the second apparatus to a container for the item; wherein the information package is installed in a wave-energizable apparatus applied to a container for the drill bit; delivering the drill bit to a drilling rig, reading the information package from the wave-energizable apparatus, and providing information from the information package to a control system for controlling use of the bit; wherein the design information includes one, some or all of metallurgy about the bit, type of the bit, size of the bit, weight of the bit, testing of the bit, test results, manufacturing history of the bit, and quality control documentation for the bit; wherein the intended use information includes one, some or all of information about a bottom hole assembly to be used with the bit, goals for use of the bit, and limits on use of the bit; insuring that the bit is a correct bit for the specific drilling task; returning the bit to an entity following use of the bit in the specific drilling task, and identifying the returned bit as the bit that was used in the specific drilling task; in real time providing use information about use of the bit, and comparing the use information to information in the information package producing a comparison; changing an operational parameter based on the comparison; changing the bit based on the comparison; ceasing the specific drilling task; adding use information of the bit to the information package following use of the bit; providing information from the information package and actual use information about the use of the bit in doing the specific drilling task to personnel at the drilling rig and to off-site personnel; the providing done in real time; wherein the bit information package contains information about multiple possible applications of the bit, the method further including selecting and implementing one application from the multiple possible applications; providing a notification with the control system of cessation of use of the bit, and requesting with the control system subsequent action with respect to the bit; wherein the subsequent action is at least one of, some of, or all of photographing the bit, cleaning the bit, photographing the bit following cleaning, visually observing the bit, and producing a description of the used bit; and/or producing action information related to a subsequent action, and installing the action information in the at least one wave-energizable apparatus.
[0267] The present invention, therefore, in at least certain aspects, provides an item, the item (e.g. a drill bit) for use in a well operation in a specific well task, the item including: the item having a body, at least one wave-energizable apparatus on the body, at least one wave-energizable apparatus having installed therein an information package, the information package including an item identification and information about the item, and the information including design information about the item and intended use information about the item.
[0268] In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. The following claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention claimed herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 102 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in § 102. The invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in § 103. This specification and the claims that follow are in accordance with all of the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112. The inventors may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the scope of their invention and of the claims that follow as they may pertain to apparatus not materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6 for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
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An item (e.g. a drill bit) handling method, the item for use in a well operation, the method including producing information about an item used for a specific well task, the information including design information and intended use information, producing an item identification specific to the item, associating the information with the item identification producing thereby an information package, installing the information package in at least one wave-energizable apparatus, and applying the at least one wave-energizable apparatus to the item. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The field of the invention is control of flow through screen sections either newly run or retrofit in existing wells by using internal flow control devices on an inner string separated by barriers within the screen and optionally for new installations additional external annular barriers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Formations with long production intervals frequently provide an of imbalance of the incoming flow along the interval that leads to problems with water coning or other water production challenges, and also production of other undesirable fluids. Prior solutions have included balancing the flow along a long production interval with a plurality of inflow control devices, which may be designed, tuned, or manipulated to segment and distribute the inflow across the production interval to improve the inflow characteristics. Typically these devices have been integrated into an assembly including sand screen systems.
[0003] Inflow control devices in the past were incorporated within sand screen systems which included a blank non-perforated base pipe with a screen mounted to it and sealed at opposed ends to define an annular space between the base pipe and the screen surrounding it with an inflow control device provided in fluid communication with both the main bore of the production tubing and this annular space to control the fluid inflow profile of fluids produced through that screen section, into the annular space, and into the production tubing. The produced fluid would flow along the base pipe and inside the screen to an inflow control device (ICD) which in the case of the Equalizer® inflow control device sold by Baker Oil Tools included a spiral flow path whose resistance to a given flow rate could be designed to be higher in one location along the production interval or lower in another. Thus, any number of ICDs could be provided along a long production interval with zonal isolation between the segments including an ICD to segment and isolate the flow characteristics as desired to balance the production of fluid and prevent undesired production complications such as water coning or the like. The operation of an ICD in this manner is well understood throughout the oil & gas completions industry, and for a given screen section, the flow would travel through the ICD and enter another annular space with a hole or holes in the base pipe and from there all flows from a collection of isolated screen sections would enter the base pipe and be conducted to the surface through a tubing string. Some examples of screen assembly flow control and balancing systems are illustrated in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,022 Expandable flow control device; U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,999 Downhole inflow control device with shut-off feature; U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,606 Inflow control device with passive shut-off feature; U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,983 Coiled tubing strings and installation methods; U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,817 Flow control apparatus and methods; U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,454 Spooled coiled tubing strings for use in wellbores; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,928 Flow restriction device for use in producing wells.
[0011] There are limitations to the integrated designs of screens with inflow control devices described above. One limitation is the ICDs limit the ability to circulate gravel packing slurries when trying to do a gravel pack on an assembly of screen sections. Another limitation is that for existing installations that have an assembly of screen sections, there is no way to use the above described integrated screen with ICD to retrofit an existing screened well without running in a second screen assembly inside the existing assembly, assuming space permits. Doing so would greatly reduce flow altogether and create a new problem when trying to solve the problem of misdistribution. Still further, the close tolerances in the screen annulus between the screen and base pipe of conventional systems limits applicability of ICD usage for highly viscous or heavy oil production.
[0012] The present invention is directed at the limitations described above and focuses on decoupling the integration of the ICD from the primary sand screen assembly and separating the ICDs from that screen assembly so that, for example, a retrofit of an existing screen assembly can be done to provide flow balancing to a screen assembly already in the hole; or so that the annular space along which axial flow occurs can be spaced as desired limited only by the isolation capabilities of a particular zonal isolation device between isolated sections. This is accomplished by locating a plurality of ICDs on a separate inner string separated from one another by zonal isolation devices. The ICDs and the isolation devices can be of a variety of types. The isolation devices are preferably but not necessarily interventionless and allowed to set themselves downhole, and the zones of interest can be adjacent or separated by blank pipe. In that manner, an existing screen assembly without ICDs can be retrofitted for balanced flow to eliminate the issues relating to flow imbalance described above.
[0013] In new installations, ordinary screens with optional external annulus barriers can be run in first and if needed, gravel packed without limits to circulation normally posed by the presence of screens integrated with ICDs and the lack of perforated base pipe along the production interval for taking circulation returns. After gravel packing, if required, the internal string is run in with the ICDs the same as if the installation were a retrofit operation described above. The internal zonal isolation barriers straddle the ICDs to define discrete zones within the screen sections. The zonal isolation barriers outside the screen can be self actuating packers such as swelling packers. Alternatively, either the outer string with the sand screen or the inner string with the ICDs (or both) can have ball seats and spaced seals around a port that communicated to the external seals to set them. The internal barriers can be retrievable to allow the string with the ICDs to be pulled from inside the screens to facilitate drilling or workover further downhole or to permit replacement of ICDs as production profiles change during the life of a well. These and other advantages of the present invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings below while understanding that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the claims appended below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A tubing conveyed assembly of retrievable or non-retrievable inflow control devices on a tubing string along with isolation devices can be delivered into an existing or newly delivered screen assembly that requires inflow control for balanced flow from the formation. In newly delivered screen assemblies, any gravel packing that needs to be done can be accomplished without the presence of the inflow devices and with conventionally perforated base pipe for faster circulation and improved gravel deposition. External annular barriers can also be delivered with an original screen assembly in a new well installation. The inflow devices and barriers can be of a variety of designs and the internal string can be removable if the barriers are retrievable to facilitate further drilling or completion below the screen assembly.
[0015] In one aspect, an embodiment of the invention can include a wellbore completion system, comprising an outer string including a plurality of perforated base pipe joints. A plurality of such joints may be perforated and open to flow of reservoir fluid from an annulus between the screen joints and a production zone of a reservoir; an inner inflow control string may be provided within the screen joints. The inner string may include at least a plurality of zonal isolation devices disposed along a string of non-perforated base pipe to control the flow of fluid along the inner string within an annulus between the inner and outer strings; and at least one inflow control device may be provided between at least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the inflow flow of fluid into the inner inflow control string.
[0016] In another aspect, an embodiment of the invention can include a method of gravel packing a well, comprising the steps of: providing an outer string including a plurality of perforated base pipe joints, wherein a plurality of such joints are perforated and open to flow of reservoir fluid from an annulus between the screen joints and a production zone of a reservoir; providing a gravel pack work string within the outer string; pumping a gravel slurry through the work string to deposit the gravel slurry within an annulus between the outer string and a wall of a wellbore; removing the work string from the outer string; providing an inner inflow control string within the outer string, the inner string including: at least a plurality of zonal isolation devices disposed along a string of non-perforated base pipe to control the flow of fluid along the inner string within an annulus between the inner and outer strings; and wherein at least one inflow control device between at least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the inflow flow of fluid into the inner inflow control string.
[0017] In yet another aspect of the invention, an inflow control system can provide inflow control to an existing completion having existing permanently deployed perforated base pipe. The system may comprise an inner inflow control string within the outer string, the inner string, and may include at least a plurality of zonal isolation devices disposed along a string of non-perforated base pipe to control the flow of fluid along the inner string within an annulus between the inner and outer strings. At least one inflow control device may be provided between at least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the inflow flow of fluid into the inner inflow control string, and the inner inflow control string adapted to be deposited and deployed within the existing permanently deployed perforated base pipe.
[0018] In a further aspect, the invention may be directed to a method of remediating an existing well completion, which includes an existing perforated base pipe. In such an embodiment, an inner inflow control string may be provided within the outer string, wherein the inner string includes at least a plurality of zonal isolation devices disposed along a string of non-perforated base pipe to control the flow of fluid along the inner string within an annulus between the inner and outer strings. In such an embodiment, at least one inflow control device could be provided between at least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the inflow flow of fluid into the inner inflow control string.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a retrofit assembly for an existing screen assembly to provide flow balancing capability;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a new installation of a screen assembly with external annulus isolators and a series of inflow control devices delivered on an internal string with barriers to separate the inflow devices within the string assembly;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a section view of a portion of an outer screen assembly with the portion of the inner string assembly between two isolators installed in it.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] A pipe joint as used herein includes a section of interest along a continuous string of coiled tubing or other tubular goods and is not intended to be limited to threaded oil country tubular goods (“OCTG”). A stand is intended to mean a given length of interest of a tubular, and is not limited to any particular size or length or configuration of such tubulars. Perforated can include holes or other apertures, or any size and shape or configuration of slots or other openings designed to permit flow therethrough. An inflow control device some examples of which are a tortuous path, an orifice or other opening or path designed to limit or moderate flow at a desired rate of inflow in one zone of interest with respect to another zone of interest.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 1 a wellbore 10 which can be open hole or cased hole has a series of screen sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 joined together to make an assembly 20 . Although no blank pipe sections are illustrated in assembly 20 it is within the scope of the invention to use such blank pipe. An annular space 22 is defined between the assembly 20 and the wellbore 10 . Incoming flow from the formation 10 is represented by arrows 24 . That same flow enters the annulus 22 and flows along that annulus 22 as indicated by arrows 26 . The annular space 22 may have been gravel packed (not shown). In the retrofit embodiment of the invention, the above described structures are in the wellbore and the screen assembly has no devices for balancing the incoming flow but production of water or the need to isolate a zone or zones that are producing undesired fluids is needed. In this embodiment of the invention, an inner string 28 that comprises preferably a plurality of inflow control devices (ICD) 30 that preferably differ in the offered resistance to a predetermined flow rate of a given fluid is run into position in the screen assembly 20 . Each ICD allows flow into the inner string 28 as indicated by arrows 32 . Isolation devices 34 preferably straddle the ICDs 30 internal to the assembly while it is possible that the topmost and lowermost ICDs may only have an isolation device on one side. It is also possible that some pairs of adjacent isolators 34 will have no ICDs. Zones of the assembly that need to be isolated will not have an ICD on inner string 28 , for example. If the assembly 20 has blank pipe then the string 28 may also contain no ICDs 30 in the inner string 28 for proper spacing out of the ICDs 30 to be adjacent to a portion of the outer string assembly 20 that has screen sections.
[0024] Those skilled in the art will realize that the inner string 28 can have any number of ICDs 30 where adjacent ICDs 30 are separated by an isolator 34 . The isolators 34 can be any style and can be permanent or retrievable. They can be swelling packers, mechanically set, hydraulically set or inflatables to name some possibilities. The ICDs 30 can be of a variety of types. They can be tortuous paths or orifices to name a few possibilities. They can be sensitive to density or other parameters to detect water or other undesirable fluid production and shut off. They can be selectively opened or closed and put into positions in between with tools run in from the surface or with locally associated valve and operators that can be operated by control line, wireline or by remote operation from the surface such as with acoustic signals or by a sonde delivered to the proximity of a given ICD 30 to move it fully open or closed or positions in between mechanically or by communicating to a locally mounted processor to trigger motor operation to reconfigure the ICD 30 . If the barriers 34 are retrievable, the entire assembly of the string 28 with the ICDs 30 and barriers 34 can be pulled as an assembly to facilitate access for further drilling or to complete a previously drilled portion of the well or laterals exiting from a main bore.
[0025] Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that an existing well bore having a screen assembly 20 that is made up of a series of perforated base pipes covered by a screen material that have no means for flow balancing in a given zone can be retrofitted with an interior flow control string 28 that at minimum has one ICD 30 and one barrier 34 for subdividing the existing assembly of the outer screen 20 so that flow can be balanced and even adjusted automatically or by surface intervention to change the flow regime through the assembly 20 .
[0026] FIG. 2 is directed to a new completion and is virtually identical to FIG. 1 in all respects from an equipment standpoint except for the external isolators 36 placed between adjacent screen stands such as 14 ′. The method of use differs from FIG. 1 in that the assembly 20 ′ is first run in with the external isolators 36 to the zone or zones in question. An optional gravel pack can take place outside the assembly 20 ′ using known techniques with a crossover tool such that some or all of the annulus 22 ′ can be filled. At this time the inner string 28 ′ is not inside the assembly 20 ′ so that the ICDs 30 do not restrict fluid circulation for the gravel pack and are not exposed to gravel erosion from the circulating fluid that is used to deposit the gravel. As a result a better gravel packing can be accomplished in less time than using a screen assembly with integrated ICDs known in the prior art.
[0027] After the gravel packing equipment is removed the inner string assembly 28 ′ as previously described can be run in. The external isolators 36 can be set in a variety of ways after the gravel pack if one is required. The isolators 36 can set by swelling after a time exposure to well fluids or by introduction of well fluids from the surface that trigger the isolators 36 to set. The setting can be mechanical, hydraulic, hydrostatic or with a straddle tool to selectively actuate each isolator 36 in a desired order. For example a space between two isolators 36 can be gravel packed and an adjacent isolator 36 can be set before an adjacent annular zone 22 ′ is gravel packed. With a straddle tool the preferred isolator style is an inflatable.
[0028] Alternatively, the inner assembly 28 ′ can spaced seals with a port in between that can straddle a fill port for a given isolator 36 so that the isolators 36 can be set using the inner assembly 28 ′ such as for example with a series of seats to accommodate different size balls for sequential setting of the isolators 36 with inner string 28 ′.
[0029] In the preferred embodiment, the isolators 36 create discrete zones within the annular space 22 ′ while the isolators 34 ′ create preferably aligned zones in annulus 38 between the inner assembly 28 ′ and the outer screen assembly 20 ′. For example zones 40 and 42 are axially aligned. The isolators 36 and 34 ′ are also axially aligned but offsets between such isolator pairs are contemplated.
[0030] While the assembly 20 or 20 ′ is referred to as a screen assembly it is intended to encompass perforated pipe as well as a base pipe that has openings with a mesh or other type of overlay of a filtering device.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates a known screen 100 mounted over a perforated base pipe 102 with end seals 104 and 106 . This assembly is a part of what has been referred to as screen assembly 20 or 20 ′. A portion of the inner tubular 28 or 28 ′ has the inflow control device 30 between isolators or barriers 34 .
[0032] The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below:
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An assembly of inflow control devices on a string along with isolation devices can be delivered into an existing or newly delivered screen assembly that requires inflow control for balanced flow from the formation. In newly delivered screen assemblies, any gravel packing that needs to be done can be accomplished without the presence of the inflow devices for faster circulation and improved gravel deposition. External annular barriers can also be delivered with an original screen assembly in a new well installation. The inflow devices and barriers can be of a variety of designs and the internal string can be removable if the barriers are retrievable to facilitate further drilling or completion below the screen assembly.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 484,224 filed June 28, 1974 now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to impact devices and more specifically to pneumatic impact devices.
The invention can be used to the best advantage for making holes in compacted soils, and for driving pipes, earthing electrodes and wooden or metal sheet piles into the ground.
Known in the Prior Art art are pneumatic impact devices used, for example, for making holes in the ground, consisting of a casing, a ram and an air-distributing mechanism. However, these devices are not in widespread use due to their inherent disadvantages.
It happens frequently that the device which has stopped in the hole cannot be restarted and must be removed which is not always possible. These disadvantages are attributable mostly to an imperfect design of the air-distributing mechanisms which are highly sensitive to impact load, deformations of the casing and jamming of the ram in the casing.
The above disadvantages can be eliminated to a considerable extent with the aid of devices in which the air-distributing mechanisms are installed on a damper.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Such devices include pneumatic impact devices comprising a hollow cylindrical casing accommodating a ram, a stepped slide valve, a flange, a tubular damper and a nut (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,354, Federal Republic of Germany Pat. No. 1,634,579. In these devices, the ram provided with an axial channel and radial channels in the tail part rests on the inner walls of the casing by two projections (with a provision of reciprocating motion) and its front end defines, together with the casing walls, a chamber which is filled with compressed air from a compressed air line through said channels and such air reciprocates the ram. The slide valve is a two-step bushing located in the tail part of the casing and its maximum-diameter step is located in the axial channel of the ram. The bushing communicates the source of compressed air with the radial channels which are periodically closed by said slide valve during the movement of the ram.
The minimum-diameter step of the bushing is connected by a tubular damper with a flange which is fastened rigidly to the tail part of the casing by a nut and has holes for the discharge of the used air.
Such a design of the air-distributing mechanism is highly involved. Besides, the ram often becomes jammed in the slide valve while the tubular damper is unreliable and short-lived which frequently leads to failures of the slide valve.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention resides in eliminating the aforesaid disadvantages.
An object of the invention consists in providing a pneumatic impact device which is compact and simple in design.
Another object of the invention consists in providing a device which is reliable in operation.
An important object of the invention consists in providing a device with a reliable system of air distribution without a slide-valve air-distributing mechanism.
Still another object of the invention consists in raising the impact power and output of the device and in reducing the consumption of compressed air.
These and other objects are achieved by providing a pneumatic impact device which comprises a hollow cylindrical casing, a nut which closes the open end of the casing, and a stepped ram provided with an axial channel and radial channels, said ram being located in the casing with a provision for reciprocating therein and defining by its front part, together with the casing walls, a chamber which is filled with compressed air from a compressed air line through said channels, said compressed air moving the ram for delivering an impact and then escaping outside through discharge holes in which, according to the invention, each succeeding step of the ram in the direction from the nut to the front end of the ram has a larger diameter than the preceding step, with the minimum-diameter step being located in the nut while the maximum-diameter step has longitudinal channels which open at one end into the chamber for placing it periodically in communication with the compressed air line.
Such a design ensures compactness, simplicity and reliability because this device has no slide-valve air-distributing mechanism. The provision of a three-step ram with longitudinal channels therein ensures efficiency of the device, reliable starting and simplicity of maintenance in operation.
To simplify the design of the device and reduce its size, it is practicable that the casing be provided with a circular recess which defines, together with the cylindrical surface of the maximum-diameter ram step, a space which communicates with the other ends of all the longitudinal channels.
The simplicity of design is achieved by making the ram with two steps which is possible due to the provision of a circular recess in the casing, communicating with the chamber through longitudinal channels.
It is also practicable that the other end of each longitudinal channel of the maximum-diameter step of the ram opens on the face surface of said step and that the cross-sectional area of these channels be smaller than that of the radial channels of the ram.
This ensures the discharge of the used air through the nut thereby dispensing with the side holes in the casing and improving the strength of the casing. For addition, in this case there is no need in the housing which is installed on the casing in order to protect the inside spaces of the device against dirt or foreign matter.
The cross-sectional area of the longitudinal channels must be two to five times smaller than that of the radial channels for ensuring the reversal of the ram.
To reduce the consumption of compressed air, it is practicable that the casing be provided with a circular recess which defines, together with the cylindrical surface of the minimum-diameter ram step, a space which is in constant communication with the atmosphere through the longitudinal holes in the nut, with said holes also serving as discharge holes while each longitudinal channel communicates with the space at the end of the back stroke of the ram.
The reduction of air consumption is achieved because the longitudinal channels place the chamber in communication with the atmosphere via the space not constantly but only at the end of the back stroke of the ram.
In the designs described above, the pressure of the compressed air acts not on the maximum cross-sectional area of the ram but on its minimum-diameter step which impairs the efficiency of the device.
To counter this disadvantage, it is necessary that the minimum-diameter step of the ram be provided with a projection and a bushing for joint movement with the ram, with said bushing having side holes and an external circular recess through which said space communicates periodically with the atmosphere through the longitudinal holes in the nut, that said holes open at one end on the internal cylindrical surface of the nut, with the latter being provided with inlet channels for the delivery of compressed air through the side holes of the bushing into said space when the ram moves towards the nut, and that the inlet channels of the nut open on its inner cylindrical surface.
Such a design increases the efficiency of the device since, in the course of the working stroke of the ram, the space is communicated with the source of compressed air which allows the maximum cross-sectional area of the ram to be used for its acceleration.
To make the invention more apparent, it will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of the pneumatic impact device according to the invention, the view being in longitudinal section; and
FIGS. 2 through 5 are side views of the versions of the device according to the invention, the views being longitudinal section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The pneumatic impact device for making holes in the ground according to the invention comprises a hollow cylindrical casing 1 (FIG. 1) which accommodates a stepped ram 2 and a nut 3 which closes the open end of the casing 1 and to which a compressed air line 4 is connected. The compressed air line is connected to a source of compressed air of any known type, e.g. a compressor.
The side walls of the casing 1 are provided with holes 5. The ram 2 has three cylindrical steps 6,7,8 whose diameters increase towards its front end. The front part of the maximum-diameter step 8 of the ram 2 defines, together with the walls of the casing 1, a working chamber 9. The cylindrical part of the ram step 7 and the side walls of the casing 1 define a space 10. The step 8 of the ram 2 has longitudinal channels 11 which communicate the working chamber 9 with the space 10. The ram 2 has radial channels 12 which open on the cylindrical surface of the step 7 and communicate with an axial channel 13 which is in communication with the compressed air line. The inner cylindrical surface of the nut is made in the form of two steps 14 and 15 and has channels 16 which are open to the atmosphere at one end and communicate at the other end with a space 17 which is defined by the outer cylindrical surface of the step 6 of the ram 2 and by the inner cylindrical surface of the step 15 of the nut 3. The cylindrical surfaces of the ram steps 6 and 7 interact with the cylindrical surfaces, respectively, of the steps 14 and 15 of the nut 3. The compressed air line 4 is in constant communication with a space 18 which is defined by the face surface of the ram step 6 and by the cylindrical and face surface of the nut step 14. The front part of the casing 1 is provided with a protective housing 19 which keeps foreign matter from entering into the device.
To reduce the size of the device and to simplify its design, the casing 1 has a circular recess 20 (FIG. 2). The ram 2 is made in the form of two cylindrical steps 21 and 22. The cylindrical surface of the maximum-diameter step 21 of the ram 2 and the circular recess 20 of the casing 1 define a space 23 which communicates with the working chamber 9 through the longitudinal channels 11 of the ram 2.
The radial channels 12 of the ram 2 opening on the cylindrical surface of its step 21 communicate with the space 23 when the ram is in the front (working) position.
The nut 3 has an inner cylindrical surface 24 which interacts with the outer cylindrical surface of the minimum-diameter step 22 of the ram 2 and provides together with its face surface, a chamber 25. A space 26 is defined by the outer cylindrical surface of the ram step 22 and the inner walls of the casing 1 and is open to the atmosphere through the channels 16 of the nut 3.
To simplify the design of the device and increase the strength of the casing, the longitudinal channels 11 (FIG. 3) of the maximum-diameter step 21 of the ram 2 open on the face surface of such step and communicate the working chamber 9 with the atmosphere through the space 26 and the channels 16 of the nut 3. The cross-sectional area of the channels 11 of the ram 2 is considerably smaller (by two to five times) than that of the radial channels 12 of the ram 2. The inner recess 20 of the casing 1 has a shoulder 27. When the ram 2 in the forward position, its radial channels 12 communicate directly with the chamber 9.
To reduce the consumption of air, the casing 1 has an additional circular recess 28 (FIG. 4) with a shoulder 29. The recess 28 provides, together with the outer cylindrical surface of the minimum-diameter step 22 of the ram 2, a space 30 which is in constant communication with the atmosphere through the channels 16 of the nut 3. The longitudinal channels 11 of the ram 2 open at one end into the working chamber 9 while their other ends open on the outer cylindrical surface of the maximum-diameter step 21 of the ram 2. As the ram 2 moves towards the nut 3 and passes the shoulder 29 at the end of its the back stroke, the channels 11 place the chamber 9 in communication with the atmosphere through the space 30 and the channels 16 of the nut 3.
To increase the impact power and output of the device, the minimum-diameter step 22 of the ram 2 is provided with an outwardly extending projection or flange 31 (FIG. 5) and a bushing 32 which has side holes 33 and an outer circular recess 34 through which the space 30 is placed periodically in communication with the atmosphere through the channels 16 of the nut 3. One end of each channel 16 opens on the inner cylindrical surface 24 of the nut 3. The nut 3 has inlet channels 35 for the supply of compressed air from the air line 4 through side holes 33 into the space 30 when the ram 2 moves towards the nut 3.
Each channel 35 opens on the inner surface 24 of the nut 3. The inner surface of the bushing 32 has a recess 36 with an internal projection 37 which interacts with the projection 31 on the back stroke of the ram.
The device operates as follows:
In FIG. 1, as compressed air is delivered from the compressed air line 4 into the space 18, the air starts to flow through the channels 13 and 12 of the ram 2 into the space 10 and further, through the longitudinal channels 11, into the working chamber 9. Due to the difference between the areas of the face surfaces of the steps 8 and 6 of the ram 2, the ram starts moving towards the nut 3. During this movement, the radial channels 12 are covered by the inner cylindrical surface of the step 15 of the nut 3 so that the further movement of the ram 2 will be executed due to the expansion of the compressed air in the working chamber 9. At the end of the back stroke of the ram 2, the holes 5 of the casing 1 are placed in communication with the working chamber 9 and the compressed air is discharged from the working chamber 9 into the atmosphere. The ram is stopped during the back stroke and moved forward by the pressure of compressed air in the space 18. In the extreme forward position (at the end of the working stroke), the ram 2 imparts a blow to the casing 1, driving it into the ground. The radial channels 12 of the ram 2 communicate with the space 10, the compressed air is admitted into the working chamber 9 and the working cycle is repeated over again.
To prevent formation of an air bumper in the space 17 during the back stroke of the ram 2, the channels 16 of the nut 3 keep this space in constant communication with the atmosphere.
If the device is made as shown in FIG. 2, it functions similarly for except the fact that the compressed air enters the working chamber 9 through the space 23 and the channels 11. On the back stroke of the ram 2, its radial channels 12 are covered by the inner cylindrical surface of the casing 1.
When the device is constructed as shown in FIG. 3, it functions as follows.
As the compressed air is delivered from the air line 4 into the chamber 25, the air starts flowing through the channels 13 and 12 into the working chamber 9.
Due to the difference between the areas of the face surfaces of the steps 21 and 22 of the ram 2, the ram starts moving towards the nut 3. During this movement, the radial channels 12 are covered by the inner cylindrical surface of the casing 1.
The area through the longitudinal channels 11 is deliberately made smaller than that through the radial channels 12, and hence the working chamber 9 is filled with air when the ram 2 is in the front position and the radial channels 12 are open, so that the entire volume of the chamber 9 becomes suddenly filled whereas the discharge of air into the atmosphere is by a gradual flow through the channels 11 of the ram 2, through the space 26 and the channels 16 of the nut 3 within the entire back stroke of the ram 2. The gradual discharge (throttling) of the air during the back stroke of the ram 2 reduces the dynamic loads of the air discharge. The ram 2 is stopped at the end of the back stroke and is moved forward by the pressure of compressed air in the chamber 25. When the ram 2 is in the extreme forward position (at the end of the working stroke), it imparts blows to the casing 1, thus driving it into the ground. The radial channels 12 of the ram 2 communicate with the working chamber 9 which starts to be filled with compressed air and the working cycle is repeated again.
If the device is of the type shown in FIG. 4, it functions similarly to the device illustrated in FIG. 3 except for the fact that the air is discharged from the working chamber 9 not in the course of the entire back stroke of the ram but at the moment when the channels 11 have passed the shoulder 29 and are connected with the space 30.
If the device is in compliance with the construction illustrated FIG. 5, it functions as follows: when compressed air is supplied from the air line 4 into the chamber 25, it flows through the channels 13 and 12 of the ram 2 into the working chamber 9. Due to the difference between the areas of the face surfaces of the ram steps 21 and 22, the ram 2 starts moving towards the nut 3. During this movement, the radial channels 12 are covered by the inner cylindrical surface of the casing 1 so that the working chamber 9 is separated from the air line 4 and the back stroke continues to be executed due to the expansion of air in the chamber 9. At a preset distance from the beginning of the back stroke of the ram, the channels 11 pass beyond the shoulder 29 of the recess 28 of the casing 1 and the air is discharged from the chamber 9 into the atmosphere through the space 30, recess 34 of the bushing 32 and through the channels 16 of the nut 3. During the back stroke of the ram 2, its projection 31 comes to bear against the projection 37 of the bushing 32, and shifts it towards the nut 3 until the holes 33 of the bushing 32 are aligned with the channels 35 of the nut 3 which admits compressed air from the chamber 25 into the space 30. Under the pressure of the compressed air from the side of the chamber 25 and space 30, the ram begins moving on its working stroke. Upon covering a preset distance, the ram 2 comes to bear with its projection 31 against the front (in the drawing) edge of the recess 36 of the bushing 32 and continues moving together therewith. During the movement of the bushing 32, its holes 33 are covered by the inner cylindrical surface 24 of the nut 3 while the inlet channels 35 of the nut 3 are covered by the outer cylindrical surface of the bushing 32 thereby cutting off the space 30 from the chamber 25 and, as a consequence, from the compressed air line 4. During the remaining part of the working stroke, the ram 2 moves due to the expansion of air in the space 30 and to the pressure of air entering the channel 13 from the chamber 25. At the end of the ram working stroke, the circular recess 34 of the bushing 32 places the space 30 in communication with the atmosphere through the channels 16 of the nut 3 so that air is discharged from the space 30. Upon coming to the extreme front position, the ram 2 imparts blows to the casing 1 thus driving it into the ground. At this moment, the radial channels 12 of the ram 2 pass the projection 27 of the circular recess 20 of the casing 1 and connect the working chamber 9 with the compressed air line 4 via the channel 13 and the chamber 25. Compressed air is admitted into the chamber 9 and the working cycle is repeated again.
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The present invention relates to pneumatic impact devices and can be used to the best advantage for making holes in compacted soils.
The device is provided with a hollow casing which accommodates a stepped ram with the maximum-diameter step in its front part. This step has longitudinal channels which open at one end into a working chamber defined by the maximum-diameter step and the side walls of the casing and serving for receiving compressed air from the compressed air line, with the air moving the striker to impart a blow after which it is discharged through holes in the casing.
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This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/261,171 filed Jan. 16, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to building materials and more particularly to materials used for sound insulation.
In building modern structures, such as single-family houses or commercial buildings, an important factor to consider is noise control. In order to provide a quiet environment, sounds originating from sources such as televisions or conversation must be controlled and reduced to comfortable sound pressure levels. To achieve such an environment, builders and designers must address a multitude of factors, among them the construction and composition of building component assemblies that separate rooms from other rooms or from the outside environment. Such assemblies may, for example, take form as interior walls, exterior walls, ceilings, or floors of a building.
The term “transmission loss”: is expressed in decibels (dB) and refers to the ratio of the sound energy striking an assembly to the sound energy transmitted through the assembly. A high transmission loss indicates that very little sound energy (relative to the striking sound energy) is being transmitted through an assembly. However, transmission loss varies depending on the frequency of the striking sound energy, i.e., low frequency sounds generally result in lesser transmission loss than high frequency sounds. In order to measure and compare the sound performances of different materials and assemblies (i.e., their abilities to block or absorb sound energy), while also taking into account the varying transmission losses associated with different sound frequencies, builders and designers typically use a single-number rating called Sound Transmission Class (STC), as described by the American Society For Testing and Materials (ASTM). This rating is calculated by measuring, in decibels, the transmission loss at several frequencies under controlled test conditions and then calculating the single-number rating from a prescribed method. When an actual constructed system is concerned (i.e., where conditions such as absorption and interior volume are not controlled in a laboratory environment), the single-number rating describing the acoustical performance of such a system can be expressed as a field STC rating (FSTC), which approximates a STC rating when tested on-site. The higher the FSTC rating of a constructed system, the greater the transmission loss.
A conventional wall assembly 300 (called a wood stud wall) is shown in FIG. 3 and consists of two gypsum boards 303 (also referred to as drywall or sheetrock skins) attached directly to either sides of wood studs 301 . The space between the wood studs 301 may be filled with some type of fibrous insulation 305 (e.g., fiber glass batts). A wall assembly such as assembly 300 generally results in transmission loss values between STC 30 and STC 36 , because although the cavity area between the wood studs 301 is filled with sound insulation material 305 , sound energy can easily pass through the structural connections between the wood studs 301 and the gypsum boards 303 . Accordingly, assembly 300 is generally ineffective in reducing sound energy transmission.
Several methods are currently used by builders to produce wall and ceiling/floor assemblies with higher FSTC ratings than the performance of a basic wood stud configuration. One such method is the use of resilient channels in a wall assembly 400 , shown in FIG. 4 a . This method involves inserting one or more thin metal channels 407 between one of the drywall skins 403 and framing members 401 . The resilient channels 407 act as shock absorbers, structural breaks, and leaf springs, reducing the transmission of vibrations between a drywall skin 403 and the framing members 401 . However, the resilient channel technique is difficult to install correctly and requires excessive labor costs. It is very easy to “short out” a resilient channel 407 by improper nailing techniques (e.g., screwing long screws into the wood studs 401 behind the resilient channel 407 ). When this occurs, the sound isolation of wall assembly 400 remains unimproved. Similarly, problems relating to the difficulty of installing resilient channels may result when the technique is used to sound-isolate floor-ceiling assemblies.
The use of resilient channels also increases the overall thickness of a wall or floor-ceiling assembly by at least ½ inch. This increase may prevent a builder or designer from using standard components that typically interface with a wall or floor-ceiling assembly. An example of such a component may be a doorjamb, where the increase in a wall assembly may necessitate the use of an expensive, non-standard size door jamb.
Other current practices involve staggering the positions of wall studs 401 (as illustrated in FIG. 4 b ) or using double stud construction (as illustrated in FIG. 4 c ). These methods create a larger cavity depth and can reduce the structural connections between wall assembly components 401 and 403 , thereby allowing an assembly 400 to achieve relatively high FSTC ratings. However, both of these methods double the cost of framing and increase the thickness of wall assembly 400 by approximately two to four inches, which increases installation and material costs as described above.
In addition, various sound absorbing or barrier materials are currently used to provide a structural break between wall studs or floor-ceiling joists and the boards attached to them. Examples of such materials include GyProc® by Georgia-Pacific Gypsum Corporation and 440 Sound-A-Sote™ by Homasote and Temple-Inland SoundChoice™. While capable of providing additional sound-transmission loss, these materials are generally dense and heavy, resulting in high handling and installation costs.
Accordingly, what is needed is a low-cost material between the framing members and building boards either in sheets or strips that can be installed in wall or floor-ceiling assemblies to provide additional substantial acoustical performance, while requiring less installation steps than current practices and allowing the use of standard size components to interface with the assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a combination sound-deadening board that is economical and provides relatively high acoustical performance improvement.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a combination sound-deadening board is provided, comprising a layer of structural skin, and a layer of sound-deadening material, wherein the material has an equivalent Young's Modulus (bulk modulus of elasticity) between 50 and 600 pounds per square inch (psi) and a thickness between ¼ and 1 inch, and is attached to the layer of structural skin to form a single laminate structure. This Young's Modulus may be achieved through means of basic material properties (true Young's Modulus), or by the physical alteration of the board to make the modulus appear lower when installed in the described manner. Kerfing, grooving, waffle cuts and boring are all examples of such alterations.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a building component assembly is provided, comprising at least one assembly framing member, and at least one combination sound-deadening board that is a single laminate structure comprising a structural skin layer attached to a sound-deadening material, wherein the sound-deadening material has an equivalent Young's Modulus (bulk modulus of elasticity) between 50 and 600 pounds per square inch and a thickness between ¼ and 1 inch, and that at least one combination sound-deadening board is attached to the assembly framing member such that the sound-deadening material faces the assembly framing member. Kerfing, grooving, waffle cuts and boring are all examples of such alterations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like elements have been represented by like reference numerals and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a wall assembly built in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a floor-ceiling assembly built in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional wall assembly;
FIGS. 4 a- 4 c illustrate conventional methods of sound control in wall assemblies; and
FIG. 5 illustrates a combination sound-deadening board in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 5 illustrates a combination sound-deadening board 503 , which includes a structural skin side 511 and a sound-deadening side 509 . Skin side 511 may be in the form of conventionally-known wallboards (also called leaves), such as plywood, plasterboard, or gypsum board. Sound-deadening side 509 is made of a sound-deadening material, which is described below. The two full-sheet sides 509 and 511 are attached or adhered in such a way that they form a single laminate, that is, board 503 . In other words, sides 509 and 511 can be transported and installed as a single multi-layer board 503 . The attaching process that creates multi-layer board 503 may occur either during the manufacturing of the structural skin or may occur as a secondary step.
FIG. 1 illustrates a wall assembly 100 including wall studs 101 and a combination sound-deadening board 103 . Studs 101 maybe standard wall studs, made of either wood or metal (e.g., steel), and may be lightweight (25 gauge) or heavyweight (20, 18, or 16 gauge). As seen in the figure, board 103 is attached to studs 101 in such a way that sound-deadening side 109 is positioned between skin side 111 and each study 101 . In this way, sound-deadening side 109 reduces vibration transmission between side 111 and the studs 101 , resulting in enhanced sound isolation between rooms located on either side of assembly 100 . Analytical modeling and laboratory testing has shown that optimum sound control performance results when sound-deadening side 109 has a Young's Modulus (bulk modulus of elasticity) between 50 and 600 pounds per square inch, a value much lower than the stiffness values associated with conventional materials used in building wall or floor-ceiling assemblies (e.g., gypsum boards and wood studs). Modeling and testing also showed that materials with an equivalent Young's Modulus (bulk modulus of elasticity) between 50 and 500 pounds per square inch were found to offer broadband improvements with a maximum of 6 to 8 dB improvement at the 1600 Hz one-third octave band. More specifically, materials with an equivalent Young's Modulus (bulk modulus of elasticity) between 500 to 600 pounds per square inch were found to offer broadband improvements with a maximum of 3 to 4 dB improvement at the 1600 Hz one-third octave band. Therefore, materials with Young's Moduli within the described range offer the best sound control performance while materials with higher Young's Moduli offer some improvement in terms of sounds transmission loss.
Existing materials that possess Young's Modulus values less than those of conventional wall or floor-ceiling assembly materials are not currently being used in sound-control applications. An example of such a material that is also non-resiliently compressible is isocyanurate foam sheathing (also called “iso foam”), which is currently used only for thermally insulating exterior walls and not for sound-deadening interior wall or floor-ceiling assemblies. Another example is blue closed cell sill seal foam, a non-resiliently compressional material also not normally used for sound-deadening interior wall or floor-ceiling assemblies. Of course, any material with Young's Modulus less than the Young's Modulus values of conventional wall or floor-ceiling assembly materials may be used in the present invention as sound-deadening side 109 . As described above, however, a preferred range of sound control performance results when the material has a Young's Modulus from 50 to 600 psi.
Sound-deadening side 109 preferably has a thickness of between about 0.125 to 1 inch and may be manufactured from a wide variety of materials, including, but not limited to, a cellulosic fiber material (e.g., recycled newsprint), perlite, fiber glass, EPDM rubber, or latex. Side 109 also is preferably manufactured to a density of 9 to 14 pounds per cubic foot, which is less than the density of current sound-control boards. For example, 440 Sound-A-Sote™ has a density of 26 to 28 pounds per cubic foot and Temple-Inland SoundChoice™ has a density of 15 to 20 pounds per cubic foot. The material of side 109 is therefore much lighter and less stiff than current sound-control boards, resulting in higher ease of handling and lower installation costs. Testing has shown that the installation of a sound-deadening material such as sound-deadening side 109 between the skins and studs of a wall assembly can yield STC ratings of 41 or higher. In contrast, an unimproved wall assembly, as mentioned before, has a maximum STC rating of about 36.
FIG. 2 shows another application of combination sound-deadening boards having a sound-deadening side meeting the above-described requirements (i.e., the requirements for compressional stiffness, thickness, and density). In floor-ceiling assembly 200 , a board 203 is attached in such a way that a sound-deadening side 209 is positioned between a floor skin side 211 and joists 201 . Board 213 is attached in such a way that a sound-deadening side 219 is positioned between a ceiling skin side 221 and the other sides of joists 201 . Sound-deadening side 209 and sound-deadening side 219 may both be made of the same material, or may be made of two different materials, each meeting the above-described requirements. Of course, assembly 200 may include only one of the two combination boards 203 and 213 (meaning that only one board includes attached sound-deadening material), or may include both as shown. STC ratings of approximately 50 may be achieved in such a configuration as floor-ceiling assembly 200 .
The installation of combination sound-deadening board 103 (and board 203 ) is far less complex than conventional sound control methods for wall and floor-ceiling assemblies. In fact, installers using such a board would simply cut the board to a desired size and attach it (e.g., using conventional gas or fluid-powered automatic fasteners) to a stud or joist just as they would with conventional gypsum board, keeping in mind, however, that the side of the board made of sound-deadening material must be positioned against the stud or joist. In this way, the steps of installing structural skin and sound-deadening material are combined into one step, providing an economical method of achieving a high acoustical performance in a wall or floor-ceiling assembly. In addition, the simplicity of board installation also establishes high confidence that a wall or floor-ceiling assembly installed with the board will perform as specified by a building designer. Further, the use of a combination sound-deadening board as described above may allow a builder or designer to use standard size interfacing components (e.g., door jambs) because the installation of such a board would not greatly increase the thickness of a wall or floor-ceiling assembly. Also, a combination sound-deadening board possessing the above-described characteristics may also provide some type of thermal benefit (e.g., if the sound-deadening side is made of A/P foam sheathing) and/or moisture control.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
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A sound-deadening laminate, comprising a structural skin having a first face; and a layer of sound-deadening material, wherein the material has an equivalent Young's Modulus between 50 and 600 psi and is attached to the first face of the structural skin to form a laminate structure. The sound deadening laminate may be attached to framing members of a building.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/886338, filed May 3, 2013, which claims priority to European Application No. 12166698.6, filed May 3, 2012, each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a waterproofing membrane comprising:
[0003] a preparation of a composition comprising an acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide dispersed in a solvent;
[0004] coating a reinforcement layer by application of said composition on one side of the reinforcement layer;
[0005] having the coated reinforcement layer dried; and
[0006] an application of a bituminous mass on another side of said reinforcement layer.
[0007] The present invention relates also to a composition for a waterproofing membrane.
[0008] A process for manufacturing such a waterproofing membrane is known from US2006/0110996. The coated waterproofing membrane, obtained by the known process, has the property to reflect the solar rays due to the presence of titanium dioxide and allows to avoid exudation problems of the membrane due to the presence of a coating with an acrylic polymer as binder which is less sensitive to solar rays. So the coating forms as if to say a barrier against the solar rays so that the latter heat less the bituminous mass and the building on which the membrane is placed as a roof covering.
[0009] A drawback of the known membrane is that its reflectivity decreases over time. Indeed, the colour of the coating on the membrane changes from white to yellow so that the coating on such a membrane loses its reflectivity property over the years. Consequently, in the known waterproofing membrane, the oil contained in the bituminous mass may migrate more easily to the upper side of the waterproofing membrane because the membrane heats more up due to the reflectivity decrease. This oil migration phenomenon is called exudation and it further reduces the long-term whiteness of the waterproofing membrane. Also, pollution could be provoked if the oil will not remain in the crystalline phase of the bituminous mass and mix with rain water.
SUMMARY
[0010] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide a process for manufacturing a waterproofing membrane where the reflectivity decrease is reduced, thereby providing a long-term whiteness of said membrane.
[0012] A process for manufacturing a waterproofing membrane according to the invention is characterized in that, during the preparation of the composition, the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide are dispersed in a solvent chosen in the group consisting of a solvent other than water or water wherein the acrylic polymer, the titanium dioxide and additives, in particular a thickening agent, are mixed with cristobalite.
[0013] The invention thus provides two alternatives to solve the mentioned problem.
[0014] In the first alternative, the process is characterised in that the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide are dispersed in a solvent other than water before application of the composition.
[0015] It was established through researches that the viscosity of a composition comprising an acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide and additives, in particular a thickening agent, which are dispersed in an aqueous phase before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer, is non-Newtonian. Therefore, the viscosity of said composition does not remain constant during the application of the composition itself and the change of viscosity occurs when applying the coating on the reinforcement layer.
[0016] A surprising effect has now been noted when the solvent used in the composition was other than water. With the solvent other than water, the viscosity of the composition remains Newtonian, so it does not change during the application of the composition. Consequently, the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide anchor better to the reinforcement layer. So, the process using a solvent other than water during the dispersion step provides a waterproofing membrane which keeps its reflectivity property during a longer time in comparison with known membranes. Moreover, said process does not necessarily require the use of additives, in particular a thickening agent, to keep the viscosity of the composition constant during the application of said composition and allows to obtain a satisfactory application step.
[0017] In the second alternative, the process is characterized in that the acrylic polymer, the titanium dioxide and additives, in particular a thickening agent, are mixed with cristobalite and dispersed in aqueous phase before application of the composition.
[0018] Surprisingly, the presence of cristobalite in the composition provides a waterproofing membrane which keeps its reflectivity property for a longer time in comparison with known membranes. So, the yellowing of the membrane obtained by such a process is highly reduced. The particular choice of the cristobalite in the composition contributes substantially to obtain a more homogeneous dispersion of the additives, even when the solvent is water. Moreover, the mixture of cristobalite and titanium dioxide is synergistic. The presence of cristobalite in the composition increases the reflectivity properties of the titanium dioxide. The cristobalite contributes substantially to disperse more homogeneously the titanium dioxide when applying the composition on the reinforcement layer. Consequently, the amount of titanium dioxide can even be reduced as there is a better dispersion of it in the composition. Moreover, the sedimentation of titanium dioxide is also reduced by a better dispersion of it in the composition.
[0019] In a particular embodiment of the first alternative, the process for applying the composition according to the invention is characterized in that, when the solvent is other than water, the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide are mixed with cristobalite before application of the composition. Even when the solvent is not water, the use of cristobalite allows a further reduction of the yellowing for the waterproofing membrane obtained with the process according to the invention. The mixture of cristobalite and titanium dioxide in the composition is synergistic as mentioned above.
[0020] In another preferred embodiment according to the invention, the process for applying the composition is characterized in that the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide are mixed with talc, in a solvent other than water or in an aqueous phase, before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer. Talc is a suitable additive acting as a filler, which does not adversely affect the reflective properties of titanium dioxide.
[0021] In a particularly preferred embodiment according to the invention, the process for applying the composition is characterized in that the cristobalite has been obtained by heating quartz to substantially 1500° C. before it is mixed with acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide.
[0022] The thermal treatment of quartz to substantially 1500° C. allows to form extremely white cristobalite with a thermal conductivity of 8.5 W/mK, a thermal expansion of 20-300 C, a thermal capacity of 44.18 W/Mol C, a density of 2.32 g/cm 3 and an optical refraction index of 1.48.
[0023] The invention comprises, advantageously, the process for applying the composition according to the invention, characterized in that the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide are mixed with an additive composed by a core of titanium dioxide covered by calcium carbonate before application of the composition. The use of an additive composed by a core of titanium dioxide covered by calcium carbonate allows to use less titanium dioxide. The use of said additive is less expensive than pure titanium dioxide and does not hardly affect the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer.
[0024] Moreover, in a particular embodiment, the process for applying the composition according to the invention is characterized in that acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide are mixed with calcium carbonate before application of the composition. Calcium carbonate is a suitable additive which does not adversely affect the reflective properties of titanium dioxide.
[0025] The invention relates also to a composition for a waterproofing membrane characterized in that it comprises cristobalite.
[0026] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly in the light of the following description together with the FIGUREs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0028] FIG. 1 represents a device for a one-step application;
[0029] FIG. 2 represents a device for a multi-step application;
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates the albedo in function of time of the compositions of a known coating and a coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite where the solvent is water;
[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates the yellowing in function of time of the compositions of a known coating and a coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite where the solvent is water;
[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates the albedo in function of time of the compositions of a known coating and a coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite where the solvent is other than water;
[0033] FIG. 6 illustrates the yellowing in function of time of the compositions of a known coating and a coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite where the solvent is other than water;
[0034] FIG. 7 illustrates an infrared analysis of the composition;
[0035] FIG. 8 represents a graph showing the absorbance in function of wavenumber (cm −1 ) of talc and the absorbance after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal. The graph comprises two spectra. Spectrum A corresponds to talc and spectrum B corresponds to the spectrum after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal;
[0036] FIG. 9 represents a graph showing the absorbance in function of wavenumber (cm −1 ) of the crystal, the coated reinforcement layer and after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal. The graph comprises three spectra. Spectrum A corresponds to the spectrum of the crystal, spectrum B corresponds to the spectrum of the coated reinforcement layer and spectrum C is the result after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal;
[0037] FIG. 10 represents a graph showing the absorbance in function of wavenumber (cm −1 ) of pure cristobalite and the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite where the solvent was other than water. The graph comprises two spectra. Spectrum A is the spectrum of pure cristobalite and spectrum B is the spectrum of the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite;
[0038] FIG. 11 represents a graph showing the absorbance in function of wavenumber (cm −1 ) of pure cristobalite and the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite where the solvent was water. The graph comprises two spectra. Spectrum A is the spectrum of pure cristobalite and spectrum B is the spectrum of the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite;
[0039] FIG. 12 represents the measurement method of a tint in a three dimensional model;
[0040] FIG. 13 illustrates three scales of values for the parameters “L”, “a” and “b”.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] A process for manufacturing a known waterproofing membrane comprises an application of a composition which comprises an acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide on one side of a reinforcement layer (glass and/or polyester fibre) and is detailed in US 2006/0110996. The method for applying a bituminous mass on another side of the reinforcement layer is given in WO 97/24485. For details about the acrylic polymer and the titanium dioxide, as well as for the manufacturing process, reference is made to both referred patent applications.
[0042] The process according to the prior art comprises a preparation of a composition which will be applied on the one side of the reinforcement layer. Such a composition comprises a mixture of an acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide, which is a viscous composition. The viscosity of said composition is either non-Newtonian or Newtonian and depends on the composition itself In fact, when the solvent is water, additives are needed because the viscosity of said composition is non-Newtonian. It is not required to add additives in the composition where the solvent is other than water because the viscosity of said composition is Newtonian.
[0043] The viscosity of the composition comprising an acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide, additives, in particular a thickening agent, and talc, which are dispersed in an aqueous phase before application of the composition on a reinforcement layer, is non-Newtonian. The fact that the viscosity of the composition is non-Newtonian means that the viscosity changes while applying it on the reinforcement layer. When the solvent is water, it is required to add additives, in particular a thickening agent, otherwise the composition would not enough stabilize. It has also been noted that the use of said composition leads to the formation of a waterproofing membrane whose reflectivity decreases over time. A brief description of the process according to the prior art allows to highlight some factors and will make more clear why there is a link between the reflectivity decrease and the non-Newtonian viscosity.
[0044] Generally, a process for manufacturing a waterproofing membrane requires a preparation of a composition and an application of the composition on a reinforcement layer. When the solvent is water, the composition according to the prior art comprises the mixture of an acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide, additives and talc. The compounds of said composition are more susceptible to sediment during the mixing. Additives, in particular a dispersing agent, and high shear forces are needed to make a satisfactory dispersion and application on the reinforcement layer. Researches have however demonstrated that the dispersion of the known composition is still not sufficiently homogeneous and leads to reflectivity degradation of the coated reinforcement layer. Moreover, it has been observed that an additive like talc is present at the surface of the reinforcement layer (see FIG. 8 ), which indicated that the composition is not homogeneous within the coating. Therefore, the coated reinforcement layer looses its reflectivity properties in long-term as its composition changes due to the loss of some of the constituents.
[0045] In a composition according to the first alternative of the present invention, the composition comprises an acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide which are dispersed in a solvent other than water. In the second alternative, the composition is a mixture of an acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide, additives, in particular a dispersing agent, and cristobalite which are dispersed in water.
[0046] The method of application of a composition according to the invention is either a one-step application device or a multi-step application device.
[0047] The device provided for executing a one-step application is illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises supply station for supplying a reinforcement layer ( 2 ) wound on a bobbin ( 1 ), a hopper ( 3 ) for supplying the composition, a rotatably driven carrier cylinder ( 4 ), a wiper blade ( 5 ), which is located just above the carrier cylinder and applies a pressure on it and on the coated reinforcement layer. A drying zone ( 7 ) is located after the cylinder. The reinforcement layer ( 2 ) is unrolled from the bobbin and moved towards the hopper ( 3 ), which supplies by gravity the composition to the layer ( 2 ). After supplying said composition, the reinforcement layer with the composition thereon reaches the carrier cylinder ( 4 ) and the wiper blade ( 5 ). The wiper blade will spread the composition on the reinforcement layer in order to adjust the thickness of the coating. Therefore, the layer with the applied composition is dried in the drying zone ( 7 ) in order to obtain the final coated reinforcement layer ( 6 ).
[0048] The device for the multi-step application is illustrated in FIG. 2 and distinguishes over the device provided for executing the one-step application in that it also comprises a second hopper ( 8 ), a second carrier cylinder ( 9 ), a second wiper blade ( 10 ) and a second drying zone ( 11 ), situated after the first drying zone ( 7 ). In this embodiment, the wiper blades are however no longer above the cylinders but offset and downstream from the cylinders. After drying in the drying zone ( 7 ) of the applied composition, the reinforcement layer is moved towards the second hopper ( 8 ) and the second carrier cylinder ( 9 ) in order to form an additional layer on the reinforcement layer. Then, the reinforcement layer is moved towards the second wiper blade to adjust the thickness of the layer. After drying ( 11 ) of the applied composition, the reinforcement layer is moved in the same way as described in the beginning of the description of the multi-step application. If more than two layers of composition are required, additional hoppers, cylinders, wiper blades and drying zone can be applied.
[0049] The one-step application or the multi-step application is used when the dispersion is realised either in a solvent other than water or in water. However, the multi-step application is preferably used when the dispersion is realised in a solvent other than water. When the solvent is other than water, the viscosity is Newtonian so it is not required to have the wiper blade directly located above the carrier cylinder, contrarily in an aqueous phase, because the viscosity is constant in that situation, and less shear forces is required for applying the composition.
[0050] FIG. 3 illustrates the albedo in function of time of a known coated reinforcement layer (comprising talc) and a coated reinforcement layer where an acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide, additives, in particular a thickening agent, and cristobalite are dispersed in an aqueous phase before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer. The albedo corresponds to the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer in the visible range of the solar spectrum. The reflectivity has been measured at different times (after 0 days (T=0), after 7 days (T+7) under ultra-violet rays and after 15 days (T+15) under ultra-violet rays).
[0051] The analysis of the results shows that the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite is higher in comparison with the known coated reinforcement layer after 0 days (T=0). This is due to the synergistic effect between the cristobalite and the titanium dioxide. Indeed, cristobalite allows a better dispersion of the titanium dioxide in the composition. Therefore, the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer is increased as the titanium dioxide is more uniformly spread.
[0052] FIG. 4 illustrates the yellowing in function of time of the coated reinforcement layers as mentioned above ( FIG. 3 ). The unit of the yellowing is expressed through the value of a “b” parameter defined by the method of measurement of a tint (CIELAB). The CIELAB method is a three-dimensional model of representation of colours and allows to characterize a tint according to three axis ( FIG. 12 ). The vertical axis (L) represents the brightness which varies from 0 to 100 corresponding to the black colour and to the white colour respectively. The horizontal axis (a) comprises a positive and a negative maximum values of the “a” parameter corresponding to the red colour (+127) and to the green colour (−127) respectively. The other horizontal axis (b) has a value of “b” which can be also positive or negative. The most negative value of the “b” parameter represents the blue colour (−127) and the most positive value of the “b” parameter (+127) corresponds to the yellow colour. FIG. 13 represents three scales of values for each parameter of the measurement method of a tint (0≦L≦100, −127≦“a”≦+127 and −127≦“b”≦+127).
[0053] In the known coated reinforcement layer of FIG. 4 , the yellowing increases over time. It is noted that the yellowing is reduced in the composition comprising cristobalite. So, the presence of cristobalite in the composition has two effects. Firstly, it allows the increase of the reflectivity properties of the titanium dioxide by a better dispersion in the composition. Secondly, it provides a coated reinforcement layer whose reflectivity remains more stable over the years.
[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates the albedo in function of time of a known coated reinforcement layer (comprising talc) and a coated reinforcement layer where an acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide and cristobalite are dispersed in a solvent other than water before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer.
[0055] It is noted that the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite remains stable over time in comparison with the known coating. This is also due to the synergistic effect between cristobalite and titanium dioxide.
[0056] FIG. 6 illustrates the yellowing of the coated reinforcement layers as described above ( FIG. 5 ) over time. It is noted that the yellowing is highly reduced in the coating comprising cristobalite where the solvent used is other than water.
[0057] The use of cristobalite in the composition thus allows to obtain a more homogeneous dispersion and a stability of the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer.
[0058] The solvent and the compounds in the composition are the elements which are determinant in obtaining a stable dispersion, leading to a waterproofing membrane whose reflectivity decrease over time is reduced.
[0059] In the first alternative of the present invention, the use of a solvent other than water, allows to keep a Newtonian viscosity in the composition. The fact that the viscosity remains Newtonian and thus stable allows that the shear forces described above do not constitute a limiting factor in the obtaining of a homogeneous dispersion.
[0060] In the second alternative of the present invention where the solvent is water, it has been noted that the addition of cristobalite in the composition comprising acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide and additives, in particular a thickening agent, leads to the formation of a homogeneous dispersion. Additives, in particular a thickening agent, have to be used in this embodiment because the process is realised in an aqueous phase which enables spreading and avoiding passing through the structure of the reinforcement layer while applying it. This surprising embodiment, where cristobalite is present in the composition, allows the manufacturing of a waterproofing membrane where its reflectivity decrease is reduced, even if the solvent is water.
[0061] The following tables illustrate some examples of compositions in order to manufacture a waterproofing membrane where its reflectivity remains longer over time in comparison with a known membrane.
[0062] The examples 1 to 4 illustrates compositions where the solvent is other than water and the example 5 illustrates a composition where the solvent is water (aqueous phase).
[0063] Table 1 illustrates a first example of composition according to the invention. The composition comprises an acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide which are dispersed in a solvent other than water before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer.
[0064] In each of the following tables, the first column of each table comprises the compounds of the composition. The second column gives an example of the composition according to the invention and the third column comprises ranges in weight percentage for each compound in the composition according to the invention.
[0065] The solvent used in the following examples is for example dimethylformamid, methyl ethyl ketone or toluene.
[0066] Table 1 illustrates the composition of the coated reinforcement layer without cristobalite in a solvent other than water.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Compounds of the
% in
Range (% in
composition
wet weight
wet weight)
Acrylic polymer dispersed
33
20-75
in solvent (40% solid)
TiO 2
5
0-20
Calcium carbonate
35
20-50
core of titanium dioxide
14
0-20
covered by calcium
carbonate
Solvent
9
0-20
Biocide
2
0.5-4
Optical brightener
2
0-5
[0067] It is also possible to have the composition according to table 1 without the presence of the core of titanium dioxide covered by calcium carbonate. In that case, the composition will comprise more titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate in the preferred embodiment.
[0068] Table 2 illustrates a second example of a composition according to the invention where cristobalite is mixed with acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer. The dispersion step is realised in a solvent other than water.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Compounds of the
% in
Range (% in
composition
wet weight
wet weight)
Acrylic dispersed in solvent
33
20-75
(40% solid)
TiO 2
5
0-20
Calcium carbonate
35
20-50
Cristobalite
14
0-20
Solvent
9
0-20
Biocide
2
0.5-4
Optical brightener
2
0-5
[0069] Cristobalite is white and has reflective property with an optical refraction index of 1.48. Cristobalite is obtained by heating quartz to substantially 1500° C. and is preferably catalyzed by the addition of a sodium based flux additive. Cristobalite has a thermal conductivity of 8.5 W/mK, a thermal expansion of 20-300 C, a thermal capacity of 44.18 W/Mol C and a density of 2.32 g/cm 3 .
[0070] The mixture of cristobalite and titanium dioxide is synergistic and allows to use a reduced amount of titanium dioxide in the composition because cristobalite contributes to disperse more effectively the titanium dioxide in the obtained composition. Moreover, it has been noted that this embodiment allows to increase the reflectivity of the coated reinforcement layer, by the synergistic effect mentioned above. At the same time, it allows to reduce considerably the yellowing of said coated reinforcement layer in comparison with known coatings.
[0071] The percentage in wet weight of cristobalite in the composition is between 0-20%, 5-15% or in a preferential embodiment 14%.
[0072] Table 3 illustrates a third example of a composition according to the present invention where talc is mixed with acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer. The dispersion step is realised in a solvent other than water.
[0000]
TABLE 3
Compounds of the
% in
Range (% in
composition
wet weight
wet weight)
Acrylic dispersed in solvent
33
20-75
(40% solid)
TiO 2
5
0-20
Calcium carbonate
35
20-50
Talc
14
0-20
Solvent
9
0-20
Biocide
2
0.5-4
Optical brightener
2
0-5
[0073] The percentage in wet weight of talc in the composition is between 0-20%, 5-15% or in a preferential embodiment 14%.
[0074] Table 4 illustrates a fourth example of a composition according to the invention where acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide are mixed with talc and cristobalite and dispersed in a solvent other than water before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer.
[0000]
TABLE 4
Compounds of the
% in
Range (% in
composition
wet weight
wet weight)
Acrylic dispersed in solvent
33
20-75
(40% solid)
TiO 2
5
0-20
Calcium carbonate
35
20-50
Talc and cristobalite
14
0-20
Solvent
9
0-20
Biocide
2
0.5-4
Optical brightener
2
0-5
[0075] The percentage in wet weight of cristobalite and talc in the composition is between 0-20%, 5-15% or in a preferential embodiment 14%.
[0076] Table 5 is a fifth example of a composition of a coating according to the invention where acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide are mixed with cristobalite and dispersed in an aqueous phase before application of the composition on the reinforcement layer.
[0000]
TABLE 5
Compounds of the
% in
Range (% in
compsoition
wet weight
wet weight)
Acrylic (emulsion in water
30
20-75
50% solid)
H2O
8.80
2-20
Dispersing agent
0.50
0.3-0.8
Anti-foaming agent
0.50
0.3.0.8
Biocide
1
0.5-4
TiO 2
5.00
0-20
TiO 2 covered by CaCO3
5.00
0-20
Cristobalite
7.00
0-20
Calcium carbonate
42.00
0-50
Thickener
0.20
0.1-0.5
[0077] The composition of table 5 where the dispersion step is realised in an aqueous phase requires the use of additives like a dispersing agent, an anti-foaming agent and a thickener. These additives are not necessarily needed when the dispersion step is realised in a solvent other than water. In a solvent other than water, the composition is less sensitive to sedimentation of the additives. When the solvent is water, it is preferred to use a dispersing agent, an anti-foaming agent and a thickener to avoid that the shear forces becomes a limiting factor during the dispersion step. Moreover, the addition of cristobalite in the composition allows to form a waterproofing membrane where its reflectivity decrease is reduced because cristobalite is homogeneously dispersed in the composition.
[0078] The percentage in wet weight of cristobalite in the composition is between 0-20%, 5-15% or in a preferential embodiment 14%.
[0079] It is also possible to add talc in the composition described in table 5.
[0080] Some infrared analyses were realised in order to show the difference between a known coated reinforcement layer and a coated reinforcement layer obtained by the present invention.
[0081] The test method of an infrared analysis ( FIG. 7 ) consists in pressing a coated reinforcement layer (a sample) on a crystal like zinc selenide (ZnSe) with a refraction index of around 2.4. The infrared beam ( 1 ) for example produced by a laser (not shown) penetrates into and travels through the crystal ( 2 ) and it is reflected on the crystal-sample interface and inside the crystal ( FIG. 7 ). At each reflection on the crystal-sample interface, beam penetrates a short distance (evanescent wave) in the sample ( 3 ) which causes absorptions by the coating present on the sample. In another words, this internal reflectance, located on the crystal-sample interface, creates an evanescent wave that extends beyond the surface of the crystal into the sample held in contact with the crystal. So, for each reflection the sample absorbs the evanescent wave which has been created. In regions of the infrared spectrum where the sample absorbs energy, the evanescent wave will be attenuated or altered. The alternated energy from each evanescent wave is passed back to the infrared beam, which then exits the opposite end of the crystal and is passed to a detector in an infrared spectrometer. The results are obtained through infrared spectrum. So, in the framework of the present invention, the infrared method is used to analyse a coated reinforcement layer.
[0082] The infrared analysis was carried out with a Horizontal Attenuated Total Reflexion (HATR), with a resolution of 4 cm −1 , 128 scans per spectra and 3 spectra per sample (FT-IR Spectroscopy, Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR), 2005, technical note available on the following website: http://shop.perkinelmer.com/content/technicalinfo/tch_ftiratr.pdf)
[0083] Infrared analyses were realised for a known coated reinforcement layer comprising talc in order to analyse its surface.
[0084] Firstly, a coated reinforcement layer is placed on a crystal of zinc selenide (ZnSe) and pressed on the latter. Secondly, after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal, the infrared analysis is realised for the crystal without the presence of the coated reinforcement layer. The infrared analysis revealed traces of talc on the crystal. Consequently, it means that the coated reinforcement layer comprised talc at its surface. The loss of talc on the reinforcement layer leads to the reduction of the reflectivity of said coated reinforcement layer in long-term.
[0085] FIG. 8 illustrates two spectra (absorbance in function of wavenumber (cm −1 )) in the case of a known membrane as mentioned above.
[0086] Infrared spectrum B corresponds to the characteristics absorption peaks of talc and the infrared spectrum A is the result after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal. The comparison of both spectra allows to note that traces of talc are present on the crystal because spectrum B comprises some of the characteristics absorption peaks of talc (spectrum A). Therefore, the presence of these characteristics absorption peaks allows to conclude that talc was present on the surface of the crystal which could only come from the coating on the reinforcement layer. This is because, in a known coated reinforcement layer, talc was not impregnated sufficiently in the layer as described here before. Consequently, talc is present on the surface of the coated reinforcement layer because it does not adhere sufficiently in the obtained composition. The presence of talc on the surface of the known coated reinforcement layer is responsible of the reflectivity decrease of the waterproofing membrane.
[0087] Infrared analyses ( FIG. 9 ) were realised for the composition described in table 3 in order to analyse the coated reinforcement layer obtained by the process using a solvent other than water.
[0088] FIG. 9 illustrates three spectra. Infrared spectrum A corresponds to the spectrum of the crystal. Infrared spectrum B corresponds to the spectrum of the coated reinforcement layer. Infrared spectrum C corresponds to the result after removing of the coated reinforcement layer from the crystal.
[0089] On the basis of the comparison of spectrum C with A and B, it is noted that nearly no traces of talc are present on the surface of the coated reinforcement layer. Indeed, the characteristics absorption peaks of talc are nearly not present in spectrum C, but the latter looks more like spectrum A which corresponds to the crystal alone so without the presence of the coated reinforcement layer.
[0090] To conclude, these results tend to show that talc becomes impregnated sufficiently in the composition when the solvent is other than water in comparison to a known coated reinforcement layer when the dispersion step is realised in an aqueous phase.
[0091] Infrared analyses ( FIG. 10 ) were realised for the coated reinforcement layer where cristobalite is dispersed in a solvent other than water with the composition of table 2. Spectrum A of FIG. 10 represents the spectrum of pure cristobalite and spectrum B corresponds to the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite. These results show that all the characteristics absorption peaks (spectrum A) of cristobalite are not present in spectrum B. That means that cristobalite remains in the coated reinforcement layer and not on the surface of the latter. However, it is noted from the comparison between spectrum A and B that some of the characteristics absorption peaks of cristobalite are present in spectrum B but these absorption peaks are weak in comparison to those in spectrum A. This is due to the manner to realise the measurement. In fact, during the infrared measurement, the coated reinforcement layer was present on the crystal so it is possible that the infrared rays penetrates into the coating in such a way that cristobalite contained in it absorbed an amount of the infrared rays. This is why all the characteristics absorption peaks of cristobalite are not present in spectrum B and in the same intensity as spectrum A. These analyses allow to conclude that cristobalite is not present on the coated reinforcement layer.
[0092] Infrared analyses were realised ( FIG. 11 ) in order to analyse a coated reinforcement layer obtained with the composition of table 5 where the dispersion is realised in an aqueous phase.
[0093] Spectrum A of FIG. 11 represents the spectrum of pure cristobalite and spectrum B corresponds to the coated reinforcement layer comprising cristobalite. These results show that all the characteristics absorption peaks (spectrum A) of cristobalite are not present in spectrum B. That means that cristobalite remains in the coated reinforcement layer and not on the surface of the latter. However, it is noted from the comparison between spectrum A and B that some of the characteristics absorption peaks of cristobalite are present as it was the case in the analysis of the results illustrated in FIG. 10 . So, the fact that the coated reinforcement layer was present on the crystal during the measurement involves the absorption of the infrared rays by the cristobalite which is present in the coated reinforcement layer. Consequently, the absorption peaks of low intensity noted in the spectrum b are due to the absorption of a small amount of infrared rays by cristobalite. These analyses allow to conclude that cristobalite is not present on the coated reinforcement layer.
[0094] While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a waterproofing membrane comprising:
a preparation of a composition dispersed in a solvent; coating a reinforcement layer by application of said composition on one side of the reinforcement layer; an evaporation of said solvent; having the coated reinforcement layer dried; and an application of a bituminous mass on another side of said reinforcement layer, characterized in that, during the preparation of the composition, the composition is dispersed in a solvent chosen in the group consisting of a solvent other than water or water.
The present invention relates also to a composition for a waterproofing membrane.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for driving sheet pile planks and the like into the ground.
With the prior art methods and apparatuses it has been possible to drive sheet pile planks and the like only into cohesive and loosely or half-tightly packed, fine-grained soil, such as clay and silt (water-containing, fine-grained soil). Depending on the type of soil, the amount of energy required varies.
It is, however, practically impossible to drive sheet pile planks and the like into tightly packed noncohesive soil, such as sand or gravel, even if great amounts of energy are expended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process and an apparatus which make it possible to drive sheet pile planks and the like even into difficult soil, or, under normal soil conditions to operate with substantially reduced energy and time input.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, a cavity is made, for example by drilling, in the vicinity of the location where the sheet pile plank is to be driven in. The cavity is designed to be of sufficient size to accommodate at least in part, the soil displaced during the pile driving operation.
In case of a soil type into which sheet pile planks could be driven by prior art methods and apparatuses, the heretofore required force may be reduced to one tenth of its value by practicing the invention. Furthermore, by virtue of the invention, the driving of planks into tightly packed noncohesive soil has now become possible.
The apparatus for practicing the above-outlined method comprises a transverse head which accommodates and supports the sheet pile driving mechanism as well as the cavity making (hole drilling) mechanism which is situated adjacent the sheet pile (or plank) driving mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevational view of the same embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same embodiment from line I--I of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational sectional view of some components of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a schematic front elevational view of another embodiment which is connected to a sheetpiling.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the same embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the same embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional side elevational view taken along line II--II of FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional side elevational view taken along line III--III of FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD
To facilitate or make possible the driving of sheet pile planks into the ground, adjacent the location where the planks are driven in, at least one hole is being bored to thus provide a cavity which may take up at least part of the soil as it is displaced by the progressively penetrating plank driven into the ground. The hole drilling operation is effected not later than during the driving of the adjacent planks.
According to an inventive modification of the method of the present invention, the drilling and pile driving are effected alternatingly in stages; the drilling process is adapted to the driving process depending on the type of soil involved and/or depending on the level of groundwater.
Under certain circumstances it may be advantageous to drive and drill simultaneously.
According to a further advantageous and inventive feature of the method, the volume of the hole drilled approximately corresponds to that of the material displaced during the plank driving process. Under certain circumstances it may be particularly advantageous if the drilled hole has a cross section which is approximately equal to that of the plank to be driven in.
It is furthermore advantageous to drill the hole to a depth which corresponds to that to which the plank is driven.
According to an advantageous and inventive variation of the above-described process, the drilling is effected in connection with driving one or a plurality of sheet pile planks or the like only when the peak pressures and the jacket friction at the lateral surface of the planks or the like exceed the drive-in pressure.
According to a further advantageous feature of the above-described method, the planks or the like are driven in by means of static pressures. In this manner the planks or the like can be driven in almost without noise and vibration.
In case of particularly difficult soil conditions, it may be advantageous to drive the planks with pulsating pressure, or to selectively exert static or pulsating pressures on the planks.
Under certain circumstances it may be particularly advantageous to superimpose pulsating pressures over the static pressures during driving in of the planks or the like.
According to a further inventive feature of the above-described method, the walls of the holes are reinforced in such a manner that collapse of the hole upon retraction of the drilling device is prevented and the walls of the hole will yield to the pressure of the soil during the plank driving process. It has been found to be particularly advantageous to fill the drilled hole with a supporting fluid. This prevents that loose soil, such as sand, fills up the bore hole once the drill has been retracted and before the plank or the like has been driven in adjacent the drilled hole. Bentonite enriched with water has been found to be particularly well suited as a supporting fluid.
Upon completion of the plank driving process it is advantageous to fill the bore hole in order to obtain sufficient stability of the sheet pile in the soil. For this reason it is particularly advantageous to employ a hardening material with a delayed setting time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning now to FIGS. 1,2,3 and 4, the apparatus shown therein comprises a transverse head or substantially horizontally supported head beam 1, pressing devices 2 and drilling devices 3, as well as a framework 4. The transverse head 1 is fastened to the framework 4 with chains 5 or the like. The framework 4 has a bottom plate 6 with vessels 7 which can be filled to provide added weight, and supporting rods 8 to align sheet piles or planks 9 which form a sheetpiling.
The pressing devices 2 which are four in number in the illustrated case, can each be fastened to the head of a sheet pile 9 by means of a clamping element 10.
The clamping elements 10 themselves are each connected to a piston rod 11 of a hydraulic piston 12 (FIG. 4) which can be charged from both sides. Between each two pistons 12 a drilling device 3 is provided which can be raised and lowered within limits. The axial displaceability of the drilling device 3 approximately corresponds to the stroke of piston 12.
It is expedient to provide each drilling device 3 with a hollow drill, hollow drill rods and a water swivel.
In order to keep the sheet piles perpendicular at least at the beginning of the driving process, it is known to suspend the transverse head 1 together with the connected sheet piles 9 or the like from a crane. The bore hole is located at a distance of 10 to 20 centimeters, averaging 15 centimeters, from the sheet piles. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of the bore hole to that of a sheet pile or plank is about 2 to 7, if the soil type is convenient. If the sheet piles are profiled like a Z, they are compounded two by two as the drawings show to a groove profile, the cross section of which has a total area of about 280 square centimeters, each sheet pile having a cross-sectional area of about 140 square centimeters. Amidst the two sheet piles building a groove the bore hole is placed with a cross section of about 80 square centimeters. In case of difficult soil conditions it may be necessary to set a bore hole of about 310 square centimeters for driving in the same sheet piles.
Turning now to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5,6,7,8 and 9, the apparatus includes a transverse head 101, four hydraulic pressing devices 102 and two drilling devices 103 as well as a framework 104. The transverse head 101 is fastened to four sheet piles or planks 109 via the piston rods of the pressing devices. The framework 104 includes a bottom frame 106 with vessels 107 disposed thereon which can be filled, for example with sand, in order to provide added weight, and two pairs of supporting beams 108 and 108' to align the sheet piles.
The piston rod of each pressing device 102 is releasably fastened to the head of a sheet pile 109 by means of a clamping element 110.
Between every two pressing devices 102 there is disposed a drilling device 103 which may be raised and lowered within limits. The axial displaceability of the drilling devices 103 approximately corresponds to the stroke of the hydraulic pressing devices 102 which include power cylinders.
The supporting beam pairs 108 and 108' extend on both sides beyond the sheet piles 109, which are connected with the transverse head 101 via the piston rods of the pressing devices 102, into the region of a plurality of already driven-in sheet piles 113 and into the region of four sheet piles 114 still to be driven in. Stated differently, the beam pairs 108 and 108' extend below the transverse head 101, along and beyond its length dimension, wherein the length dimension is measured parallel to the sheetpiling formed of the sheet piles or planks 109, 113 and 114.
The pair of the supporting beams 108 is fastened to columns 115 which extend from the bottom frame 106 of framework 104, while the pair of supporting beams 108' is clamped, by means of at least two length-adjustable bolts 116 which are fastened to the end pieces of the pair of supporting beams, to the piles 109, 113, 114. The latter are disposed between the pairs of supporting beams 108, 108'. The horizontal spacing between the two beam pairs corresponds to at least the overall thickness of the sheet piles. With this arrangement it is possible to drive sheet piles into the ground at a preselected inclination with respect to the vertical in a more dependable manner than it has been heretofore possible.
The two types of couplings illustrated in detail in FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively, both have a form-retaining base plate 119 which, with an integral tongue 120, projects in a form-locking manner into the intermediate space between the pair of supporting beams 108'. Moreover, the base plate 119 is releasably fastened to the pair of supporting beams 108' by means of a bolt 121 which passes through the intermediate space, a butt strap 122 and a nut 123.
Turning now to the coupling 117 shown in FIG. 9, a pair of supporting arms 124 (only one shown) is articulated to the base plate 119 of coupling 117 and is pivotable about an axis 125 which is at a right angle to the driving direction of the sheet piles. The pair of supporting arms 124 is directed obliquely downwardly and is supported in a force-transmitting manner at the sheet pile 109 under the force of a helical tension spring 126 so that the coupling is automatically released when the sheet pile is driven in, but is automatically closed at the latest when pulling forces exerted on the sheet pile are greater then the driving forces. The spring 126 is fastened with its one end to the pair of supporting arms 124 while its other end which is provided with a handle 127, is releasably attached to a hook 128 extending from the base plate 119 in order to provide an easy release of the coupling from framework 104.
Turning now to the coupling 118 illustrated in FIG. 8, two pairs of supporting arms 129 and 130 (only one arm of each pair is shown) of identical length are articulated to the base plate 119 of coupling 118 and are pivotable about an axis 125. The pair of supporting arms 129 is oriented obliquely upwardly and the pair of supporting arms 130 is oriented obliquely downwardly.
To each pair of supporting arms there is articulated a threaded nut 132 which is pivotable about an axis 131. Both nuts 132 are threaded on a spindle 133 which has a right-handed thread 134 over half of its length and a left-handed thread 135 over the other half of its length. The two nuts 132 are held on different halves of the spindle.
The threaded nuts 132 have internal threads which correspond to these thread zones. A key seat 136 is shaped to the upper end portion of the spindle 133.
By rotating the spindle 133, the free end parts of the suppporting arms 129 and 130 can be clamped to a sheet pile 113 in a force transmitting manner so that the closed coupling 118 securely connects either a sheet pile 113 or 114 with the framework 104 in the pressing as well as pulling direction. By rotating the spindle 133 in the opposite direction, the coupling is released.
It is thus seen that advantageously, at those portions of the framework which is below the transverse head, couplings of the type shown in FIG. 9 (that is, couplings 117) are used, whereas at those portions of the framework which extend beyond the length dimension of the transverse head 101, couplings of the type shown in FIG. 8 (that is, couplings 118) are utilized. This may be well observed in FIG. 5.
For driving in the four sheet piles 109, the procedure is as follows: First the two center piles are pressed into the ground to a depth of about 50 cm. The outer sheet piles 109 serve as the holding members and the reaction forces exerted by the pressing devices 102 are transmitted to the framework 104 and the sheet piles 113, 114 coupled thereto. Then the outer piles 109 are pressed into the ground and the center piles 109 transfer the reaction forces to framework 104 and the piles 113, 114 coupled thereto. This operation is performed alternately until the selected depth for the piles has been reached.
At the beginning of the erection of the sheetpiling it is also possible, in order to realize high abutment forces, to provide, at both sides of the piles 109 connected to the piston rods of the pressing devices 102, only piles 114 which are to be driven in and to couple them with the framework 104.
Thus, in the apparatus described in connection with FIGS. 5-9, the reaction forces which are produced by the pressing devices during driving in of the sheet piles or the like and which act on the transverse head can be transferred to the framework when the weight of the cross head and of the pressing devices is not sufficient to compensate for these reaction forces.
The feature that the framework 104 (more particularly, the support beam pairs 108, 108') extends beyond the length dimension of the transverse head 101 and is thus clampingly connectable to the already driven-in sheet piles 113 and to the sheet piles 114 still to be driven in, has the advantage that much greater driving forces may be applied by the pressing devices than it has been previously possible. With this measure, the reaction forces occurring during the step-wise driving of one or a plurality of sheet piles directly connected to the transverse head 101 when the couplings associated with these sheet piles are released while all other couplings, i.e. the couplings associated with the sheet piles supported by the framework, remain closed, are absorbed by the gravity effect of the framework and also by the gravity effect of the piles not directly connected with the transverse head, i.e. the piles still to be driven in, and possibly also of the piles which are already driven in. This produces far higher abutment forces than previously possible so that much higher pressure forces can be exerted by the pressing devices 102.
Moreover, the anchor means, such as chains 5 used in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 which connect the transverse head with the framework may be omitted from the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 5-9. After driving in the sheet piles 109 as deep as desired, the transverse head 101 will be taken above the sheet piles 114 by a crane. Then the sheet piles 114 will be connected with the pressing devices 102.
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.
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In order to facilitate or make possible the driving of sheet pile planks and the like into the ground, adjacent the location where the sheet pile planks are to be driven in, there is provided a cavity in the ground for at least partially receiving the soil as it is displaced during the pile driving operation. The cavity is provided not later than during the driving-in of the sheet pile planks.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of the filing date of International Application No. PCT/US2013/039951, filed May 7, 2013.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates, in general, to equipment utilized in conjunction with operations performed in relation to subterranean wells and, in particular, to the use of an intrawell fluid injection system to inject fluid from a production zone into a discharge zone without surfacing the fluid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Without limiting the scope of the present invention, its background is described with reference to producing water from a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation, as an example.
[0004] Most hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formations produce a mixture of oil and/or gas together with water, usually in the form of brine which may contain large amounts of dissolved minerals or precipitates such as salts. In fact, in some wells, water and other byproducts can be the majority of the total production yield, particularly during the later stages of production. Typically, once formation fluids are produced to the surface, the produced mixture undergoes a separation process where the hydrocarbon fluids are separated from the remaining components of the mixture and subsequently delivered to a refinery for treatment. In the separation process, the water and remaining components are usually removed from the hydrocarbon fluids using one or more single phase or multi-phase separation devices. Generally, these devices operate to agglomerate and coalesce the produced hydrocarbon fluids, thereby separating them from the water and other components of the produced mixture.
[0005] In certain operations, once the water is processed, it may be discharged into a body of water such as a surrounding ocean, in the case of offshore production. Before the water can be discharged into the ocean or any other body of water, however, it must first be rigorously tested to make sure that it does not contain any oil or other impurities that could damage the surrounding sea life. In addition, as environmental regulations increasingly become more stringent with respect to the disposal of produced water, it is crucial to obtain accurate and timely analysis of the separated fluids to avoid undesirable fines and/or fees.
[0006] One method to avoid disposal of produced water into the ocean or other body of water, is to inject the separated water and other components back into the ground. For example, the separated water produced from one well may be injected into a neighboring well. This process not only replaces a portion of the liquid removed from the reservoir, but also simultaneously serves to maintain required formation pressures for efficient production rates. It has been found, however, that the reinjection of the produced water into a neighboring well still requires surface processing and testing of the produced water. In addition, reinjection of the produced water into a neighboring well requires additional surface facilities including pumping and control systems as well as the drilling of a dedicated injection well, in some cases.
[0007] Therefore, a need has arisen for an improved system and method for disposal of water produced from a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation. A need has also arisen for such an improved system and method that does not involve the disposal of produced water into a body of water. Further, a need has arisen for such an improved system and method that does not require surface processing and reinjection of the produced water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention disclosed herein is directed to an intrawell fluid injection system and method for disposal of water produced from a subterranean formation. The intrawell fluid injection system and method of the present invention does not involve the disposal of produced water into a body of water. In addition, the intrawell fluid injection system and method of the present invention does not require surface processing and reinjection of the produced water.
[0009] In one aspect, the present invention is directed to an intrawell fluid injection system that is operably positionable in a well having a production zone that is in fluid isolation from a discharge zone. The system includes an electric motor, a fluid pump operably associated with the electric motor and a bypass assembly in downstream fluid communication with the fluid pump. The fluid pump has a fluid intake that is operably positionable in fluid communication with the production zone. The bypass assembly has a fluid discharge that is operably positionable in fluid communication with the discharge zone.
[0010] In one embodiment, at least one check valve assembly may be positioned in a fluid flow path between the intake and the discharge. In this embodiment, the check valve assembly may be operable to allow fluid flow from the fluid intake to the fluid discharge and operable to prevent fluid flow from the fluid discharge to the fluid intake. In certain embodiments, a sensor assembly may be operably positioned relative to the fluid flow path to measure a fluid flowrate therethrough. In some embodiments, axial fluid flow in the bypass assembly may be in a direction opposite of axial fluid flow in the fluid pump. In one embodiment, a gas separator may be operable to separate a gas fraction from the formation fluids of the production zone upstream of the bypass assembly. In another embodiment, a sample line in fluid communication with the bypass assembly may be used to supply fluid from the bypass assembly to a surface of the well for sampling.
[0011] In one embodiment, the bypass assembly may include an upper manifold operably positionable uphole of the electric motor and the fluid pump, a lower manifold operably positionable downhole of the electric motor and the fluid pump, and a plurality of bypass tubes extending between the upper and lower manifolds. In this embodiment, the bypass tubes may be circumferentially distributed around the bypass assembly. Also, in this embodiment, the bypass assembly may include a discharge tubing in downstream fluid communication with the lower manifold. This discharge tubing may include the fluid discharge. In addition, a seal assembly may be operably positioned between the discharge tubing and the well to provide isolation between the production zone and the discharge zone.
[0012] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an intrawell fluid injection system that is operably positionable in a well having a production zone that is in fluid isolation from a discharge zone. The system includes an electric submersible pump assembly having an electric motor and a fluid pump that is operably associated with the electric motor. The fluid pump has a fluid intake operably positionable in fluid communication with the production zone. The fluid pump is operable to pump formation fluid from the production zone in a first axial direction. The system also includes a bypass assembly that is in downstream fluid communication with the electric submersible pump assembly. The bypass assembly is operable to transport formation fluid from the electric submersible pump assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction. The bypass assembly has a fluid discharge operably positionable in fluid communication with the discharge zone.
[0013] In a further aspect, the present invention is directed to an intrawell fluid injection method. The method includes providing an intrawell fluid injection system including an electric motor, a fluid pump and a bypass assembly; disposing the intrawell fluid injection system in a well having a production zone that is in fluid isolation from a discharge zone such that the fluid pump is in fluid communication with the production zone and the bypass assembly is in fluid communication with the discharge zone; operating the electric motor; pumping formation fluid from the production zone in a first axial direction with the fluid pump; receiving the formation fluid from the fluid pump in the bypass assembly; transporting the formation fluid in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction in the bypass assembly; and discharging the formation fluid from the bypass assembly into the discharge zone.
[0014] The method may also include preventing reverse flow through the intrawell fluid injection system with at least one check valve; measuring a fluid flowrate through the intrawell fluid injection system with a sensor assembly; and/or separating a gas fraction from the formation fluids upstream of the bypass assembly with a gas separator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an intrawell fluid injection system positioned in a wellbore according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an intrawell fluid injection system positioned in a wellbore according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary intrawell fluid injection system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary intrawell fluid injection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the present invention.
[0021] Referring initially to FIG. 1 , an intrawell fluid injection system positioned in a well is schematically illustrated and generally designated 10 . A wellbore 12 extends through the various earth strata including formation 14 and formation 16 . A casing 18 is secured within wellbore 12 . A tubing string 20 is disposed within wellbore 12 . Tubing string 20 includes various tools for controlling fluid flow in wellbore 12 such as intrawell fluid injection system 22 . In the illustrated embodiment, intrawell fluid injection system 22 includes a fluid intake subassembly 24 , a fluid pump 26 , a check valve assembly 28 , a sensor subassembly 30 and a bypass assembly 32 . Bypass assembly 32 includes an upper manifold 34 , a plurality of bypass tubes 36 , a lower manifold 38 , a discharge tubing 40 and a fluid discharge subassembly 42 . Preferably, fluid intake subassembly 24 and fluid pump 26 are part of an electric submersible pump assembly 44 that also includes, in the illustrated embodiment, an electric motor 46 . Power, control signals and data may be sent between various components of electric submersible pump assembly 44 and a surface control system 48 via a cable assembly 50 .
[0022] As illustrated, fluid intake subassembly 24 is in fluid communication with a production zone 52 associated with formation 14 . Likewise, fluid discharge subassembly 42 is in fluid communication with a discharge zone 54 associated with formation 16 . A seal assembly 56 is positioned between discharge tubing 40 and casing 18 in a location between production zone 52 and discharge zone 54 to provide isolation between production zone 52 and discharge zone 54 . An optional seal assembly 58 is positioned between discharge tubing 40 and casing 18 downhole of discharge zone 54 . In the illustrated embodiment, tubing string 20 provides support for intrawell fluid injection system 22 but does not provide a conduit for the transportation of fluids. Fluid samples, however, may be obtained at the surface via a sample line 60 that extends from upper manifold 34 to wellhead 62 . Even though intrawell fluid injection system 22 has been described and depicted as having a particular array of components, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other arrangements of components having a greater or lesser degree of functionality could alternatively be used without departing from the principles of the present invention.
[0023] When it is desired to inject fluid from formation 14 into formation 16 , for example in a water flood operation, intrawell fluid injection system 22 of the present invention may be used. Operation of intrawell fluid injection system 22 is commenced responsive to power and control provided by surface control system 48 via a cable assembly 50 . Specifically, power is supplied to electric motor 46 that is operable to turn the rotor and impeller elements in fluid pump 26 . Operation of fluid pump 26 causes fluid from formation 14 , represented by arrows 64 to enter fluid intake subassembly 24 . The production fluid is then pumped in the uphole direction, as represented by arrows 66 , by fluid pump 26 . Check valve assembly 28 allows the production fluid to travel in the uphole direction upon exit from fluid pump 26 but prevents return flow therethrough. One or more sensors in sensor subassembly 30 may monitor various parameters of the production fluid such as pressure, temperature, pH, chemical composition, impurity content, viscosity, density, ionic strength, total dissolved solids, salt content, opacity, bacteria content, combinations thereof and the like as well as the flow rate of the production fluid such that the volume of production fluid injected by intrawell fluid injection system 22 may be determined. Even though check valve assembly 28 and sensor subassembly 30 have been depicted and described as being located between fluid pump 26 and upper manifold 34 , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that check valve assembly 28 , including multiple check valves, and sensor subassembly 30 could alternatively be located at any point along the flow path between fluid intake subassembly 24 and fluid discharge subassembly 42 .
[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, after passing through sensor subassembly 30 , the formation fluid enters upper manifold 34 that may include various fluid paths and/or valving arrangements for redirecting the formation fluid toward bypass tubes 36 , as represented by arrows 68 . The formation fluid then travels in the downhole direction, as represented by arrows 70 , through bypass tubes 36 . After passing through bypass tubes 36 , the formation fluid enters lower manifold 38 that may include various fluid paths and/or valving arrangements for redirecting the formation fluid toward discharge tubing 40 , as represented by arrows 72 . The formation fluid, as represented by arrows 74 , then travels in the downhole direction in discharge tubing 40 . The formation fluid is discharged into discharge zone 54 , as represented by arrows 76 , and is injected into formation 16 , as represented by arrows 78 . In this manner, fluid from formation 14 can be injected into formation 16 using intrawell fluid injection system 22 of the present invention. It should be noted that intrawell fluid injection system 22 may be used to inject fluid from formation 14 into formation 16 even if the natural pressure in formation 14 is not sufficient the achieve this injection as fluid pump 26 provides the required pressure boost to enable such injection.
[0025] Advantageously, use of intrawell fluid injection system 22 of the present invention avoids the need to surface the production fluid, thereby avoiding the associated requirement of surface processing and testing of the produced fluid prior to disposal thereof. In addition, use of intrawell fluid injection system 22 of the present invention avoids the need for additional surface facilities required for reinjection operations as well as the need to drill dedicated injection wells. Further, use of intrawell fluid injection system 22 of the present invention prevents oxygen from entering the fluid stream thereby minimizing bacteria and scale formation.
[0026] Even though FIG. 1 depicts the present invention in a vertical wellbore, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is equally well suited for use in wellbores having other directional configurations including horizontal wellbores, deviated wellbores, slanted wells, lateral wells and the like. Accordingly, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of directional terms such as above, below, upper, lower, upward, downward, uphole, downhole and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward direction being toward the top of the corresponding figure and the downward direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figure, the uphole direction being toward the surface of the well and the downhole direction being toward the toe of the well.
[0027] Referring next to FIG. 2 , an intrawell fluid injection system positioned in a well is schematically illustrated and generally designated 100 . A wellbore 112 extends through the various earth strata including formation 114 and formation 116 . A casing 118 is secured within wellbore 112 . A tubing string 120 is disposed within wellbore 112 . Tubing string 120 includes various tools for controlling fluid flow in wellbore 112 such as intrawell fluid injection system 122 . In the illustrated embodiment, intrawell fluid injection system 122 includes a fluid intake subassembly 124 , a gas separator 108 , a gas discharge subassembly 110 , a fluid pump 126 , a check valve assembly 128 , a sensor subassembly 130 and a bypass assembly 132 . Bypass assembly 132 includes an upper manifold 134 , a plurality of bypass tubes 136 , a lower manifold 138 , a discharge tubing 140 and a fluid discharge subassembly 142 . Preferably, fluid intake subassembly 124 , fluid pump 126 , gas separator 108 and gas discharge subassembly 110 are part of an electric submersible pump assembly 144 that also includes, in the illustrated embodiment, an electric motor 146 . Power, control signals and data may be sent between various components of electric submersible pump assembly 144 and a surface control system 148 via a cable assembly 150 .
[0028] As illustrated, fluid intake subassembly 124 is in fluid communication with a production zone 152 associated with formation 114 . Likewise, fluid discharge subassembly 142 is in fluid communication with a discharge zone 154 associated with formation 116 . A seal assembly 156 is positioned between discharge tubing 140 and casing 118 in a location between production zone 152 and discharge zone 154 to provide isolation between production zone 152 and discharge zone 154 . An optional seal assembly 158 is positioned between discharge tubing 140 and casing 118 downhole of discharge zone 154 . In the illustrated embodiment, tubing string 120 provides support for intrawell fluid injection system 122 but does not provide a conduit for the transportation of fluids. Fluid samples, however, may be obtained at the surface via a sample line 160 that extends from upper manifold 134 to wellhead 162 .
[0029] When it is desired to inject fluid from formation 114 into formation 116 , for example during coal bed degasification or gas production from a mature production zone, intrawell fluid injection system 122 of the present invention may be used. Operation of intrawell fluid injection system 122 is commenced responsive to power and control provided by surface control system 148 via a cable assembly 150 . Specifically, power is supplied to electric motor 146 that is operable to turn the rotor of gas separator 108 and the rotor and impeller elements in fluid pump 126 . Operation of fluid pump 126 causes fluid from formation 114 , represented by arrows 164 to enter fluid intake subassembly 124 . The production fluid is then processes in gas separator 108 which separates at least a portion of the gas fraction from the production fluid and discharges this gas portion via gas discharge subassembly 110 , as represented by arrows 106 . The gas portion is then produced to the surface for further processing. The remainder of the production fluid is then pumped in the uphole direction, as represented by arrows 166 , by fluid pump 126 . Check valve assembly 128 allows the production fluid to travel in the uphole direction upon exit from fluid pump 126 but prevents return flow therethrough. One or more sensors in sensor subassembly 130 may monitor various parameters of the production fluid such as pressure, temperature, pH, chemical composition, impurity content, viscosity, density, ionic strength, total dissolved solids, salt content, opacity, bacteria content, combinations thereof and the like as well as the flow rate of the production fluid such that the volume of production fluid injected by intrawell fluid injection system 122 may be determined. Even though check valve assembly 128 and sensor subassembly 130 have been depicted and described as being located between fluid pump 126 and upper manifold 134 , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that check valve assembly 128 , including multiple check valves, and sensor subassembly 130 could alternatively be located at any point along the flow path between fluid intake subassembly 124 and fluid discharge subassembly 142 .
[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, after passing through sensor subassembly 130 , the formation fluid enters upper manifold 134 that may include various fluid paths and/or valving arrangements for redirecting the formation fluid toward bypass tubes 136 , as represented by arrows 168 . The formation fluid then travels in the downhole direction, as represented by arrows 170 , through bypass tubes 136 . After passing through bypass tubes 136 , the formation fluid enters lower manifold 138 that may include various fluid paths and/or valving arrangements for redirecting the formation fluid toward discharge tubing 140 , as represented by arrows 172 . The formation fluid, as represented by arrows 174 , then travels in the downhole direction in discharge tubing 140 . The formation fluid is discharged into discharge zone 154 , as represented by arrows 176 , and is injected into formation 116 , as represented by arrows 178 . In this manner, fluid from formation 114 can be injected into formation 116 using intrawell fluid injection system 122 of the present invention.
[0031] Referring next to FIG. 3 , an enlarged view of the intrawell fluid injection system 22 of FIG. 1 is depicted. Intrawell fluid injection system 22 includes electric submersible pump assembly 44 positioned in the center thereof. Electric submersible pump assembly 44 has a generally tubular outer housing and includes electric motor 46 , fluid intake subassembly 24 and fluid pump 26 . Also positioned in the center of intrawell fluid injection system 22 is check valve assembly 28 and sensor subassembly 30 . As described above, check valve assembly 28 and sensor subassembly 30 could alternatively be positioned in other locations in the fluid flow path through intrawell fluid injection system 22 . Power, control signals and data may be sent between a surface control system (not pictured) and the various components of electric submersible pump assembly 44 , such as electric motor 46 and sensor subassembly 30 , via a cable assembly 50 .
[0032] Intrawell fluid injection system 22 also includes bypass assembly 32 that is positioned above, below and around electric submersible pump assembly 44 . In the illustrated embodiment, bypass assembly 32 includes an upper manifold 34 positioned above electric submersible pump assembly 44 , a lower manifold 38 positioned below electric submersible pump assembly 44 and a plurality of bypass tubes 36 positioned around electric submersible pump assembly 44 . As illustrated, bypass assembly 32 includes four bypass tubes 36 (only three of which are visible in FIGS. 1 and 3 ) that extend between upper manifold 34 and lower manifold 38 and are circumferentially distributed about bypass assembly 32 . Even though FIGS. 1 and 3 have described and depicted bypass assembly 32 as having a particular number of bypass tubes, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that a bypass assembly of the present invention may alternatively have any number of bypass tubes both greater than or less than that shown. Bypass assembly 32 includes a sample line 60 that may extend to the surface to enable fluid sampling of production fluid from intrawell fluid injection system 22 . As described above, intrawell fluid injection system 22 is operable to be connected within a tubing string such that the portion of the tubing string above intrawell fluid injection system 22 does not transport fluid while the portion of the tubing string below intrawell fluid injection system 22 transports the production fluid to the discharge zone.
[0033] Referring next to FIG. 4 , an enlarged view of the intrawell fluid injection system 122 of FIG. 2 is depicted. Intrawell fluid injection system 122 includes electric submersible pump assembly 144 positioned in the center thereof. Electric submersible pump assembly 144 has a generally tubular outer housing and includes electric motor 146 , fluid intake subassembly 124 , gas separator 108 , gas discharge subassembly 110 and fluid pump 126 . Also positioned in the center of intrawell fluid injection system 122 is check valve assembly 128 and sensor subassembly 130 . Power, control signals and data may be sent between a surface control system (not pictured) and the various components of electric submersible pump assembly 144 , such as electric motor 146 and sensor subassembly 130 , via a cable assembly 150 .
[0034] Intrawell fluid injection system 122 also includes bypass assembly 132 that is positioned above, below and around electric submersible pump assembly 144 . In the illustrated embodiment, bypass assembly 132 includes upper manifold 134 positioned above electric submersible pump assembly 144 , lower manifold 138 positioned below electric submersible pump assembly 144 and a plurality of bypass tubes 136 positioned around electric submersible pump assembly 144 . As illustrated, bypass assembly 132 includes four bypass tubes 136 (only three of which are visible in FIGS. 2 and 4 ) that extend between upper manifold 134 and lower manifold 138 and are circumferentially distributed about bypass assembly 132 . Even though FIGS. 2 and 4 have described and depicted bypass assembly 132 as having a particular number of bypass tubes, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that a bypass assembly of the present invention may alternatively have any number of bypass tubes both greater than or less than that shown. Bypass assembly 132 includes sample line 160 that may extend to the surface to enable fluid sampling of production fluid from intrawell fluid injection system 122 . As described above, intrawell fluid injection system 122 is operable to be connected within a tubing string such that the portion of the tubing string above intrawell fluid injection system 122 does not transport fluid while the portion of the tubing string below intrawell fluid injection system 122 transports the production fluid to the discharge zone.
[0035] While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments.
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An intrawell fluid injection system is operably positionable in a well having a production zone that is in fluid isolation from a discharge zone. The system includes an electric submersible pump assembly having an electric motor and a fluid pump that is operably associated with the electric motor. The fluid pump has a fluid intake operably positionable in fluid communication with the production zone. The fluid pump is operable to pump formation fluid from the production zone in a first axial direction. The system also includes a bypass assembly that is in downstream fluid communication with the electric submersible pump assembly. The bypass assembly is operable to transport formation fluid from the electric submersible pump assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction. The bypass assembly has a fluid discharge operably positionable in fluid communication with the discharge zone.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/147,028, filed Jan. 23, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Malaria is a global problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Each year, as many as 500 million people are afflicted. Most of the afflicted are pregnant women and young children because of their low or non-existent immunity to the disease. At least 800,000 children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa die every year from the disease.
[0003] Many organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have malaria control programs that focus at least in part on distributing mosquito nets that protect people from infectious mosquito bites while sleeping. While the typical nets that are currently distributed may be effective in households with beds for every family member, there are many drawbacks in other settings.
[0004] In many African communities, most children under five years old sleep on the floor of their homes. The mosquito nets that are currently distributed, which typically hang from the roof, are much less effective at preventing mosquito bites on children who sleep on the floor. Additionally, many homes in African communities are small mud huts with thatched roofs. This makes it very difficult to set up the hanging nets. Once hung, the nets are large and cumbersome, taking up a large amount of space in the small homes. Therefore, the nets are not only difficult to set up, but must be taken down during the day to create living space. In summary, the current net designs are relatively ineffective, cumbersome, and difficult to use on a daily basis for children who sleep on the floor in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.
SUMMARY
[0005] A collapsible mosquito spring net assembly includes a support structure having a front support ring, a back support ring, and a spring coil support. A mosquito net covers the support structure. The collapsible mosquito spring net assembly further includes closure elements and a net cover assembly including a net, an elastic element, and an elastic pull for opening and closing the spring net assembly. The collapsible mosquito spring net optionally comprises an outer lower cover.
[0006] A method for protecting users from exposure to insects includes: providing a collapsible mosquito spring net assembly; setting up the mosquito spring net assembly on the floor, ground, or other surface by releasing the closure elements; and securing the net cover assembly from inside the mosquito spring net assembly by pulling taut the elastic pull.
[0007] Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description. The features described above can be used separately or together, or in various combinations of one or more of them.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout the views:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expanded mosquito spring net assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a net cover assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a net cover assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a collapsed mosquito spring net assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an expanded mosquito spring net assembly having an outer lower cover permanently attached to the outside of the net assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a net cover assembly having an outer lower cover permanently attached to the outside of the net cover assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an expanded mosquito net assembly placed in an independent outer lower cover crib structure, according to one embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a net cover assembly placed in an independent outer lower cover crib structure, according to one embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an outer lower cover crib structure without an associated mosquito spring net assembly, according to one embodiment.
[0018] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an outer lower cover crib structure being used as a container for carrying a mosquito spring net assembly in the collapsed state, according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Various embodiments will now be described. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may be practiced without many of these details. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description of the various embodiments.
[0020] The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the invention. Certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overly and specifically defined as such in this detailed description section.
[0021] Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural or singular term, respectively. Moreover, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in a list of two or more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of items in the list.
[0022] The mosquito spring net assemblies described herein may be used to protect users from insect bites in many situations, such as to protect a child sleeping on the floor in a region where malaria-infected mosquitoes are prevalent. Turning now in detail to the drawings, as shown in FIG. 1 , an expanded mosquito spring net assembly 1 , includes a support structure 2 , a mosquito net 6 , closure elements 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d, and a net cover assembly 10 . The support structure 2 preferably includes a front support ring 3 , a back support ring 4 , and a spring coil support 5 to create a hollow interior structure in which a child or other person may sleep. In one embodiment, the support structure 2 has a length of approximately three feet, and a diameter of approximately one to two feet, such that it is suitable for a child.
[0023] The support structure 2 may be constructed from a single piece of flexible material or may include two or more separate attached pieces. In one embodiment, the support structure 2 comprises a suitable flexible material such as plastic, a fibrous composite material, or a metal so that the spring coil support 5 may be compressed to bring the front and back support rings 3 , 4 near each other. In one embodiment, the support structure includes 9 gauge aluminum wire.
[0024] In one embodiment, four closure elements 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d are attached to the front and back support rings 3 , 4 . The closure elements 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d may comprise fabric ties, hooks, snaps, or any other means to secure the front and back support rings 3 , 4 together when the spring coil support 5 is compressed.
[0025] In one embodiment, the mosquito net 6 includes one or more pieces of nylon netting or other suitable net material capable of preventing mosquitoes from passing through the net material. The netting is wrapped around the outside of the spring coil support 5 and is sewn or otherwise attached at its opposing ends using snaps, Velcro, buttons, hooks or other suitable means such that a seam 8 is formed and runs longitudinally along the support structure 2 . In this manner, the net 6 surrounding the spring coil support 5 creates an enclosed space within the expanded mosquito spring net assembly 1 . The free edges of the net 6 are formed into sleeves that pass over, or are otherwise attached to, the front and back support rings 3 , 4 .
[0026] In one embodiment, one or both ends of the spring net assembly 1 may be opened to allow a person to enter or exit the spring net assembly 1 . The open end or ends may be closed by a net cover assembly 10 . As FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate, the net cover assembly 10 includes a net 11 and an elastic element 12 that forms a closed circle or similar shape that fits over the support rings 3 , 4 of the open end or ends in order to complete the enclosure. The elastic element 12 is secured to the support element 2 by an elastic pull 13 , which in one embodiment may be a portion of the elastic element 12 that when pulled by a user once inside of the expanded mosquito spring net assembly 1 , will provide a cinching action and will result in tightening of the net cover assembly 10 in order to completely enclose the expanded mosquito spring net 1 and prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering. In another embodiment, one end of the spring net assembly 1 may be permanently closed via a net segment 7 sewn onto the main body of the mosquito net 6 .
[0027] In one embodiment, the mosquito spring net assembly 1 may be collapsible so that it may be stored in a small area. FIG. 4 illustrates the mosquito spring net assembly 1 in a collapsed state resulting from the spring coil support 5 having been compressed to bring the front and back support rings 3 , 4 near each other. In order to store the collapsed mosquito spring net assembly 1 , the front and back support rings 3 , 4 are preferably secured to each other so that the spring coil support 5 is restrained in its compressed position. In one embodiment, the front and back support rings 3 , 4 are secured to each other by securing closure element 9 a to closure element 9 c, and closure element 9 d to closure element 9 b. The closure elements may be fabric ties or other suitable materials that may be secured to one another by tying, snapping, hooking, or by any other suitable means or method.
[0028] The mosquito spring net 1 is easily expandable from its collapsed state. The spring coil support 5 acts like a compression spring that stores mechanical energy when loaded. Thus, when the closure elements are released, the energy in the spring coil support 5 is released and the collapsed mosquito spring net 14 springs into its expanded configuration with little or no effort by the user.
[0029] In some embodiments, a mosquito spring net assembly may include an outer lower cover that covers at least the lower half of the spring net assembly. If a user leans against the mosquito net while inside of the spring net assembly, mosquitoes may still bite the user through the net. Thus, the outer lower cover provides an added layer of protection in addition to the mosquito net to prevent mosquito or other insect bites to the user. Further, the outer lower cover provides additional durability to protect the integrity of the mosquito net material from tearing or other damage when used on the ground or floor. As illustrated in FIG. 5 , an outer lower cover 14 may be permanently or releaseably attached to the outside of a mosquito spring net assembly 1 . The outer lower cover 14 wraps around the bottom of the mosquito spring net assembly 1 and extends up a portion of each side, and may extend halfway, less than halfway, or more than halfway up each side. The outer lower cover 14 may be made of a flexible, durable material, including, but not limited to, a plastic tarp material. The material should be suitable to provide sufficient durability for the spring net assembly when used on the floor.
[0030] To prevent tearing, reinforced seams 15 a, 15 b ( 15 b not shown) between the mosquito net 6 and the upper sides of the outer lower cover 24 a, 24 b ( 24 b not shown) may be provided. Attached to the reinforced seams 15 a, 15 b ( 15 b not shown) are four or more securable straps 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d each of which may be tied to a stable object, secured to the ground by stakes, or otherwise suitably secured to provide stability and prevent the mosquito spring net assembly 1 from rolling when in the expanded position.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 6 , a net cover assembly 10 for one end of the mosquito spring net assembly 1 may provide a permanently attached outer lower cover 17 a with a reinforced seam 15 c. Similarly, a permanently attached outer lower cover 17 b with a reinforced seam 15 d may also be provided on the opposite end of the mosquito spring net assembly 1 (not shown).
[0032] In an alternative embodiment, the outer lower cover may be a separate “crib” structure that is independent from the mosquito spring net assembly. FIG. 9 illustrates a crib structure 18 without an associated mosquito spring net assembly, while FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an outer lower cover crib structure 18 having a mosquito spring net assembly 1 associated with the crib structure 18 . The crib structure has at least two horseshoe frame members 20 a, 20 b, wherein the horseshoe frame members are made from metal wire, plastic or other suitable material to keep the ends of the crib structure 18 rigid.
[0033] Extending from the horseshoe frame members 20 a, 20 b are support flaps 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, 19 d that may be tied down, secured to the ground by stakes, or otherwise suitably secured to provide stability and prevent the mosquito spring net assembly 1 from rolling when in placed in the crib structure 18 in the expanded position. The support flaps 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, 19 d each have a handle tie element 21 a, 21 b, 21 c, 21 d that may be used to secure the crib structure as described above or may be tied together to form handles 22 a, 22 b as shown in FIG. 10 . The support flaps 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, 19 d may alternatively have snaps, latches, Velcro®, buttons, hooks or other suitable means to connect the support flaps to each other to form handles 22 a, 22 b. When the support flaps 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, 19 d are connected to form handles 22 a, 22 b, the crib structure may be used as a container 23 to hold, store or carry a mosquito spring net 1 in the collapsed state.
[0034] The inside of the mosquito spring net assembly may be lined with soft felt, fleece or other suitable soft, padded material to add softness and comfort for the user. The lining may be sewn permanently into the interior or the net assembly, or alternatively, may be removably attached to the interior of the mosquito spring net assembly using snaps, latches, Velcro®, buttons, hooks or other suitable means to removably attach the lining to the interior of the net assembly.
[0035] Any of the above-described embodiments may be used alone or in combination with one another. Furthermore, a mosquito spring net assembly may include additional features not described herein. While several embodiments have been shown and described, various changes and substitutions may of course be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except by the following claims and their equivalents.
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A collapsible mosquito spring net assembly includes a support structure having a front support ring, a back support ring, and a spring coil support. A mosquito net covers the support structure. The collapsible mosquito spring net assembly further includes closure elements and a net cover assembly including a net, an elastic element, and an elastic pull for opening and closing the spring net assembly. The collapsible mosquito spring net optionally comprises an outer lower cover. A method for protecting users from exposure to insects includes: providing a collapsible mosquito spring net assembly; setting up the mosquito spring net assembly on the floor, ground, or other surface by releasing the closure elements; and securing the net cover assembly from inside the mosquito spring net assembly by pulling taut the elastic pull.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transmission arrangement of the kind for converting the rotary movement of a motor into a linear curved movement of a driven body.
Transmission arrangements of that kind are used in particular as window lifting assemblies in motor vehicles, in which the doors, as viewed in the direction of travel, are curved convexly outwardly so that the windows must be moved along a curved path which follows the curvature of the door when they are opened or closed.
For that purpose it is known to arrange in the door a fixed electric motor driving a gear wheel or the like which engages into a cylindrical wire spiral or coil member and, upon being rotated, displaces it in the longitudinal direction. The wire spiral or coil member which has only a low degree of inherent stiffness transversely with respect to its longitudinal direction is so enclosed by a sheet metal tube which is slit in the longitudinal direction, that the wire spiral or coil member can only move back and forth in the tube. The one end of the wire spiral or coil member is rigidly connected to the window to be moved, while the element which connects those two parts together extends through the slit in the sheet metal tube. The part of the sheet metal tube in which the end of the wire spiral or coil member, which is connected to the window, moves back and forth, extends parallel to the path of movement of the window.
As only pulling or pushing forces can be applied by such an arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the sheet metal tube and the wire spiral or coil member which is guided therein, it is necessary to provide additional guide devices which carry frictional moments and lateral tilting moments of the member to be moved. That is difficult in particular when the window is to be guided only at one side, for design reasons.
So that the window stops in the respective position attained after the drive motor is switched off and cannot be pressed downwardly, generally the sheet metal tube which encloses the wire spiral or coil member is additionally wound to form at least one loop so that the cable friction as between the wire spiral or coil member and the sheet metal tube produces a self-locking effect which is independent of the motor or the engagement of the motor gear wheel into the wire spiral or coil member. However that cable friction has to be overcome in any deliberate lifting or lowering operation and therefore results in the consumption of an additional amount of power.
Another disadvantage of the known arrangement is that the sheet metal tube must be at least twice the length of the full lifting motion of the window so that the wire spiral or coil member continues to be guided in the sheet metal tube when the window is in the fully lowered position. That results in a comparatively large amount of space being required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In comparison therewith the invention is based on the object of providing a transmission arrangement of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, which is of minimum structural size and which makes it possible for the member to be moved to be guided precisely along the curved path without involving additional guide means and to carry corresponding counteracting moments.
The invention therefore no longer uses a motor which is stationary in relation to the article to be moved and which drives a displaceable element (the wire spiral or coil member) which is also displaced with that article and which is of such a flexible configuration that it can admittedly adapt to the curved path but cannot perform any guide function. Instead, the arrangement provides a stationary spindle which is curved in accordance with the curved path of movement and along which the motor moves in the longitudinal direction by virtue of the rotary movement between the rotor and the stator. In that respect, in the present context, the reference to a curved spindle means an elongated curved bar or rod which is of substantially circular configuration in each of its cross-sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and provided on the peripheral surface of which is at least one helical thread or flight which extends at least over the length of the path to be covered by the article to be moved. The thread pitch, pitch angle, pitch depth and cross-sectional shape of the thread flight can vary within wide limits. At any event the thread counterpart portion and therewith the motor assembly and the article to be moved are afforded such a good guidance effect, by virtue of the curved spindle, that it is substantially possible to eliminate additional guide elements. As the spindle only has to be immaterially longer than the path of movement to be covered by the article to be moved, that arrangement gives a minimum installation size. Even under compact spatial conditions, that makes it possible in many cases for the article to be guided to be supported on the spindle beneath its center of gravity or in the vicinity of that optimum support point, so that the tilting moments which occur are substantially less in comparison with an eccentric support arrangement which is very frequently required in the state of the art.
Another advantage of the transmission arrangement according to the invention arises in relation to the use thereof as a window lifting apparatus in the door of a motor vehicle: more specifically, in this case the spindle can be of such a massive construction and can be so strongly connected to the frame components of the door that it serves as an additional collision protection for the occupants of the vehicle.
An option which has been found to be particularly advantageous is one which involves the complete transmission's being mounted directly to the pane so that that transmission can be used for any kind of motor vehicle, because it is only the spindle that has to be adapted to the respective curvature.
If higher tilting moments are to be carried because it is not possible to provide for support precisely beneath the center of gravity of the article to be moved, in accordance with the invention two thread counterpart portions are screwed on to one and the same curved spindle in such a way that, in the longitudinal direction of the spindle, they are at a spacing from each other which affords a sufficiently long lever arm. The two thread counterpart portions are then either directly or indirectly connected together in such a way that they move in the longitudinal direction of the curved spindle in the same sense and at the same speed.
The direct connection of the two thread counterpart portions is effected by means of a sleeve which embraces the spindle and which also rotates with the thread counterpart portions and which preferably forms an integral component of the rotor of the electric motor. The sleeve is in the shape of a straight circular cylinder, the axis of which intersects in the form of a chord the arc formed by the center line of the curved spindle. The centers of rotation of the two thread counterpart portions are disposed at the two points of intersection.
As an alternative thereto each of the two thread counterpart portions may be a component of its own motor rotor. In that case two motors are in practice arranged on one and the same curved spindle, the stators of the motors being connected together and to the article to be moved. That connection can also be made by means of a sleeve which embraces the spindle and which in this case also may be of a configuration which departs from the straight circular-cylindrical shape.
The invention is described hereinafter by means of embodiments with reference to the drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a transmission arrangement according to the invention which is integrated into the window lifting apparatus of a motor vehicle, the transmission arrangement having two thread counterpart portions which are in the form of nuts and which are connected together by a sleeve,
FIG. 2 is a plan view in the direction indicated by the arrows II--II of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, with the spindle being omitted for the sake of clarity,
FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which two transmission arrangements according to the invention which are driven by two synchronized motors are connected together by a sleeve,
FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the thread counterpart portions are formed by two flat discs which are connected together by a sleeve which at the same time forms the rotor of the motor assembly,
FIG. 5 is a plan view of part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 along line V--V, with the spindle being omitted for the sake of clarity, and
FIG. 6 shows the engagement of the screwthread pitch of the spindle in FIG. 4 into the slot in a thread counterpart portion in two different angular positions.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The transmission arrangement 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 essentially comprises the spindle 2, the curvature of which is shown in greatly exaggerated form for the sake of clarity, and the two thread counterpart portions which are each in the form of a hexagonal nut 4 and which are screwed at a spacing from each other on to the spindle 2 and which are connected together by a long sleeve 5.
For the purposes of making that connection, the sleeve 5 which is in the form of a straight circular cylinder is provided at its inside wall with two radially inwardly projecting shoulders 7, each of which is so arranged in the vicinity of one of the two axial ends of the sleeve 5 that its surface which faces toward that axial end is at a spacing from the end of the sleeve 5 which is approximately equal to 1.5 times the thickness of the nuts 4. From each of the axial ends, pushed into the sleeve 5 is a connecting portion 8, the outside of which is in the form of a straight circular cylinder which bears with its outer peripheral surface against the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 5. Each of the connecting portions 8 sits with its inner axial end face against the associated shoulder 7 of the sleeve 5 and is non-rotatably connected to the sleeve by way of a pin 10 which can be seen in FIG. 2. An opening 11 which is of hexagonal cross-section extends centrally through each of the connecting portions 8, passing therethrough in the axial direction. The dimensions of the through opening 11 are matched to the outside dimensions of the hexagonal nut 4 so that the nut is non-rotatably connected to the sleeve 5 by the connecting portion 8. As can be very clearly seen from FIG. 1, because of the curvature of the spindle 2, each of the hexagonal nuts 4 must be so arranged in the through opening 11 in the associated connecting portion 8 that it is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis or the axis of symmetry of the sleeve 5. That means that, upon a rotary movement of the sleeve 5, each of the hexagonal nuts 4 performs a wobble or swash-plate-like movement relative to the sleeve 5. So that that movement can occur without serious frictional losses, the outside surfaces of the hexagonal nuts 4, which extend in the longitudinal direction, are of a spherical configuration and the cross-section of the through opening 11 is of sufficiently large size. The shoulders 7 project inwardly to such an extent that, on the one hand the sleeve 5 can rotate freely about the spindle 2, while on the other hand the nuts 4 can transmit in the axial direction to the shoulders 7 and therewith the sleeve 5, the forces which are required to displace the arrangement. The assembly may also have two such shoulders per nut so that those pressure forces can be exerted in both directions of movement.
The sleeve 5 is supported against the inside peripheral surface of a motor housing 14 which is disposed coaxially therearound, by way of two ball bearing assemblies 12 which are arranged in the region of the axial ends of the sleeve. The motor housing 14 is also substantially in the form of a straight circular cylinder and is entrained upon displacement of the nuts 4 and the sleeve 5, along the spindle 2. The motor housing 14 includes stator windings (not shown) which can be supplied with current by way of connections (also not shown). The rotary magnetic fields produced by the current flowing through the stator windings act in known manner on permanent magnets 15 mounted on the outside of the sleeve 15 in such a way that it rotates. In conjunction with the permanent magnets 15 therefore the sleeve 5 forms the rotor of an electric motor. Fitted on to the motor housing 14 at its end which is the upper end in FIG. 1 is a disc carrier 16 which is non-rotatably connected to the motor housing 14 and which is also substantially in the form of a straight circular cylinder. A straight circular-cylindrical opening 17 passes through the disc carrier 16 in the axial direction, the opening 17 permitting the spindle 2 to pass unimpededly therethrough. In the radial direction, a guide projection 19 which is integrally connected to the disc carrier 16 projects into the circular-cylindrical opening 17 to such an extent that its radially inward end engages into a guide groove 20 which is provided in the spindle 2 and which extends over almost the entire length of the spindle 2. In that way the disc carrier 16 and therewith also the motor housing 14 is non-rotatably guided on the spindle 12 slidably in the longitudinal direction thereof. In order to improve that guidance effect, the arrangement may also have a plurality of such guide projections, each of which engages into an associated guide groove. That guide arrangement only serves to prevent a rotary movement of the motor housing 14 about the spindle 2. The guidance effect for the body to be moved along the curved path is produced by the association of the entire motor assembly with the spindle 2.
Fixed to the disc carrier 16 is a window pane 21 of a motor vehicle, of which only part is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and which here forms the member to be moved. The square portions 22 provided at the ends of the spindle 2 serve to clamp the spindle 2 fixedly in position in the interior of a motor vehicle door. In that situation the curvature of the spindle 2 is so adapted to the curvature of the respective motor vehicle door that the window pane 21 is displaced vertically, following that curved configuration, when the motor is supplied with current and the sleeve 5 and therewith the connecting portions 8 and the hexagonal nuts 4 rotate about the central axis of symmetry of the sleeve 5.
The external screwthread of the spindle 2 and the internal screwthread of the hexagonal nuts 4 which include only a few thread pitches are so matched to each other that the different pitches of the thread portion or flight on the side which is towards the center point of the curvature on the one hand and on the side which is away from the center point of the curvature on the other hand can be accommodated by a suitably large clearance. That clearance in the screwthread configuration may of course be very small since, as already mentioned above, the curvature of the screwthreaded spindle 2 is in actual fact considerably smaller than that shown in the drawings. The spacing between the two hexagonal nuts 4 and thus the length of the sleeve 5 are so selected that the tilting moments which occur upon displacement of the window 21 can be satisfactorily accommodated and the window does not suffer from tilting and twisting.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 comprises two transmission arrangements 1 according to the invention, which are formed by virtue of the fact that two nuts 4 are screwed on to one and the same spindle 2, each nut 4 having a few screwthread portions and being in the form of a straight circular cylinder on its outside. Each of the two nuts 4 carries permanent magnets 15 on its outside and is supported by way of a ball bearing assembly 12 in a motor housing 14 which is also substantially in the form of a straight circular cylinder and the windings of which are once again not specifically shown. Accordingly each of the nuts 4, together with the permanent magnets 15 disposed thereon, forms the rotor of an electric motor which rotates relative to the motor housing 14 serving as a stator when the field windings thereof are supplied with current. The two transmission arrangements 1 are at a spacing in the longitudinal direction of the curved spindle 2 and are connected together by a sleeve 5 which however is not rotatable in the present case but connects together the two stators or motor housings 14. In the regions in which the motor housings 14 are fitted into the sleeve 5, the peripheral surfaces of the motor housings are of a spherical configuration in order to permit adaptation to differently curved spindles 2. In order to permit synchronous movement of the two drive arrangements and their associated motors, it can be provided that one and the same current flows through the two motors. The overall assembly can again be non-rotatably guided on the fixed spindle 2, as was described in relation to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Instead of the straight sleeve 5, in this case also it is possible to use a sleeve which is curved to correspond to the spindle 2, or a suitable connecting linkage or the like.
If the tilting moments to be carried are not substantial, because for example the member to be displaced can be supported precisely beneath its centre of gravity, then only one of the two transmission arrangements shown in FIG. 3 may be directly connected to the member to be guided and the sleeve 5 and the other transmission arrangement may be omitted. It will be appreciated that in that case two force-transmitting shoulders are required.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the curved spindle 2 has a screwthread flight 24 of very great pitch. That makes it possible for the two thread counterpart portions of which only the upper can be seen in FIG. 4 to be in the form of flat discs which here at the same time form the terminal or axial end discs of a long sleeve 5, which is in the form of a straight circular cylinder. Each of the two flat discs 25 has a central circular opening 26 which extends therethrough and the inside diameter of which is somewhat larger than the outside diameter of the core of the screwthread on the spindle 2. Extending radially outwardly from the opening 26 is a slot 28 which, extending inclinedly, as viewed from the side, connects the underside of the flat disc 25 to the top side thereof. The dimensions of the slot 28 and in particular its radial depth are so selected that the thread flight 24 can engage into same and can extend through same from one side of the flat disc 25 to the other. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 5, the slot 28 which is shown at the top in FIG. 5, of the flat disc 25 which is at the bottom in FIG. 4, is displaced through 180° relative to the slot 28 of the flat disc 25 which is at the top in FIG. 4. That provides that, in the event of a rotary movement of the sleeve 5 in the course of which the two slots, moving along the screwthread 24, move around the spindle 2, the spacing between the two discs 25 can always remain the same. The dash-dotted line 30 in FIG. 5 shows the location of the section in FIG. 4.
In this embodiment it can be particularly clearly seen that the pitch on the side of the curved spindle 2, which is towards the center point of the curvature, is smaller than on the side which is away from the center point of the curvature. The result of that is that the screwthread 24 extends substantially more steeply on the side which is towards the center point of the curvature than on the opposite side, as is shown in greatly exaggerated view in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the screwthread 24 on the side towards the center point of the curvature, in solid lines, while it is shown by dash-dotted lines on the side which is remote from the center point of the curvature. It will be seen that the slot 28 in the flat disc 25 is so provided with rounded-off walls 31, 32 that in both limit positions the screwthread 24 can pass through the slot 28 and has adequate guidance in that situation against the walls 31, 32 of the slot. The rounded walls 31, 32 are of a spherical configuration in the second dimension so that the different inclinations of the screwthread on the inside and outside of the spindle still do not have any influence.
Moreover in this embodiment also the sleeve 5 is supported by way of two ball bearing assemblies 12 on a motor housing 14 which is in the form of a straight circular cylinder and which has stator windings (not shown) which, when current flows therethrough, apply to the permanent magnets 15 which are non-rotatably connected to the sleeve 5, a force for causing the sleeve 5 to rotate. In this case also a head corresponding to the disc carrier 16 is mounted at the top side of the motor housing 14; the article to be moved can be connected to said head. The assembly also includes a guide means (not shown) which prevents rotary movement of the motor housing 14 and the head 16 about the curved spindle 2 while, however, permitting longitudinal displacement of those components.
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A structure which is of the utmost simplicity, rigidity and reliability has a transmission arrangement (1) for converting the rotary movement of a motor into a linear movement of a driven body (21) along a curved path. It is of a configuration that includes a stationarily arranged spindle (2) which is curved to correspond to the shape of the curved path, and at least one thread counterpart portion (4) which is engaged with the thread of the curved spindle and which is rotatable about the spindle, and by virtue of that rotary movement, displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the spindle. The stator (14) of the motor is connected to the driven body and is mounted non-rotatably and longitudinally displaceably with respect to the curved spindle, and the rotor (5, 15) of the motor is non-rotatably connected to the thread counterpart portion.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a washing and/or drying device according to the preamble of Claim 1 .
In the framework of the present description, a washing and/or drying device is to be understood as a device like a washstand or sink unit, a bidet, toilet, urinal, a bathtub, a shower stall and/or a drying device for contactless hand drying. Washstands and sink units and drying devices of this type are used in plumbing units of all types, for body care in bathrooms, for example, for washing purposes in kitchens, for cleaning purposes in semi-public and public sanitary facilities such as toilets and shower rooms, as well as in laboratories, the food industry, homes for the elderly and convalescent, and hospitals. Depending on the use, porcelain, stoneware, stone, particularly natural stone such as marble, plastic, enameled sheet metal and chromed sheet steel are typical as materials for basins for installing or mounting washing devices of this type; modern basins are occasionally made of opaque plastics such as Corian and of transparent or translucent materials such as acrylic, glass, or Quaryl. Metals, such as lacquered and/or enameled sheet metal or even bare chromed sheet steel, are known above all as materials for housings of drying devices of the type cited.
It is to be noted here that the concept of fresh water in the framework of the present description is to be understood as cold and/or hot water flowing into the basin and the concept of dirty water is to be understood as water flowing out of the basin, including the additives contained therein.
The washing devices typically comprise a basin and a supply armature and typically also have a drain armature. The basin is delimited by a basin wall and is attachable to a structure or a building wall. The supply armature, which is generally referred to as a faucet, has a connecting piece, via which the fresh water reaches the basin. The connecting piece is connected to a building supply line for the fresh water; the fresh water is supplied to the basin from a tank or a network. Furthermore, the supply armature contains a shut-off member, which is movable and/or rotatable or displaceable between a closed setting and at least one open setting using an actuating element such as a control knob or lever. In the closed setting, the supply of fresh water to the basin is suppressed, in the open setting(s), the fresh water may reach the basin through the connecting piece at a greater or lesser flow rate. The supply armature is preferably attached in a first opening of the basin wall. The dirty water is preferably drained via a second opening, in which at least one drain armature is mounted, into a drain line. The drain armature typically includes a stench trap, which is usually referred to as a siphon.
The typical washing devices described above are subject to numerous disadvantages, which are more or less significant depending on their intended purpose. In particular, it is disadvantageous for various reasons, such as the danger of damage due to vandalism, and the comfort of use and cleaning, that the armatures, which are mounted on the edge region of the cavity of the basin, project into the inside of the basin.
Practical vandal-safe washing devices are known, which are used above all in washrooms of industrial operations. They have round basins, accessible from all sides, made of chromed sheet steel, which contain a column in their center, clad with chromed sheet steel and projecting well over the edge of the basin, in which the supply line of the fresh water is positioned. The column has openings in its upper region through which the fresh water flows out. However, this washing device is only suitable for cases in which a certain number of persons always use it simultaneously, since individual control of the water supply is not provided.
A practical vandal-safe drinking water dispenser, actually a fountain, in which a connecting piece for supplying the drinking water is integrated into the lowest point of the basin wall, is also known. Drinking water flows through the connecting piece in small quantities, i.e., upward in a thin stream, in such a way that the stream extends somewhat above the upper edge of the basin. The actual basin, which is concave upward, is largely covered by a hood outside the stream region, in order to prevent improper usage of the drinking water dispenser. The drinking water is supplied continuously, neither the quantity of drinking water over time nor its temperature may be controlled by the user of the drinking fountain.
A washing device according to the species, which functions automatically without the user having to touch any part of the device, is known from WO 93/10311. In this case, two sensors determine the presence of the hands to be washed and initiate a cleaning process controlled via a time relay. However, the user may not change the time sequence of the admission of wetting water, cleaner, and washing water, nor is he able to adjust the water requirements to his needs.
Therefore, it has been determined that no washing devices, particularly in the form of washstands and sink units, are known which ensure both sufficient security from vandalism and which also are optimally designed in regard to production, cleaning possibilities, and economic water consumption, but particularly also in regard to hygiene and comfort in use. A corresponding determination may also be made in regard to drying devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a washing and/or drying device of the type initially cited which avoids the disadvantages of the related art.
This object is achieved—according to a first aspect—by the features of Claim 1 , in that a device for controlling and/or regulating a supply of a medium through a supply unit for an impingement device is suggested. In this case, the supply unit includes at least one shut-off member and each shut-off member may be brought into a closed position and/or at least one open position using an actuating element. In addition, the device includes a sensor device for contactless determination of the presence of material to be impinged by this medium. The device according to the present invention is distinguished in that this sensor device is additionally implemented for contactless determination of the relative position of this material in relation to the impingement device and for outputting signals which act on the actuating elements in such a way that these elements bring the shut-off members into a setting corresponding to the presence and the position of the material to be impinged using this medium. Refinements of the device for control and/or regulation according to the present invention result from the dependent claims.
The object is achieved according to a second aspect through the suggestion of a washing device and/or drying device, which are distinguished in that they include such a device for controlling the supply of water and/or hot air, for hand washing and/or hand drying. Preferred additional features and/or refinements of the washing and/or drying device according to the present invention result from the dependent claims.
This object is achieved according to a third aspect through the suggestion of a method for contactless control and/or regulation of a supply of a medium through a supply unit for an impingement device. In this case, the supply unit includes at least one shut-off member and each shut-off member may be brought into a closed position and/or at least one position using an actuating element. In addition, the device includes a sensor for contactless determination of the presences of material to be impinged using this medium, using which at least one (high-energy) field is generated. The method according to the present invention is distinguished in that the contactless detection of this at least one field using the sensor device registers the relative position of this material in relation to the impingement device and outputs signals which act on the actuating elements in such a way that these elements bring the shut-off members into a setting corresponding to the presence and the position of the material to be impinged using this medium. Refinements of the method according to the present invention result from the dependent claims.
A washing and/or drying device according to the present invention therefore differs from typical devices in that it has a supply device whose actuation may be remote-controlled as a function of the presence and position of the body parts (e.g., hands) to be washed and/or dried.
Advantages in relation to the related art result, for example, in that the washing devices suggested:
are producible cost-effectively, since the expenses for the supply device, which is redimensioned in a certain way, are significantly lower; are more pleasant, easier, and more cost-effective to clean and the cleaning has more hygienic and visually better results—not only is the cleaning of a supply armature dispensed with, but rather there are also practically no transition regions between the basin and the supply device, which are well known to be difficult to clean—the object to be cleaned is completely visible; provide a higher comfort of use, since the access to the basin is not blocked or is blocked hardly at all by a supply armature and particularly because all functions of the supply armature may be controlled by the user without contact. This is advantageous from a hygienic viewpoint; are more aesthetic, because there are no large visible components of the supply device; are water-saving, because excess and useless water consumption is suppressed by the sensor controller for the supply of the fresh water, which is advantageous for reasons of hygiene, operating comfort, and for ecological and economic reasons.
The connecting piece of the supply device may be formed by the material of the basin wall, the delimitation of the opening simultaneously forming the wall of the connecting piece. For basins having basin walls of lesser wall thicknesses made of sheet metal, a deep-drawn connecting piece may be shaped on, preferably onto the outside of the basin. The connecting piece may also be formed by a pipe-like inserted part received in the opening and/or breakout. It may be attached there through suitable means; screws, press fitting, gluing, or possibly soldering may be considered for this purpose. The outlet region of the connecting piece is preferably implemented so that a bubbling fresh water stream which is mixed with air is generated, since in this way less water spray arises during use of the washing device.
For uses in regions which are especially subject to vandals, it is advisable to implement the washing device suggested in such a way that the outlet cross-section of the connecting piece is practically not visible and is not accessible for a user of the washing device. For this purpose, the connecting piece of the supply device is preferably integrated into the basin wall in such a way that its outlet cross-section lies essentially flush with the adjoining inner surface of the basin wall. In this case, the connecting piece is mounted fixed in a first opening. Such a washing device is vandal-safe, since there are no armature parts of the supply device to which the user has access. In this way, significant savings for repairs which arise with typical washing devices may be achieved. Coverage is possible through a rosette, as for a cylinder of a lock. Even if an outlet end of the connecting piece, which is provided with a fixed spray nozzle, projects slightly into the basin, vandalism may be avoided if a rosette similar to a truncated cone, which encloses the outlet end, is mounted, similar to the way in which they are frequently used for protecting cylinders of locks.
However, the washing device suggested is also suitable for regions in which no vandalism is to be feared. In such regions, it is not imperative for the supporting piece to be integrated into the basin wall and mounted fixed therein in such a way that its outlet cross-section is positioned practically flush with the inner surface of the basin wall. It may even be desirable for the connecting piece to have a connecting piece extension, protecting slightly into the inside of the basin, which runs at least approximately in the direction of the opening. The connecting piece extension is dimensioned in this case in such a way that the outlet cross-section of the connecting piece is near the basin wall, so that the access to the basin is kept free. This implementation of the connecting piece would also allow operating units to be attached to the connecting piece extension, with which, for example, the quantity of fresh water flowing in over time, the mixing ratio of hot to cold fresh water, and/or the temperature of the fresh water and the stream configuration may be influenced. In addition, the connecting piece extension may be used as a decorative element.
The connecting piece may also be placed on the wash basin. The connecting piece may also be implemented as flexible or in multiple parts, in such a way that the connecting piece extension which projects into the basin is pivotable around one or two axes or around a point. Furthermore, there is the possibility of designing the connecting piece in such a way that the position of the connecting piece extension is determined by the quantity and/or pressure of the fresh water flowing in.
In certain cases, particularly for washing purposes in kitchens or laboratories or even for washing hair in bathrooms or hair salons, it is desirable to connect the connecting piece to the fresh water supply via a flexible line. The connecting piece and hose may then be pulled from a rest position, in which the connecting piece does not project into the basin or only the connecting piece extension projects, into an active position, in which the connecting piece is manually guided.
In order to increase the operating comfort, the washing device suggested may also be implemented so that not only fresh water, but also additives, generally in liquid form, such as detergent and/or soap solutions and/or a disinfectant used after washing and possibly hot air for drying the object or body part washed, may be supplied through the connecting piece already cited or possibly through one or more additional connecting pieces.
The supply of the fresh water is not controlled directly through manual actuation of an actuating element such as a lever or a control knob, but is remote-controlled with the aid of a sensor device, which is connected to the shut-off member via a pneumatic or electrical line arrangement. In this case, however, the quantity of water supplied over time, the mixing ratio of hot to cold fresh water, and the stream configuration may be influenced by the user, if a suitable sensor device is positioned. Typical washing devices having typical armature parts like faucets, particularly in public areas, are already often currently equipped with sensors which react to pressure and/or contact, which may be actuated by hand or foot pressure. Sensors which are actuated through foot pressure are preferable for hygienic reasons, since renewed contamination of the just washed hands by touching the supply device is dispensed with. Furthermore, there are currently systems which operate using infrared and/or radar. However, these systems only allow the supply to be switched on and off.
Not only for hygienic reasons, but also for ecological reasons, i.e., for reduction of the fresh water consumed and the energy consumed, it is especially advantageous to control the supply of the fresh water, and preferably its quantity and temperature, remotely with the aid of sensors acting without contact, which only bring the shut-off member into an open setting when an object or body part to be cleaned is located in the basin. Such sensors largely prevent improper use by a user and allow thrifty fresh water consumption.
As an example of this remote control, a sequence of hand washing and drying in a combined washing/drying basin, selected for exemplary purposes, is described:
The dry hands are held in the middle of the wash basin. The two sensors on the left and right, which are positioned symmetrically in relation to the fresh water outlet and are now practically identically excited, turn on the fresh water supply (cold and hot water). The hands are wetted. If the right hand, which sets the temperature, is moved to the right, toward the right sensor, which is now excited more, the water becomes colder until both hands are moved together into the middle. If the left hand, which sets the temperature, is moved to the left, toward the left sensor, which is now excited more, the water becomes warmer until both hands are moved together into the middle. Any time both wet hands are moved forward toward a third sensor positioned in the direct proximity of the fresh water outlet, a single addition of liquid soap to the fresh water is triggered. Using soap and fresh water of the temperature selected, the hands may now be washed. Pulling back both hands out of the wash basin interrupts the fresh water supply and dipping the wet hands (left hand near the left sensor and right hand near the right sensor) back in turns on the hot air supply, which preferably flows out of the same outlet opening as the fresh water and soap did previously, into the wash basin, which now functions as a drying device. If the left hand, which feels the hot air, is kept still and the right hand, which sets the temperature, is moved to the right toward the right sensor, which is now excited more, the hot air becomes colder until both hands are moved together into the middle. If the right hand, which feels the hot air, is kept still and the left hand, which sets the temperature, is moved to the left toward the left sensor, which is now excited more, the hot air becomes warmer until both hands are moved together into the middle. After the hands are moved together and dried, the hot air supply is interrupted as soon as the hands are removed from the washing/drying basin.
For the safety of the user, the maximum temperatures for water and air are preferably permanently set at a safe value of 55° C. and may not be exceeded in any case.
Among other things, the following embodiments or combinations of the sensors, which are well-known to all those skilled in the art, are especially suitable for controlling and/or regulating, i.e., for triggering and influencing, the supply of the fresh water and possibly the quantity and temperature of the fresh water with the aid of remote-controlled contactless sensors:
sensors for generating and detecting an electrical field; sensors and/or cells which react to proximity (instead of pressure), distance sensors; optical sensors such as light-sensitive resistors or photocells in connection with the passive effect of light through ambient light; sensors in combination with resonance circuits which may be influenced, energy measurement, and image processing; sensors as parts of barriers and/or reflection barriers, such as light barriers, radar barriers, ultrasound barriers, microwave barriers, and electrostatic or electrokinetic barriers, movement sensors, according to one of the following principles, for example: pyro, radar, high-frequency, sound, optical, photoresistor, photodiode, phototransistor.
The sensors of the sensor device may be positioned in and/or on the basin or in the surroundings of the washing device, for example, on or in the structure which supports the basin, on or in a building wall, a floor, or a room ceiling; if the washing device is endangered by vandals, it is suggested that the sensors be positioned so that the user has no access thereto. In addition, the sensors may be positioned in a connecting piece positioned on the basin, which also provides the supply of the medium. In connection with the present invention, the concept of “medium” includes all fluid media which may be used for cleaning and/or drying material, such as detergent, cold water, hot water, mixed water, disinfectant, gases such as nitrogen gas, or heated air. The concept of “material” includes all body parts or objects which may be impinged using the media for washing and/or drying.
As described above, the washing device suggested may be implemented in such a way that the supply of fresh water, i.e., its quantity flowing in over time and its temperature and/or the mixing ratio of hot water to cold water, may be influenced by the user. The quantity and/or temperature of the fresh water and/or of the medium may also be determined in other ways, for example, as follows:
The quantity of fresh water flowing in may be fixed or set by influencing suitable parameters; for example, the quantity may be regulated as a function of the pressure in the supply line. The temperature of the fresh water flowing in may be regulated or controlled and/or set and stored at a fixed value.
The influencing of the temperature may be performed as follows:
electronically and/or electromechanically with the aid of actuators, in that the temperature is preselected in the normal washing procedure (as described above) and is electronically stored by laying the right and/or left hand on the basin edge, so that the positioning of an object or body part in the basin is analyzed. mechanically with the aid of a regulating screw; electronically with the aid of a temperature sensor and a corresponding setpoint preset; electromechanically with the aid of a bimetallic element and a bimetallic setpoint preset; with the aid of the water supply via an instantaneous water heater or boiler.
Up to this point, only the supply of the medium to the basin and the supply device used for this purpose has been described in more detail. As was already briefly mentioned above, typical washing devices also have a drain armature, via which the dirty water may flow into the building sewer line and then into the sewer system.
It is mentioned here only for the sake of completeness that the drain armature may either allow continuous drainage of the dirty water or may have a typical device, using which the water may be prevented from flowing out of the basin, the arrangement of a non-closable overflow opening being necessary or at least extremely recommended in the latter case.
The drain armature is typically provided with a stench trap device, which is referred to as a siphon, having multiple angles. This stench trap device is implemented in such a way that the line between the basin and the sewer system is always completely filled with water in at least one cross-section, but in practice in a certain region. Through this water, a type of stopper is formed, which prevents the smells of the sewer system from flowing into the basin and thus into the room. If a basin is not used for a certain period of time, a part of the water which forms the stopper will evaporate, as a function of the ambient temperature and the ambient pressure, so that the stench trap is not maintained. In order to prevent this, the washing device suggested—as well as any other washing and/or drying device provided with an automatic supply for fresh water—may be provided with a protective device for maintaining the stench trap. This protective device has a sensor positioned in the region of the siphon, which reacts to a change of a state variable in a siphon, the water level or stench, for example, and causes a small quantity of fresh water to flow into the basin in the event of inadequacy of the stench trap, in order to produce the stench trap again. To maintain and/or reproduce the stench trap, supplying a small quantity of fresh water after a specific time interval or after a specific time interval from the last use of the washing device may also be provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following, further details and advantages of the present invention are described in greater detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments and partially with reference to the drawing. All figures are schematic and not to scale, and corresponding constructive elements are provided with identical reference numbers in the different figures, even if they are designed differently in detail.
FIG. 1 shows a washing device according to the present invention implemented as a washstand, in a vertical section;
FIG. 2 shows the washstand shown in FIG. 1 , but with a connecting piece which is connected to the supply line via a flexible adapter, in a vertical section;
FIG. 3 shows a washing device according to the present invention implemented as a washstand, having a connecting piece extension, in a top view;
FIG. 4 shows a washing device according to the present invention implemented as a washstand having a pivotable connecting piece, in a vertical partial section;
FIG. 5 shows a connecting piece having a mouth part designed as a spray nozzle and an additive connection, in a section which contains the connecting piece lengthwise axis;
FIG. 6 shows a connecting piece having an additive connection, in order to introduce an additive centrally into the outlet cross-section, in a view from the inside of the basin;
FIG. 7 shows variants of a connecting piece, placed on a wash basin, having integrated water outlet and sensors:
FIG. 7A illustrating an armature having two sensors for the positioning (optical, ultrasound, pyro, etc.);
FIG. 7B illustrating a first armature having integrated sensors for generating an electrical field;
FIG. 7C illustrating a further armature having integrated sensors for generating an optical field;
FIG. 8 shows a washing device according to the present invention implemented as a washstand, having an additional connecting piece for an additive, in a front view;
FIG. 9 shows the washstand illustrated in FIG. 1 , having a first sensor device, in a top view;
FIG. 10 shows the washstand illustrated in FIG. 1 , having a second sensor device, in a top view;
FIG. 11 shows the washstand illustrated in FIG. 1 , having a third sensor device, in a top view;
FIG. 12 shows the washstand illustrated in FIG. 1 , having a fourth sensor device for generating an electrical field, in a top view;
FIG. 13 shows the washstand illustrated in FIG. 1 , having a fifth sensor device, in a front view;
FIG. 14 shows a washstand having an overflow opening, in which the connecting piece and the sensor device are positioned;
FIG. 15 shows the washstand illustrated in FIG. 12 having an intake connecting piece and a sixth sensor device for generating an electrical field, in a top view;
FIG. 16 shows a washstand having an intake connecting piece and a seventh sensor device for generating an electrical field, in a top view;
FIG. 17 shows a washstand having a variant to the connecting piece illustrated in FIG. 7C , in a front view;
FIG. 18 shows a simplified embodiment of a sensor device as shown in FIG. 16 , in a front view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a washing device 10 , positioned on a building wall 1 , in the form of a washstand, also identified with reference number 10 . The washing device 10 includes a basin 12 , which may optionally be positioned in a basin enclosure 13 . The basin 12 is delimited by a basin wall 14 , which has a first opening 16 in its upper region and a second opening 18 in its lowest region. A connecting piece 20 , which is integrated into the basin wall 14 and which forms an essential part of the supply device (not shown further in FIG. 1 ), is attached in the first opening 16 , which may also only be a breakout and/or a notch reentrant from the edge of the basin. The outlet cross-section 21 of the connecting piece 20 is positioned flush with the inner surface of the basin wall 14 or inside the basin wall. The fresh water flows out of the connecting piece 20 into the basin 12 in a preferably bubbling stream 100 .
FIG. 2 shows a washstand 10 similar to that in FIG. 1 , with the single difference that the connecting piece 20 is connected to the fresh water supply line (not shown) via a flexible adapter and/or a hose 22 . The connecting piece 20 and part of the hose 22 may be pulled out of a resting position, in which the connecting piece 20 is received in the basin wall 14 , through the first opening 16 to the inside of the basin 12 in the position shown in FIG. 2 .
The washstand 10 illustrated in FIG. 3 is implemented essentially identically to the washstand of FIG. 1 , but its connecting piece 20 , which is integrated into the basin wall 14 , has a connecting piece extension 23 , projecting slightly over the basin wall 14 into the inside of the basin 12 , which contains a spray nozzle. A drain armature 19 , attached in the second opening 18 , is positioned centrally in the basin 12 . Such an arrangement is suggested, for example, if the washstand 10 is also to be used for washing hair, or if the washstand is to be used for washing bulky objects or for filling large vessels. Actuating elements 24 are positioned on the connecting piece extension 23 , using which the supply of fresh water may be started and possibly its quantity over time and temperature may be controlled.
FIG. 4 shows a connecting piece 20 , which is pivotably mounted using a ball and socket joint 25 , a handle 26 , which projects into the inside of the basin 12 , being provided for adjusting the connecting piece 20 .
Up to this point, only the arrangement and use of the washing device 10 for washing and/or cleaning an object using fresh water has been described in detail, the duration of the flow, the quantity, and/or the temperature of the fresh water flowing in able to be influenced. However, the washing device may also be implemented so that it allows the execution of additional functions. In particular, additives 102 , i.e., generally further fluids, may be added in this way, for example, cleaning products such as soap, disinfectant, or hot air. The addition of additives may be initiated automatically or remote-controlled manually. In this case it is possible to supply the additives 102 through the same connecting piece 20 or at least through the same opening of the basin or even through one or more further openings of the basin. It is especially advantageous if the basin may also be supplied with hot air for drying the objects cleaned or the washing device 10 itself.
The supply of the various fluids may, for example, be performed in the following sequence:
fresh water for wetting the hands soap fresh water for washing off the soap possibly disinfectant hot air for drying the hands.
Such arrangements are particularly suitable for laboratories and hospitals.
A connecting piece 20 , which contains a spray nozzle 27 in the region of its outlet cross-section 21 , is illustrated in FIG. 5 . Furthermore, this connecting piece 20 has an auxiliary connecting piece, which forms an additive connection 28 , through which a suitable additive 102 may be supplied. FIG. 6 shows a further connecting piece 20 , using which an additive 102 may be supplied centrally and/or within the stream 100 of the fresh water.
FIG. 7 shows variants of a connecting piece 20 , placed on a wash basin 10 , having integrated water outlet and sensors. FIG. 7A shows an armature having two sensors S 1 , S 2 (optical, ultrasound, pyro, etc.) for determining the presence and the position of the hands in the wash basin. FIG. 7B shows a first armature having especially preferred, integrated sensors for generating an optical field: four cells are positioned on the connecting piece 20 , specifically two transmitters E 1 , E 2 and two receivers R 1 , R 2 (cf. also FIG. 9 , in which these cells are positioned in the basin wall 14 ). For this capacitive solution, these cells essentially comprise four plates. FIG. 7C shows a further armature having integrated sensors for generating an electrical field, the four cells E 1 and R 1 and E 2 and R 2 , respectively, being positioned in a collar at the foot of the connecting piece and generating and/or monitoring the fields A 1 , A 2 and/or their overlap region A 3 .
Alternatively to what is shown in FIG. 7 , the intake connecting piece 20 may also be positioned in a wall 1 , on which the wash basin 10 is positioned, over the basin 12 . The cells E 1 , R 1 and/or E 2 , R 2 (cf. also FIG. 9 ) for generating an electrical or optical field are then preferably also positioned to the left and right of the intake connecting piece 20 in the wall 1 over the basin 12 . The sensor device 50 is preferably combined with the connecting piece 20 into a module 60 (cf. also FIG. 13 ).
A variant for the additive supply is illustrated in FIG. 8 . In this case, the connecting piece 20 is used for supplying the fresh water, while an auxiliary connecting piece 30 is provided for additive supply. The greater constructive outlay is disadvantageous in this case, but it is advantageous that in cases in which the fresh water is also to be consumed, there are no residues of additives 102 in the connecting piece 20 .
In the following, the arrangement and mode of operation of the sensor device 50 are described, using which the inflow and/or the temperature of the fresh water and possibly of the additive(s) to the basin may be controlled.
It is to be noted here that the sensor devices described in the following may also be used in typical washing devices having connecting pieces which are not integrated into the basin wall, in which the fresh water is supplied in a typical way via a connecting piece to a faucet, this faucet not having an actuating element for displacing the shut-off member, i.e., no control knob or lever, however, since this member may be actuated by remote control with the aid of the sensor device. However, the combination of the connecting piece integrated into the basin wall with the remote-controlled actuation of the shut-off member is especially advantageous, as described above.
A further and—in relation to the modes of operation already described—very simple variant of the design and operation of the basin is as follows: an object to be cleaned, which may even be a body part, is held in a basin. A sensor device of any type senses the presence of this object and/or body part and acts on a shut-off member in such a way that it is moved from its closed position into an open position, so that fresh water flows into the inside of the basin through a connecting piece integrated into the basin.
The supply of fresh water may be interrupted in various ways, for example:
upon removal of the object from the basin; or a short period of time, for example one second, after removal of the object from the basin; or after a specific, preselectable period of time, during which fresh water flows in; or according to a combination of the three criteria just cited.
In the variant illustrated in FIG. 9 , the sensor device, which is only indicated with 50 in FIG. 13 , has four cells positioned on the basin 12 and/or in the basin wall 14 , specifically two transmitters E 1 , E 2 and two receivers R 1 , R 2 . For a capacitive solution, these cells essentially comprise four plates which form an electrical field, for an optical solution they comprise two optical transmitters and two optical receivers.
The number of cells used is not restricted, in principle, one to n cells and/or one to n sensors may be provided. The cells react as barrier cells and as reflection cells. A barrier reaction generally occurs if an object reaches the inside of basin 12 . A reflection reaction occurs if an object reaches a very specific region of the basin 12 , for example, if a washcloth is hung over the edge of the basin 12 .
Various sequences may be executed using this arrangement:
If an object is held in the middle of the basin 12 , cells E 1 , R 1 and E 2 , R 2 act as barrier cells, which is illustrated by the arrows (a), and the supply of fresh water is initiated. After removal of the object, the supply of fresh water is interrupted immediately or after a certain period of time and/or dwell time; if only an object such as a washcloth is hung over the edge of the basin, a barrier reaction occurs and the inflow of fresh water would begin; this inflow would be prevented, however, by the reflection reaction occurring simultaneously, which is illustrated by the arrows (b). if an object is held in the basin 12 , a barrier reaction occurs and the supply of fresh water is started. Subsequently, the quantity of fresh water flowing in over time and/or the temperature of the water flowing in may be controlled by causing a reflection reaction.
In the variant illustrated in FIG. 10 , two sensor devices S 3 , S 4 , ultrasound sensors, for example, are positioned.
Each of the sensor devices S 3 , S 4 monitors its environment in a region A 3 or A 4 , respectively, of a teardrop-shaped cloud. These regions A 3 , A 4 form an overlap region A 5 in the middle of the basin 12 .
Using this arrangement, the following possibilities are obtained:
If an object is held in the middle of the basin 12 and/or in the overlap region A 5 , it is registered by both sensor devices S 3 , S 4 and the supply of fresh water is initiated. After the object is removed, the supply of fresh water is interrupted immediately or after a certain period of time and/or dwell time. If a washcloth is laid over the sensors S 3 , S 4 , the inflow of fresh water is prevented. If an object is registered by both sensors S 3 , S 4 , the supply of fresh water is initiated. If one of the sensors S 3 , S 4 subsequently detects a proximity, it exercises a control function, for example, the quantity or the temperature of the fresh water flowing in may be controlled.
In a further variant (not shown), the supply of water is initiated by touching a cell and/or a marked point. There are preferably two cells and/or marked points, e.g., red and blue. By pressing the red and/or blue cell for a longer time, the temperature of the fresh water flowing in is caused to rise and/or fall. By actuating both cells and/or marked points for a longer time, the quantity of fresh water flowing in is influenced. The supply of fresh water is interrupted by briefly actuating one cell.
The variant illustrated in FIG. 11 provides a sensor device in which a transmitter E 5 and two receivers R 5 . 1 , R 5 . 2 are positioned on the edge of the basin 12 and connected in such a way that the quantity and/or the temperature of the fresh water flowing in is influenced in a region A 6 through certain hand movements, for example, toward the edge of the basin 12 or down into the bottom of the basin 12 .
Two sensor units are used for a further variant shown in FIG. 12 . Sensor devices operating according to any arbitrary technology may be used, for example, acoustic, optical, or capacitive. Sensor units E 6 , R 6 and E 7 , R 7 , which form capacitive electrical fields A 1 , A 2 , and which may be integrated into the basin wall 14 , for example, are especially suitable. For this purpose, two electrical fields A 1 , A 2 are generated, having an overlap region A 3 . If an object is held in the middle of the basin 12 and/or in the overlap region A 3 , it causes a reaction of both receiver cells R 6 , R 7 , and the supply of fresh water is initiated. If one of the electrical fields is then influenced more strongly, the quantity of the fresh water and its temperature may be varied. This is also possible using an arrangement in which the sensor device operates according to the reflection method and transmitters E 6 and E 7 and receivers R 6 and R 7 , respectively, each lie on the same side of the basin 12 . In combination with a wash basin 10 and a sensor device 50 as shown in FIG. 12 , armatures of typical design may also be used. These are then actuated via the sensors and actuating elements, so that even with such conventional armatures, the fresh water temperature may be set by the user without contact.
The washing device 10 illustrated in FIG. 12 thus includes a device for controlling the supply of a medium through a supply unit. The basin 12 may also be referred to as an impingement device, because the hands are impinged with water. The supply unit comprises at least one shut-off member and each shut-off member may be brought into a closed position and/or at least one open position using an actuating element. This device 2 for controlling the supply of a medium includes a sensor device 50 for contactless determination of the presence of material to be impinged using this medium and/or of hands. This sensor device 50 is additionally implemented for contactless determination of the relative position of the hands in relation to the basin and/or the impingement device and for outputting signals, which act on the actuating elements in such a way that they bring the shut-off members into a setting corresponding to the presence and the position of the hands.
Another variant, which may be combined with the variants above, provides using a large quantity of fresh water, preferably hot and having a cleaner or disinfectant, at specific time intervals and/or after a specific number of uses of the washing device, in order to clean the basin.
As shown in FIG. 13 , the sensor device 50 may be positioned together with the connecting piece 20 in a module 60 , which results in simplification and/or allows the replacement of no longer functional parts and results in visually pleasing effects.
The connecting piece 20 or the sensor device 50 may be positioned in an overflow opening 17 of the basin wall. An especially advantageous arrangement is shown in FIG. 14 , according to which both the connecting piece 20 and the sensor device 50 are positioned in the overflow opening 17 .
As shown in FIG. 15 , the cells E 8 and/or R 8 and E 9 and/or R 9 may be positioned in the rear edge of the basin and may generate and/or monitor the electrical fields A 1 , A 2 and/or their overlap region A 3 .
The various modes of operation which are possible using the washing and/or drying device suggested may also be visualized.
The following possibilities are cited as examples for visualization:
Illuminants and/or display means in the basin or in the environment of the basin or on a monitoring station; the display may be produced through variation of the intensity or the number of the illuminants; Display for displaying various variables, analog and/or digital; Display may be implemented as a touch screen and is thus usable as a sensor device; Acoustic displays, i.e., signal tones and/or speech; Parameterization of various washing and cleaning programs via remote control and building system control; Display upon reaching a maximum temperature of the fresh water and/or the hot air.
As mentioned above, the basins 12 not only have supply devices, but also drain armatures 19 , which are mounted in a second opening 18 of the basin wall 14 . Basins which are not used simply as flow-through basins, but in which a certain quantity of fresh water—possibly having an additive—is to be accumulated, have drain armatures 19 having a closing member. The closing member may be actuated manually or, preferably, via remote control in this case, in an analogous way to the shut-off member; basins 12 having closing members typically have an overflow opening 17 in the upper basin region, in order to avoid overflow of the basin. Such an overflow opening may possibly be dispensed with, if there is a sensor system which brings the closing member into its open position and/or interrupts the water supply as soon as the water level in the basin has reached a specific level.
FIG. 16 shows a washstand having an intake connecting piece 20 incorporated into the surface of the basin. The sensor device 50 for generating an electrical field includes the cells E 10 and/or R 10 and E 11 and/or R 11 , which are positioned on the side edge of the basin 12 , corresponding to the cells in FIG. 12 . In addition, the sensor device comprises a transmitter cell E 12 and a receiver cell R 12 , which are positioned next to one another—to generate a third electrical field—on the floor of the basin near the opening 18 for receiving the drain armature 19 . Using this arrangement, a field-amplifying or field-diminishing object (e.g., hands) may be detected three-dimensionally, which allows additional expansion of the control possibilities in the framework of the present invention. In addition, the water surface in the basin may be detected and the supply of fresh water may be stopped and/or the closing member in the drain may be opened if necessary, i.e., if a specific filling height is exceeded. An overflow opening 17 is then no longer necessary. This filling height monitoring may also be used in a basin having a typical armature, which is known per se. Therefore, an overflow fitting, which is known to be subject to contamination, may be dispensed with. Overflow of the basin is then successfully prevented by the sensors even if the quantity of fresh water supplied may not be drained off because, for example, a wash cloth covers the drain opening.
Accordingly, the washstand of the present invention controls or regulates the supply of medium, e.g. a cleaning agent, cold water, hot water, a disinfectant, a gas, and/or heated air, through a supply unit for the medium. The supply unit includes the at least one shut-off member and each shut-off member is able to be brought into a closed position and/or at least one open position using an actuating element. The washstand includes the sensor device 50 for contact-less determination of the presence of parts of the body to be impinged by the medium, and for contact-less determination of the relative position of the parts of the body in relation to a basin of the washstand for outputting signals which act on the actuating element in such away that they bring the shut-off member into a setting corresponding to the presence and the position of the parts of the body. The sensor device includes the at least two sensors, e.g. E 10 , R 10 and E 11 , R 11 , positioned to the left and right of the fresh water outlet 21 , preferably symmetrically in relation to this fresh water outlet 21 . The basin 12 has a basin wall 14 and the device for controlling the supply of medium can be positioned in the basin wall 14 . The controlling device may alternatively be in a module 60 that is separated from the basin wall. The connecting piece 20 and the sensor device 50 may be positioned in an overflow opening 17 of the basin wall 14 . The basin may have a drain armature 19 at a drain opening 18 of the basin, with a closing member connected to a sensor, which may be actuated by remote control via the sensor. The drain armature 19 includes a siphon for creating a stench or odor trap that is downstream from the basin 10 , attached in the drain opening 18 , a sensor being positioned in the region of the siphon which reacts to a falling away of the stench trap. This sensor is connected to the shut-off member to temporarily bring it out of its closed position and into an open position in the event the stench trap falls away, to supply a quantity of fresh water which recreates the stench trap.
A corresponding overflow protection may also be implemented if distance sensors (e.g., optical, acoustic, radar, capacitive, etc.) are positioned on an arbitrary point, preferably on the armature, on the basin, or on a wall 1 which supports the basin. Corresponding reflection or pass-through barriers may also be attached in the basin 12 . A further embodiment variation for an overflow protection comprises a vessel (not shown), communicating with the basin 12 , which is positioned behind the washing device 10 , for example, and to which a level sensor is connected. All of these embodiments of an overflow protection share the feature that upon reaching a predetermined water level in the wash basin, the fresh water supply is automatically interrupted. In addition, the supply of all other media may also be interrupted.
FIG. 17 shows a washstand 10 having a connecting piece in a variation to that illustrated in FIG. 7C , in a front view. The two pairs of cells E 13 and/or R 13 and E 14 and/or R 14 are attached at the highest point of the bottom of the curved connecting piece 20 and generate and/or monitor the two fields A 3 , A 4 and the overlap region A 5 . The filling height in the basin 12 may also be monitored using this arrangement.
FIG. 18 shows an embodiment of a sensor arrangement, simplified in relation to that illustrated in FIG. 16 , in a front view. The two pairs of cells E 10 and/or R 10 (shown) and E 11 and/or R 11 (not shown) are attached at the highest point of the basin wall 14 , determined by a maximum filling state, and generate and/or monitor two electrical fields. If the water rises to the height of the receiver cells E 10 and/or E 11 , the electrical fields are thus strongly changed. This change is used to trigger stopping of the fresh water supply and/or to open the drain armature. Therefore, the filling height may also be monitored using this arrangement and an overflow opening 17 may be dispensed with. This embodiment is suitable (as described) for changing the fresh water temperature by the user. If, however, only the filling state is to be monitored, providing only one transmitter cell E 10 and one receiver cell R 10 (shown) suffices for this purpose.
The drain armature includes a siphon, which forms a stench trap device between the basin and the sewer system, in that at least one cross-section of the siphon always contains water, through which a type of water stopper is formed. If a washing device is not used for a long period of time, a part of the water in the siphon may evaporate, so that the stench trap is no longer present. In order to prevent this, a siphon sensor may be positioned in the region of the siphon, which is coupled to the shut-off member, and briefly brings the shut-off member into its open setting if the stench trap falls away due to a water level in the siphon which is too low, so that a small quantity of fresh water flows in, which is sufficient to ensure the stench trap again. Alternatively, a small quantity of fresh water may be added to maintain and/or reproduce the stench trap using a time-delay element, as described above.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the stench trap is implemented by a time-controlled (for example, using a periodic interval) controller.
Finally, it is also to be noted that the energy for the washing device suggested may be supplied from the mains, using mains voltage or low voltage, or from a battery or an alternative source. The electronics may be implemented so they are capable of bus or building system control, in particular for the parameterization of washing and cleaning programs and for statistical analyses.
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The invention relates to a device ( 2 ) for controlling and/or regulating the supply of a medium using a supply unit for an impingement device. Said supply unit comprises at least one shut-off member and each shut-off member can be moved into a closed position and at least one open position by means of an actuating element. The device comprises a sensor unit ( 50 ) for determining in a contactless manner the presence of a material that is to be impinged by the medium. The inventive device ( 2 ) is characterized in that said sensor unit ( 50 ) is additionally configured for the contactless determination of the relative position of the material in relation to the impingement device ( 10 ) and for the output of signals, which act on the actuating elements in such a way that the later moves the shut-oft members into a position that corresponds with the presence and the location of the material to be impinged by the medium. The washing and/or drying devices ( 10 ) preferably comprise a device ( 2 ) of this type for controlling and/or regulating the supply of water and/or warm air for washing and/or drying purposes. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0001] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A well capable of producing oil or gas will typically have a well structure to provide support for the borehole and isolation capabilities for different formations. Typically, the well structure includes an outer structure such as a conductor housing at the surface that is secured to conductor pipe that extends a short depth into the well. A wellhead housing is landed in the conductor housing with an outer or first string of casing extending from the wellhead and through the conductor to a deeper depth into the well. Depending on the particular conditions of the geological strata above the target zone (typically, either an oil or gas producing zone or a fluid injection zone), one or more additional casing strings will extend through the outer string of casing to increasing depths until the well is cased to its final depth. Each string of casing is supported at the upper end by a casing hanger that lands in and is supported by the wellhead housing, each set above the previous one. Between each casing hanger and the wellhead housing, a casing hanger seal assembly is set to isolate each annular space between strings of casing. The last, and innermost, string of casing extends into the well to the final depth and is referred to as the production casing. The strings of casing between the outer casing and the production casing are typically referred to as intermediate casing strings.
[0003] When drilling and running strings of casing in the well, it is critical that the operator maintain pressure control of the well. This is accomplished by establishing a column of fluid with predetermined fluid density inside the well that is circulated down into the well through the inside of the drill string and back up the annulus around the drill string to the surface. This column of density-controlled fluid balances the downhole pressure in the well. A blowout preventer system (BOP) is also used to as a safety system to ensure that the operator maintains pressure control of the well. The BOP is located above the wellhead housing and is capable of shutting in the pressure of the well, such as in an emergency pressure control situation.
[0004] After drilling and installation of the casing strings, the well is completed for production by installing a string of production tubing that extends to the producing zone within the production casing. The production tubing is supported by a tubing hanger assembly that lands and locks above the production casing hanger. Perforations are made in the production casing to allow fluids to flow from the formation into the productions casing at the producing zone. At some point above the producing zone, a packer seals the space between the production casing and the production tubing to ensure that the well fluids flow through the production tubing to the surface.
[0005] Various arrangements of production control valves are arranged at the wellhead in an assembly generally known as a tree, which is generally either a vertical tree or a horizontal tree. A horizontal tree arranges the production control valves offset from the production tubing and one type of horizontal tree is a Spool Tree™ shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,707, hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. A horizontal tree locks and seals onto the wellhead housing but instead of being located in the wellhead, the tubing hanger locks and seals in the tree bore itself. After the tree is installed, the tubing string and tubing hanger are run into the tree using a tubing hanger running tool (THRT) and a locking mechanism locks the tubing hanger in place in the tree. The production port extends through the tubing hanger and seals prevent fluid leakage as production fluid flows into the corresponding production port in the tree.
[0006] The tubing hanger typically has a plurality of auxiliary passages that surround the vertical bore associated with the production tubing. The auxiliary passages provide penetration access through the tubing hanger from outside the tree for hydraulic, optical, and electrical components located downhole. Electrical, optical, and hydraulic lines extend downhole alongside the tubing to control and/or power downhole valves such as a surface-controlled subsurface safety valve (SCSSV), temperature sensors, electric submersible pumps (ESP), downhole processors, and the like, as well as possibly provide for chemical reagent injection. Other types of lines than those listed may also be extended downhole. As the tubing hanger is landed and set in the tree, the auxiliary passages in the tubing hanger typically wet mate with auxiliary connectors located in the tree itself that may lead to a control unit mounted to the tree assembly.
[0007] A disadvantage of the conventional type of subsea wellhead assembly is that the tubing hanger must be large enough to house the number of passages extending through it. In addition to housing the passages, the tubing hanger requires a certain amount of structural integrity to support the production tubing. Thus there are only so many auxiliary passages that may be included in a given size tubing hanger before the tubing hanger needs to be enlarged. A large diameter tubing hanger also requires a large diameter drilling riser and BOP through which the tubing hanger must be run prior to installing the tree. Additionally, if the tubing hanger is made longer, the tree must also be lengthened, resulting in additional costs and weight for both items.
[0008] Another disadvantage of the auxiliary passages is that different wells may require different functions. Thus, trees must be “customized” to meet the needs of the particular well. Whereas certain downhole functionality may be common among many wells, other types of functionality may be more optional. Building a “one-size-fits-all” tubing hanger/tree thus would be inefficient because unwanted functionality built into the tree/tubing hanger adds unnecessary size, weight, and cost to the completion. Manufacturing costs alone would cause inefficiencies because of the added complexity and labor of manufacturing auxiliary ports into a solid tree body.
[0009] Another concern is that the downhole functionality needs of any given well may change over the life of the well. Specifically, a well may produce fluids at high pressure during the initial life of the well, but the pressure may taper off in the later part. With the initial higher production, the tree needs to be able to handle pressure as high as 15,000 psi. With such a high pressure, there is usually little need to install an ESP or engineer the capability of powering and controlling the ESP through the tubing hanger because the fluid pressure is adequate for fluid production. However, the pressure may taper off to as low as 5,000 psi during the life of the well and may require the use of an ESP. If so, the entire tree and completion may need to be pulled and replaced to add the ESP capability, thus costing the well operator valuable time and money. The initial tree could be designed for ESP functionality, but would result in a higher initial cost of the tree itself.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] For a more detailed description of the embodiments, reference will now be made to the following accompanying drawings:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a function spool installed on a well; and
[0012] FIG. 2 shows example auxiliary port connections that may be used in the function spool.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0013] In the drawings and description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The present invention is susceptible to embodiments of different forms. Specific embodiments are described in detail and are shown in the drawings, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that illustrated and described herein. It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed below may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. Any use of any form of the terms “connect,” “engage,” “couple,” “attach,” or any other term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the elements and may also include indirect interaction between the elements described. The various characteristics mentioned above, as well as other features and characteristics described in more detail below, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a function spool 10 mounted onto a subsea wellhead 12 . Mounted on the function spool 10 opposite the wellhead 12 , FIG. 1 also shows a horizontal tree 14 . When the well is drilled and ready for completion, the function spool 10 and the horizontal tree 14 are lowered and installed onto the wellhead 12 using hydraulically operated collet connectors 18 , with seals being formed by appropriate gaskets as shown. Although not shown, appropriate valves for controlling fluid production from the horizontal tree 14 are located in or attached to the horizontal tree 14 . Additionally, any suitable connectors may be used instead of the collet connectors 18 . For example, the function spool 10 and horizontal tree 14 may be attached using a bolted flange.
[0015] When the well is ready for completion, appropriate plugs are set downhole from the wellhead 12 to maintain fluid pressure. The blowout preventer (BOP) and riser are then removed from the wellhead 12 and the function spool 10 and horizontal tree 14 are installed either in separate sections or both sections at the same time. The BOP and riser are then reattached to the horizontal tree 14 and the plugs removed from the well using an appropriate tool run in through the riser. When installed, the function spool 10 and horizontal tree 14 may then be pressure tested to confirm pressure integrity.
[0016] A tubing hanger running tool (THRT) is then used to lower a completion, including a tubing hanger 20 and a string of production tubing 22 , through the riser and land the tubing hanger 20 in the horizontal tree 14 . When landed, the THRT actuates a lock ring 21 at the top of the tubing hanger 20 that engages the horizontal tree 14 and locks the tubing hanger 20 in place. It should be noted though that any locking assembly may be used, such as expandable dogs that engage a corresponding profile in the horizontal tree 14 . The production tubing 22 extends below the tubing hanger 20 into the well and the tubing hanger 20 includes an internal bore 24 aligned on one end with the bore of the production tubing 22 . The other end of the internal bore 24 exits the tubing hanger 20 in alignment with a master production port 26 in the horizontal tree 14 for producing well fluids to the surface. Although not shown, the completion includes a rotational alignment means that aligns the tubing hanger 20 with the horizontal tree 14 for aligning the internal bore 24 with the production port 26 as the tubing hanger 20 is lowered into the set position.
[0017] The completion also includes a function mandrel 30 extending from the production tubing 22 below the tubing hanger 20 . As shown, the function mandrel 30 surrounds the production tubing 22 and is held in place by any suitable connection with the production tubing 22 , such as a threaded connection or welding. Instead of being housed in the tubing hanger 20 , the auxiliary function passages are located in the function mandrel 30 to interact with the function spool 10 . Such auxiliary function passages may be located in any position in the function mandrel 30 and may include passages 32 for electrical, optical, and hydraulic lines that extend downhole alongside the production tubing 22 to control and/or power downhole valves such as a surface-controlled subsurface safety valve (SCSSV), temperature sensors, downhole electric submersible pumps (ESP), downhole processors, and the like, as well as possibly provide for chemical reagent injection. Other types of lines than those listed may also extend downhole from the function mandrel 30 .
[0018] Corresponding to the functional passages 32 are ports 44 in the function spool 10 that provide access to the function passages 32 from outside the tree for controlling and/or powering the components located downhole. The auxiliary passages 32 typically house connectors that passively wet mate with auxiliary port connectors located in the function spool 10 and may take any suitable form, including vertical or horizontal connectors. The ports 44 in the function spool 10 also include connectors and may also lead to a control unit located subsea or on the surface. Additionally, although the tubing hanger 20 may interact with the horizontal tree 14 to align the radial angle of the tubing hanger 20 and thus the function mandrel 30 , the connection of the function mandrel 30 to the production tubing 22 may be designed to allow a certain amount of function mandrel 30 vertical and rotational movement. The ability of the function mandrel 30 to move allows for a certain amount of tolerance should the connectors not be perfectly aligned when the tubing hanger 20 is in the set position.
[0019] As an example, the function spool 10 includes an auxiliary passage 32 for housing a hydraulic fluid line 36 that extends downhole to an SCSSV (not shown). The SCSSV controls the flow of fluid through the production tubing 22 from the producing zone. The fluid line 36 extends from the SCSSV and into the function mandrel 30 and routes into a passive coupler 40 . Corresponding with the coupler 40 in the function mandrel 30 , the function spool 10 includes a vertical coupler 42 that can extend from the function spool 10 into alignment with the function mandrel 30 coupler 40 for a vertical stab connection as shown. The stab connection forms a fluid tight connection when the tubing hanger 20 lands in the horizontal tree 14 . From the coupler 42 , a port 44 extends through the function spool 10 and is accessible from outside the function spool 10 by a hydraulic control line 46 that extends to the surface. When connected, the hydraulic control line 46 enables surface control of the SCSSV for well operations. Alternatively, line 36 may be an electrical line for powering a downhole electric submersible pump (ESP) (not shown).
[0020] Also shown in FIG. 1 is an example of another auxiliary passage 32 for housing an electrical line 50 for powering an ESP (not shown). The ESP is used to increase the fluid pressure for production fluids through the production tubing 22 from the producing zone. The electrical line 50 extends from the ESP and into the function mandrel 30 and routes into a passive coupler 52 . Corresponding with the function mandrel 30 coupler 52 is a horizontal coupler 54 that can extend from the function spool 10 into engagement with the passive coupler 52 for a horizontal stabbing engagement as shown. The stab connection thus forms a fluid tight connection between the electrical line 50 and an electrical line 56 located in a port 44 that extends through the function spool 10 and is accessible from outside the function spool 10 by an electrical line 60 that extends to the surface. When connected, the electrical line 50 thus enables surface control of the ESP for well operations. Alternatively, line 50 may be a hydraulic line that extends downhole to an SCSSV (not shown).
[0021] The examples shown are simply two possible types of connections that may be made through auxiliary ports in the function mandrel 30 and accessible from the function spool 10 . It should be appreciated that other types of connections may be made as well and that the connections shown in the examples may be used for different types of communication lines, such as for example, electrical, hydraulic, or optical. Additionally, there may be as many auxiliary ports as a given function mandrel 30 may allow. Because the function mandrel 30 is not being used to support the weight of the production tubing 22 , the function mandrel 30 does not require the robust structural integrity of a support body.
[0022] With the completion set, the well is ready for production. To create a barrier to fluid from escaping the internal bore 24 through the top of the tubing hanger 20 , plugs 62 are run into the internal bore 24 and set. The BOP and riser may then be removed from the horizontal tree 14 and retrieved. Using the hydraulic control line 36 , hydraulic fluid may be used to open the downhole SCSSV and allow fluid production to flow from the production tubing 22 , and into the production port 26 for flow to the surface or any other desired location.
[0023] At different times in the life of the well, the well may need additional or different downhole functionalities. For example, as already mentioned, fluid pressure may initially be adequate for fluid production but a downhole ESP may need to be added for production in the future. Additionally, various downhole sensors or processors may need to be added for ongoing production monitoring and management. With the function spool 10 and function mandrel 30 , the horizontal tree 14 and the tubing hanger 20 need be designed for connecting and supporting the production tubing 22 . The various functional connections are no longer made in the tubing hanger 20 but are instead made using passages in the function mandrel 30 and function spool 10 . The well operators may thus change out the function mandrel 30 and function spool 10 on an as needed basis during the life of the well without having to purchase an entirely new horizontal tree 14 , resulting in considerable cost savings. In addition, the horizontal tree 14 and tubing hanger 20 may be made smaller because they no longer need to house the functional connections, resulting in lower costs. Further cost savings result from a smaller horizontal tree 14 and tubing hanger 20 because of the increased mobility in particular of the horizontal tree 14 itself. With a smaller horizontal tree 14 and separate function spool 10 , the horizontal tree 14 and function spool 10 may now be transported and installed on the wellhead 12 separately using lower capacity cranes without requiring as robust equipment as trees that house all of the functional connections. Further cost savings may also be achieved in manufacturing because instead of each horizontal tree 14 being customized for each well, one horizontal tree 14 may be made for a larger number of wells with the function spool 10 and function mandrel 30 may be customized instead.
[0024] An additional benefit also arises for wells that do not require any downhole functionality to be built into a function spool 10 during the initial production of a well. In those cases, no or minimal functionality may be built into the tubing hanger 20 , such as control for an SCSSV, and the horizontal tree 14 may be installed on the wellhead 12 directly. Later in the life of the well, should additional downhole functionality be needed, the function spool 10 and function mandrel 30 may be added at that time, resulting in cost savings for the well operator from being able to continue using the original horizontal tree 14 and not having to install a full function tree for the initial production.
[0025] Additional examples of connections through the function mandrel 30 are shown in FIG. 2 that shows the function mandrel 30 engaging a coupling collar 70 and held in place with a capture ring bolted to the bottom of the function mandrel 30 . Extending into an auxiliary passage 32 is an electrical line 76 for powering and/or communicating with a downhole sensor (not shown), such as a pressure transducer. However, any downhole sensor may be suitable. The electrical line 76 extends from the sensor into the function mandrel 30 and ends with a threaded connector 77 that threads into a connector base 78 . The connector base 78 is held in place by an insulated ring 79 and includes a pin contact 80 . Corresponding with the connector, a power connector penetrator 82 is extendable from the function spool 10 into engagement with the pin contact 80 for a horizontal stabbing engagement as shown. The stab connection forms a fluid tight connection between the electrical line 76 and an electrical line in the port 44 that extends through the function spool 10 and is accessible from outside the function spool 10 by an electrical line that extends to the surface. When connected, the electrical line 76 thus enables power of and/or communication with a downhole electronic device, such as a downhole sensor.
[0026] FIG. 2 also shows another electrical line 76 for powering and/or communicating with any type of downhole electronic device (not shown), such as a downhole processor. The electrical line 76 extends from the electronic device and into a passage 32 of the function mandrel 30 and ends in a connector base 90 . Extending from the connector base 90 is an electrical contact 92 that extends past a milled portion of the function mandrel 30 . Seals 94 are located in the function mandrel 30 to isolate the milled portion of the function mandrel 30 from fluid pressure in the function spool 10 and flushing ports 96 in the function spool 10 are used to flush the fluid trapped in the milled portion out with appropriate electrical connection fluid. The electrical contact 92 extends into the milled portion and into electrical contact with a contact ring 98 to complete the electrical connection. The contact ring 98 provides a large enough area around the electrical contact 92 that exact placement of the electrical contact 92 with respect to the contact ring 98 is not necessary. Thus, the contact ring 98 does not require exact placement of the function mandrel 30 with respect to the function spool 10 . Although not shown, an electrical line extends from the contact ring 98 in the port 44 that extends through the function spool 10 and is accessible from outside the function spool 10 by an electrical line that extends to the surface. When connected, the electrical line 76 thus enables power of and/or communication with a downhole electronic device, such as a downhole processor.
[0027] While specific embodiments have been shown and described, modifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention. The embodiments as described are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.
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A production assembly and method for controlling production from production tubing supported by a tubing hanger in a well including a wellhead. The assembly includes a function spool engaged with the wellhead and a tree engaged with the function spool. The tubing hanger is landable in the tree bore such that the production tubing is supported in the well by the tree. A function mandrel separate from the tubing hanger is engaged with the production tubing and positionable inside the function spool bore. The function mandrel includes a passage connected to a line extending into the well that is connectable with a port in the function spool such that communication with a downhole component through the line is allowable from outside the function spool.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a gas-lift-ball control device used in oil production and an oil producing method using the gas-lift-ball control device.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The applicant filed an application for patent on Jul. 7, 1990 in China and the patent right was granted to it thereafter, the title of the invention being “A GAS-LIFT OIL PRODUCING DEVICE” and the patent number being 90209934.5. The said device comprises a conventional gas-lift unit and a ball-control mechanism, makes a slug flow in the lift pipe with gas column mixed with well fluid being separated by feeding special gas-lift-balls at regular intervals so that the gas energy can be used to it's maximum and the injection-production ratio is reduced, producing depth is increased, therefore, the gas-lift efficiency is improved.
The ball-control mechanism consists of motor, gear bank, screw rod, oil-gas-ball separator, ball-control wheel, circular-cylinder-shape filter screen, oil-gas-ball inlet pipe and valve, high pressure gas inlet pipe and valve, oil-gas outlet pipe and valve, gas-ball outlet pipe and valve. The mechanism is of bilateral symmetry (left and right). The spiral direction of the left screw rod is opposite to the right one. A valves are connected with the pipelines and the shell of the oil-gas separator. Each pair of valves is connected with the gears and screw rod.
After high pressure gas from high pressure valve goes into the separator, the ball-control wheel turns under the force of the gas flow, and passes the gas-lift-balls into the gas-feeding pipe, forming a kind of flow structure of gas column separated with the gas-lift-balls. When the motor rotates clockwise, the screw rod will open the valve on the left and close the valve on the right. When the left valve opens, oil and gas and ball go into the left separator, with oil and gas going into the oil-gas outlet pipeline through the filter screen. When the left separator is filled with the balls, the motor begins turning anticlockwise. The right valve opens and the left valve closes. When the right valve opens, oil and gas and ball go into the right separator, with oil and gas going into the oil-gas outlet pipeline through the circular-cylinder-shape filter screen.
On May 13, 1994, the applicant filed an application for patent (“THE MULTIFUNCTION BALL-CONTROL DEVICE”), which was improved on the basis of the above-mentioned device. A patent was granted to it and the patent number is 9421188.5. The device takes advantage of the transmission and controlling mechanism and the bilateral symmetry of the above-mentioned device. In this ball-control device, the gas-lift-balls are separated by filter screen, the speed-regulating motor is used, the gear bank is used to control the spiral ball feeder which controls the balls delivery. And also, a spiral oil ditch with some small holes on it was designed, there is a baffle at the end of the oil ditch, on the top of which a separation cap is located for separating gas and oil. Nevertheless, the improved device has the following shortcomings: 1) the structure is complicated and expensive because of using the motor and gear bank and screw rod to control the two shells; 2) the safety degree is reduced and the investment enlarged because of the high pressure of 8-12 Mpa that the two shells have to be subjected to when injecting gas; 3) the feeding of gas and balls is not continuous, therefore, the pressure fluctuates because the two shells send out and receive balls and separate oil and gas respectively, and also, regular tank change must be proceeded; and 4) it is somewhat difficult to operate because of the bilateral symmetry structure. So, to some extent, the above two patents are difficult to be put into practice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas-lift-ball control device as well as a method of oil production using the device, in which only one low pressure shell is used, and the feeding of gas and balls can be continuous. So there is no fluctuation in pressure in oil-gas gathering and transferring system, the safely and reliability can be ensured, and the needed injection gas amount is reduced and the gas lift efficiency increased in comparison with the devices of the above-mentioned two patents.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas-lift-ball control device, comprising an oil-gas-ball separator shell which is provided with a low pressure gas outlet on the top, an oil-gas-ball inlet on the upper portion and an oil outlet on the lower portion; a perforated spiral pipe which is located inside the separator shell and connected on one end with the oil-gas-ball inlet; a baffle arranged in front of the other end of the perforated spiral pipe; a separating umbrella disposed above the perforated spiral pipe; and a filter screen disposed below the perforated spiral pipe. According to the present invention, a valve for sending out gas-lift-balls is arranged by the side of the filter screen and comprises a valve body having a ball inlet hole, a low pressure gas hole, a high pressure gas inlet hole an a high pressure gas outlet hole, and a valve core which is positioned in the valve body and controlled by an electric control unit. The high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure gas outlet hole are connected respectively with a high pressure gas inlet pipe and a high pressure gas outlet pipe, which extend through the shell wall to the outside. The valve core is provided therein with passage means for connecting the ball inlet hole and the low pressure gas hole in the valve body and for connecting the high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure outlet hole in the valve body alternatively. A shift fork is disposed by the side of the ball inlet hole and controlled by the electric control unit.
The oil producing method using the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention is now described. The gas-lift-ball control device is installed in an oil production line. The high pressure gas inlet pipe of the gas-lift-ball control device is connected with a high pressure gas resource via a valve. The high pressure gas outlet pipe of the gas-lift-ball control device is connected with a gas delivery pipe. The low pressure gas outlet of the gas-lift-ball control device is connected with a gas recovery pipe of the high pressure gas resource. The oil outlet of the device is connected with an oil transferring pipe. The oil-gas-ball inlet of the device is connected with a gas lift pipe. The high pressure gas is first introduced into the annular space between the casing and tubing to press the liquid level to a required depth. The gas-lift-balls are then put into the separator shell and the electric control unit is started to drive the shift fork so that the gas-lift-balls can be sent into the ball inlet hole in the valve body of the valve for sending out gas-lift-balls successively, and the valve core is driven to connect the ball inlet hole with the low pressure gas hole in the valve body and connect the high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure outlet hole in the valve body alternatively. In this manner, the balls and gas are delivered to the gas delivery pipe continuously. The gas-lift-balls and the oil and gas coming from a tailpipe get into the gas lift pipe, and then into the separator shell to separate oil/gas/balls. The gas and balls are recovered for reuse and the oil is transferred from the oil outlet. In this way, the slug flow of oil and gas being separated by balls is formed, the gas lift efficiency is increased. In addition, because the valve sends the balls and gas into the oil well continuously and the separator separates oil, gas and balls (the separated oil going to the gathering and transferring pipe after measuring, the separated gas going to the compressor for reuse, the separated balls staying in the shell for reuse.), the structure of the device is simple, and safety and reliability can be guaranteed.
For this invention, there can be two kinds of valves for sending out balls. One is the slide valve, the other is the rotary valve. When using the rotary valve in the device, the rotary valve body and the valve core which can turn in the valve body will be used. A speed-regulating electric motor and gear reduction unit fixed outside the separator shell will be used as the electric control unit. The valve core of the rotary valve is fixed on the output shaft of the speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit, the diameter of the gas-lift-balls is bigger than the diameter of one end of the passage provided in the valve core and smaller than the diameter of the other end. When the valve core turns clockwise, the ends of the passage will connect the ball inlet hole and the low pressure gas outlet hole, and the high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure gas outlet hole alternatively. The drive conic gear is fixed on the output shaft of the speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit, and the driven conic gear drives the driven shaft on which the shift fork is fixed. The mating surfaces between the rotary valve body and the valve core can be conic, cylindrical, or spherical.
In the rotary valve for sending out balls, the passage means can comprise a straight line passage, or two broken line passages, or two curve passages, and the ball inlet hole, the high pressure gas outlet hole, the low pressure gas hole and the high pressure inlet hole should be arranged correspondingly in the valve body.
In the rotary valve for sending out balls with a straight line passage, the ball inlet hole, the high pressure gas outlet hole, the low pressure gas hole and the high pressure inlet hole are evenly distributed in said order in the valve body at 90° intervals.
In the rotary valve for sending out balls with two broken line passages or two curve passages, the ball inlet hole is arranged adjacent to the low pressure gas hole and the high pressure outlet hole adjacent to the high pressure inlet hole.
The gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention can use a slide valve for sending out balls, in which the valve for sending out balls is a slide valve, the valve body is a slide valve body, the valve core is a slide valve core which slides back and forth in the valve body, and the speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit is disposed outside the separator shell. A crank of a crank-link-block unit is articulated with the output shaft of the speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit. The valve core of the slide valve is fixed on the shift lever of the crank-link-block unit. There are two passages in the valve core: the first passage and the second passage. The first passage is for low pressure gas, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the gas-lift-balls. The second passage is for high pressure gas and the balls. The shift fork is provided with a plurality of claws and fixed on the rod of the crank-link-block unit through another little rod which is perpendicular to the rod of the crank-link-block unit. The mating surfaces between the valve body and the valve core of the slide valve can be rectangular or cylindrical or any other suitable shape.
An automatic control unit for discharging oil can be used in the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention. A floating ball is disposed below the filter screen and a valve is disposed at the oil outlet. A lever and weight unit is disposed outside the separator shell to control the opening of the oil outlet valve. The floating ball and the lever and weight unit are known in the art.
The gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention is equipped with a heating mechanism to prevent the oil in the separator shell from freezing. For example, a coiled radiator is disposed in the separator shell. The outlet and inlet of the coiled radiator are respectively connected to a steam circulating pipeline. A safety head, a safety valve and a pressure gauge are disposed on the separator shell. By the side of the filter screen and above it two holes are disposed respectively for picking up balls and loading balls. Each of the two holes is provided with a sealed cap.
In the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention, the separator shell is provided with a drain pipe on the bottom. A drain valve is disposed on the drain pipe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention with a rotary valve for sending out balls;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention with a slide valve for sending out balls;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary valve for sending out balls with a straight line passage;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary valve for sending out balls with two broken line passages;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary valve for sending out balls with two curve passages;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the slide valve for sending out balls; and
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the gas-lift-ball control device installed in an oil producing pipeline.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiment I
In the gas-lift-ball control device used in oil production according to the first embodiment of present invention, a rotary valve is used for sending out gas-lift-balls. As shown in FIG. 1, a low pressure gas outlet 20 , an oil-gas-ball inlet 14 and an oil outlet 50 are provided respectively on the top, the upper and lower portions of an oil-gas-ball separator shell 35 . In the interior of the oil-gas shell 35 is provided a perforated spiral pipe 15 , the outer end of which is connected with the oil-gas-ball inlet 14 . A baffle 16 is positioned in front of the other end of the spiral pipe 15 . A separating umbrella 17 is disposed above the spiral pipe 15 and a filter screen 16 is located below the spiral pipe 15 . The structure described above is known in the art. The improvements of the present invention are as follows. A speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit 1 is installed outside the shell 35 . An output shaft 2 of the speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit 1 extends into the shell 35 through a seal ring 11 on a manhole cover 10 on the shell 35 and connects with a rotary valve core 3 and the drive conic gear of a pair of conic gears 7 . The driven shaft 51 of the driven conic gear of the pair of conic gears 7 is coaxial with the centerline of the shell 35 . The upper end of the driven shaft 51 is located above the filter screen 9 and is connected with a shift fork 8 . The rotary valve is disposed by the side of the filter screen 9 . The upper surface of the valve body 4 of the rotary valve is located in the same plane as the lower rim of the filter screen 9 . The ball inlet hole 53 in the valve body 4 is perpendicular to the upper horizontal surface of the rotary valve body 4 . There can be three kinds of structures for the rotary valve for sending out gas-lift-balls. They are the rotary valve with a straight line passage (as shown in FIG. 3 ), the rotary valve with two broke line passages (as shown in FIG. 4) and the rotary valve with two curve passages (as shown in FIG. 5 ). As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , the rotary valve body 4 has four through holes, i.e., a ball inlet hole 53 , a low pressure gas hole 57 , a high pressure gas inlet hole 55 and a high pressure gas outlet hole 56 . The rotary valve with a straight line passage has a straight line passage 150 provided in the valve core 3 . Both the rotary valve with broken line passages and the rotary valve with curve passages have two passages, i.e. the first passage 64 and the second passage 63 provided in the valve core 3 . The output shaft 2 drives the valve core 3 to rotate and correspondingly links the two pairs of holes through the passages. A high pressure gas inlet pipe 5 and a high pressure gas outlet pipe 6 are connected respectively with the high pressure gas inlet hole 55 and the high pressure outlet hole 56 and extend to the outside of the shell 35 . In operation of the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention, the gas-lift-ball control device is first installed in the production line as shown in FIG. 7. A high pressure gas resource 101 is connected with the high pressure gas inlet pipe 5 of the gas-lift-ball control device 104 through a valve 102 and an inlet valve 103 . The high pressure gas outlet pipe of the gas-lift-ball control device 104 is connected with a gas delivery pipe 107 in an oil well. The oil-gas-ball inlet 14 of the gas-lift ball control device 104 is connected with a lift pipe 108 in the oil well. The low pressure gas outlet 20 is communicated with a gas recovery pipe of the high pressure gas resource 101 through a gas valve 117 . The oil outlet 50 of the gas-lift-ball control device 104 is connected with an oil transferring pipeline 112 . As in the conventional method of gas lift recovery, when opening the valve 102 and a casing gas inlet valve 105 , the high pressure gas flows into an annular space between the casing 106 and the tubing, pushing the liquid in the oil well to a certain depth. The device 104 is started. The gas inlet valve 103 is opened, transferring the high pressure gas into the high pressure gas inlet pipe 5 . As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 , 4 , and 5 , the speed regulating motor and gear reduction unit 1 is started, driving the rotary valve core 3 to rotate, and making the shift fork 8 work. The shift fork 8 successively shifts the balls 109 which have been loaded in the device 104 into the ball inlet hole 53 in the rotary valve body 4 . In the rotary valve with a straight line passage as shown in FIG. 3, when the valve core 3 is rotated, the bigger end of the straight line passage 150 joins the ball inlet hole 53 and the smaller end joins the low pressure gas hole 57 , whereby a gas-lift-ball 109 is introduced into the bigger end of the straight line passage under the gravity and the pressure. When the rotary valve core 3 continues to rotate, the bigger end of the straight line passage 150 in the valve core 3 joins the high pressure gas outlet hole 56 and the smaller and joins the high pressure gas inlet hole 55 , whereby the gas-lift-ball 109 is pushed out of the device 104 by the high pressure gas flow. In the rotary valve with broken line passages or with curve passages, when the valve core 3 is rotated, the first passage 64 links the ball inlet hole 53 and the low pressure hole 57 , whereby a gas-lift-ball 109 enters the first passage 64 in the valve core 3 under the gravity and the pressure. When the valve core 3 is further rotated, the first passage 64 links the high pressure gas inlet hole 55 and the high pressure gas outlet hole 56 , whereby the gas-lift-ball 109 is pushed out of the device 104 by the high pressure gas flow and enters the gas delivery pipe 107 , and at the same time, the second passage 63 links the ball inlet hole 53 and the low pressure gas hole 57 , whereby a gas-lift-ball enters the second passage 63 . In this manner, the gas-lift-balls are successively sent into the gas delivery pipe 107 . The speed of sending out balls can be changed by regulating the speed of the motor. The gas-lift-balls 109 are hollow balls made of nylon with a small hole in each ball. The clearance between the ball and the inner surface of the gas lift pipe 108 should be as smaller as possible so that the gas-lift-balls can move smoothly in the gas lift pipe. As shown in FIG. 7, the devise 104 sends out the balls at a certain speed to the gas delivery pipe 107 so that the structure of flowing gas column separated by balls at intervals is formed in the gas delivery pipe 107 . When a gas-lift-ball 109 flows to the T point of the gas lift pipe 108 , a tailpipe 116 and the gas delivery pipe 107 , the gas-lift-ball 109 enters the gas lift pipe 108 together with the oil and gas coming from the tailpipe 116 so that the slug flow structure is formed in the gas lift pipe 107 with the ball on the top of one column of gas and with one column of oil on the ball, and the gas lift efficiency is thus improved. In order to prevent the balls from being stuck at the T point, the gas delivery pipe and the gas lift pipe can be connected through a bend of 180°. The bend has some holes which have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the gas-lift-balls and which are in communication with the tailpipe 116 . The mixture of oil, gas and the balls in the gas lift pipe 108 gets into the perforated spiral pipe 15 in the separator shell. Due to gas leaking and pressure reducing effect of the perforated spiral pipe 15 , the gas-lift-balls 109 are separated and drop on the filter screen 9 for reuse. Oil and gas are separated because of the centrifugal force, gravity and the absorption of the separating umbrella 17 to the liquid drops. The separated gas from the low pressure gas outlet 20 is transferred through the gas recovery pipe into the high pressure gas resource 101 for reuse. The separated oil from the oil outlet 50 is transferred into a metering station.
An automatic control unit for controlling oil outflow is disposed in the devise 104 . As shown in FIG. 1, A floating ball 22 is disposed below the filter screen 9 , an oil outflow valve 32 is disposed at the oil outlet 50 , and a lever and weight unit is disposed outside the separator shell 35 . The lever and weight unit consists of an upper horizontal rod 24 , a vertical rod 25 , a lower horizontal rod 26 and an adjustable weight 31 . The upper horizontal rod 24 , the vertical rod 25 and the lower horizontal rod 26 are articulated in said order through two pins 28 and 29 . The upper horizontal rod 24 is fitted at a float buoy manhole unit 23 through a pin 27 . The rod 24 extends into the separator shell 35 and is connected with the float ball 22 . The middle of the rod 26 is fixed at the oil outlet valve 32 through a shaft 30 , and the adjustable weight 31 is hooked at the end of the rod 26 . The float ball 22 can be moved up and down with the float force of the liquid in the shell 35 . When the liquid level moves up, the float ball 22 will be moved up so as to swing the rod 24 about the pin 27 . The rod 24 drives the lower horizontal rod 26 through the vertical rod 25 . The rod 26 drives the shaft 30 provided on the rod 26 to rotate anticlockwise for an angle so as to drive a lever fixed at the shaft 30 to swing anticlockwise. The end of lever drives the conic valve core to move up, and the opening of the oil outlet valve 32 becomes bigger. The oil flow rate to the metering station is increased and the liquid level in the shell 35 moves down. On the other hand, when the liquid level in the shell 35 moves down, the float ball 22 is moved down to reduce the opening of the oil outlet valve 32 . The adjustable weight 31 is used to control the liquid level in the shell 35 , but its effect is opposite to the effect of the float ball 22 on the oil outlet valve 32 .
As shown in FIG. 1, a heating coil 33 for heating the oil is provided in the separator shell 35 . A hole 12 for picking up the balls and a hole 13 for loading the balls are provided on the shell 35 , and sealed caps are provided on the holes 12 and 13 . There are also a safety head 19 , a safety valve 21 and a pressure gauge 18 on the shell 35 . A drain pipe 36 with a valve 37 is located on the bottom of the shell 35 . The shell 35 is fixed on a substructure 34 .
Embodiment II
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the gas-lift-ball control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention employs a slide valve for sending out balls. The structure of this device is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the valve for sending out balls and the shift fork. A speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit 1 and a crank-link-block unit 82 are installed outside the shell 35 . The crank of the unit 82 is articulated with the output shaft of the unit 1 . The rod 83 of the unit 82 extends into the shell 35 through a seal 81 fixed on a manhole cover 10 on the shell 35 . Inside the shell 35 , the rod 83 is connected with the valve core 84 of the slide valve and with a shift fork 86 through a connecting rod. The slide valve for sending out balls is positioned below a filter screen 9 which is in an inclined plane. The upper surface of the valve body 85 links the inclined plane of the filter screen. The ball inlet hole 95 is perpendicular to the upper surface of the valve body 85 as shown in FIG. 6. A hole 70 for the movement of the rod 83 and a balance hole are provided in the valve body 85 . The ball inlet hole 95 , a low pressure gas hole 96 , a high pressure gas inlet hole 97 and a high pressure gas outlet hole 98 are provided in the valve body 85 . Two passages 91 and 92 are provided in the valve core 84 . The valve core 84 is driven by the rod to slide in the valve body. When the valve core 84 slides to an outer limit, the second passage 92 links the ball inlet hole 95 and the low pressure gas hole 96 so that the gas-lift-ball 109 in the ball inlet hole 95 goes into the passage 92 . When the valve core 84 moves to an inner limit, the first passage 92 links the high pressure gas inlet hole 97 and the high pressure gas outlet hole 98 , whereby the high pressure gas from a pipe 7 forces the gas-lift-ball 109 into a high pressure gas outlet pipe 8 and into a gas delivery pipe in the oil well, and at the same time, the passage 91 links the ball inlet hole 95 and the low pressure gas hole 96 , whereby a gas-lift-ball is driven into the ball inlet hole 95 by the shift fork 86 . In this manner, the rod 83 drives the valve core to slide back and forth, so that gas and balls are successively sent into the gas delivery pipe. The other structure of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment and will not be described in detail. The speed-regulating motor and gear reduction units in the first and second embodiments are the same and available in the market.
The present invention is not limited to the gas-lift-ball control devices of the first and second embodiments in which vertical separators are used. The present invention also applies to horizontal separators with rotary or slide valve for sending out the balls.
Industrial Applicability
The present invention has the following advantages as compared with the prior art:
1) The separator shell bears only the low pressure from the oil transferring on the ground, and the pressure from the high pressure gas will be borne by the rotary valve or the slide valve, but the separator shell of the prior art bears high pressure from the gas injection.
2) Only one separator shell is required but the prior art requires two.
3) The cost is reduced by ¾-⅔ compared with the prior art because only one shell, one set of the control valves, and one speed-regulating motor and gear reduction unit are used.
4) The feeding of gas and balls to the gas delivery pipe in the prior art is not continuous but the present invention can guarantee the continuity of feeding gas and balls to the gas delivery pipe, and no pressure fluctuation occurs in the oil and gas transferring system, therefore, safety is improved and the gas amount used can be reduced.
In conclusion, with the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention, the gas lift efficiency can be improved, the gas amount used can be reduced, continuous feeding of gas and the balls can be ensured, the device is simple in structure and easy to put into practice and the safety in production can be ensured.
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This invention relates to a gas-lift ball control device in gas-lift ball oil recovery and a method of oil recovery with the device. In the device a low pressure gas outlet, an oil-gas-ball inlet and an oil outlet are provided on casing of an oil-gas-ball separator. A spiral pipe communicating with the oil-gas-ball inlet is provided within the casing. There is a separating umbrella on the spiral pipe and a filter below the spiral pipe. There is a ball-distributing valve inside the filter. The valve body is provided with a ball-entry bore, a low pressure gas-bore, a high pressure gas-entry bore and a high pressure gas-exit bore. There is a gas path communicating with said two pairs of bore in a manner of rotation or sliding. Gas and balls can be continuously supplied to a gas transporting pipe through the ball-distributing valve. The device is efficient with less gas and simple structure. It can be easily made and be securely and reliably operated. The method relates to a method of oil recovery with the gas-lift ball control device.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Energy Saving Garbage Disposal Unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrically actuated garbage disposal units have become increasingly popular during the past few years. However, in numerous localities the installation of such units is discouraged or prohibited. In certain localities extensive electric wiring is required if such units are to be installed. In other locations, the units are prohibited from being installed on the ground that they unduly increase the electric load to which the utility serving that community is subjected.
A primary object in devising the present invention is to provide a garbage disposal unit that requires no electric energy, but is powered from a domestic source of pressurized water, with the pressurized water not only serving to power the unit, but to flush the masticated garbage down a waste line.
Another object of the invention is to not only provide a pressurized water actuated garbage disposal unit, but one that will reduce the garbage to masticated particles of not greater than a predetermined size, prior to the masticated garbage particles being discharged into a waste line, and with the assurance that due to the small size of the particles the waste line will not become clogged or stopped up as a result of such particles being discharged thereinto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The energy saving garbage disposal unit includes a cylindrical shell disposed under a sink and connected to the drain thereof in a conventional manner. The shell is substantially vertically disposed and intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof has a waste line extending therefrom. A garbage masticating assembly is disposed in the shell above the waste line.
A shaft extends downwardly from the rotary part of the masticating assembly and on the lower end thereof is secured to a number of turbine discs that are separated from one another by radially extending spaces of a predetermined width. The turbine discs are rotatably supported within a circular confined space defined in a housing that depends from the lower end of the shell.
A number of circumferentially spaced nozzles extend inwardly through the periphery of the housing, with the nozzles being in communication with a manifold. The nozzles are adapted to discharge pressurized water from the manifold as a number of high velocity jets into the interior of the housing where the jets impinge on the turbine discs and are substantially tangential thereto. The manifold is in communication with a normally closed valve, which valve by conventional conduit means is connected to the source of pressurized water. The valve is preferably of a type in which the pressure of the water tending to flow therethrough tends to maintain the valve in a closed position, but with the valve assuming an open position when a small amount of pressurized water is allowed to bleed therefrom by use of a manual control. With the valve in the open position, pressurized water flows to the manifold to actuate the turbine. The jets of water after impinging on the turbine blades tend to flow through the radially extending spaces, and in so doing the water previously defining the jets tend to follow a spiral path at it loses velocity and has the pressure thereon increased. The water after pursuing the spiral path above-mentioned enters at least one set of axially aligned upwardly extending openings that are in communication with the interior of the shell. As the turbine discs are driven by kinetic energy imparted thereto by the high velocity jets of water, the rotating portion of the masticating assembly rotates and garbage as it moves downwardly through the shell being masticated. A perforated plate is situated directly under the masticating assembly, with the perforations in the plate only allowing garbage that has been reduced to particles of a predetermined size to pass downwardly therethrough to mix with water discharging upwardly from the turbine, and the mixture of masticated garbage and water flowing from the unit through the waste pipe previously mentioned. The perforated plate not only serves the function above-mentioned, but assures that garbage moving downwardly in the shell will not be disposed below the masticating assembly prior to the masticating operation being conducted. In this manner, the possibility of large chunks of unmasticated garbage moving into the waste line to possibly clog or completely stop the same is substantially eliminated. From the above summary, it will be seen that the pressurized water not only is used to power the unit and flush the masticated garbage down the waste line, but by the use of a valve of the type previously described, the pressurized water is also used to at least partially control the operation of the energy saving garbage disposal unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the energy saving garbage disposal unit and the pressurized water actuated valve used in controlling the operation thereof;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the housing illustrating one of the nozzles that is used therewith in forming a jet of high velocity water to impinge tangentially on the set of spaced turbine blades;
FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the energy saving garbage disposal unit;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view of the device taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a first alternate form of garbage masticating blades;
FIG. 7 is a combined transverse cross-sectional and top plan view of the shell and masticating assembly taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a first alternate form of a garbage masticating blade;
FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a first valve and a second valve used in controlling the flow of pressurized water to the energy saving garbage masticating unit;
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a second valve used in controlling the first valve shown in FIG. 9; and
FIG. 11 is a second top plan view of the second valve, but with the handle thereof in a locked downwardly disposed second position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The energy saving garbage disposal unit A is illustrated in FIG. 4 as disposed below a conventional sink B having a bottom C in which a drain D is provided. A cylindrical shell F is substantially vertically disposed and situated under the drain D in axial alignment therewith. A clamp assembly E of conventional design maintains the shell F in communication with the drain D. The shell F has a first end 10 that is upwardly disposed and a second end 12 from which a housing G depends. The housing G has an outer periphery 14, and has a number of axially aligned and vertically spaced turbine discs H situated therein. The turbine discs H are mounted on the lower portion of a shaft J. A number of circumferentially spaced openings 16 are formed in the outer periphery 14 of the housing G, and a number of nozzles 18 are secured to the housing and extend through the openings 16.
A housing conforming manifold K is provided as best seen in FIG. 2 that is in communication with a normally closed valve L, which valve may be selectively moved to either the closed or open position by a control assembly M. The shell F has a waste line N extending outwardly therefrom at a position intermediate the first and second ends of the shell. A rigid transverse plate O is supported with the confines of the shell F adjacent to the waste line N as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, with this plate having a number of spaced openings 24 therein. The housing G is illustrated in FIG. 4 as supporting a bearing P that rotatably engages the lower end of an upwardly extending shaft J to which the turbine discs are rigidly secured. A bearing Q is situated within the interior of the shell F and is held in axial alignment with the bearing P by a spider 26 secured to the interior surface of the shell F. A garbage masticating assembly R is situated within the interior of the shell F adjacent with and extending above the waste line N as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, with the assembly including a rotary portion R-1 that is driven by the shaft J and a stationary portion R-2 that is supported in an outwardly extending position from the interior surface of the shell F.
A conduit 22 extends from the valve L to a source of domestic water under substantial pressure, which source is not shown.
Shaft J has a lower portion 28 that rotataly engages bearing P. Shaft portion 28 depends from a threaded portion 30 of the shaft. The threaded portion 30 forms a body shoulder 32, with the part 34 of the shaft situated thereabove. A frusto-conical rigid tray 36 is provided that has a flat horizontal center portion 38 in which a centered bore 40 is formed, and through which bore threaded shaft portion 30 extends downwardly.
A nut 42 engages threaded shaft portion 30. When nut 42 is tightened, it cooperates with body shoulder 32 to grip center portion 38 of tray 36 therebetween, and hold the tray in a fixed non-rotatable position on shaft J.
The frusto-conical portion 36a of tray 36 has a number of circumferentially spaced bolts 44 extending upwardly therefrom, which bolts pass through aligned sets of openings 46 formed in turbine discs H. The turbine discs H are of frusto conical shape and are separated from one another by spacer 48 on bolts 44. The turbine discs H have axially aligned centered openings 50 therein that cooperate to define an upwardly extending passage 52 that is at all times in communication with the interior 54 of shell F and radially extending spaces 56 defined between adjoining turbine discs H. The bolts 44 may have upwardly disposed threaded ends that are engaged by nuts or other form of securing device, not important to the inventive concept as herein described. Shaft portion 34 preferably has a collar 60 thereon that is in rotatable contact with bearing Q. The upper part of shaft portion 34 above collar 60 is preferably of non-circular transverse cross-section. The shaft portion 34 on the upper end thereof develops into a threaded shaft portion 62 that is engaged by a nut 64.
The rotatable portion R-1 of masticating assembly R, is a number of elongate blades 66 that have centered openings 68 therein that conform to the non-circular transverse cross-section of the upper part of the shaft portion 34 on which they are mounted. Blades 66 have spacers 70 situated therebetween, which spacers engage the shaft above collar 60, and the blades being separated by transversely extending spaces 72. Blades 66 are prevented from moving downwardly on shaft J by a body plate 74 formed on the latter as shown in FIG. 4.
Portion R-2 of the masticating assembly R is a number of transverse blades 76 that extend outwardly from the interior surface from shell F, with the blades 76 so disposed and of such thickness as to pass through spaces 72 when masticating portion R-1 is rotated.
The outwardly disposed edges of blades 76 have the same radius of curvature as that of the interior surface of shell F, and to which surface the blades are bonded or secured by conventional means. At least a portion of the blades 76 preferably are disposed to span the entry opening into the waste line N, and are of sufficient length as to have end extremities of the outer edges thereof secured to the interior surface of shell F on opposite sides of the entry opening. The widths of the spaces 72 is preferably less than the diameters of the openings 24 for reasons that will later be explained.
The outer peripheral portion 14 of housing G is illustrated in the drawings as being semi-circular in transverse cross section. Housing G preferably includes upper and lower portions 78 and 80 that have outwardly extending aligned flanges 78a and 80a that are removably held together by bolts 82 or other suitable fastening means.
Housing G in transverse cross-section conforms generally to the transverse cross-section of the turbine discs H. Turbine discs H are preferably formed from a ceramic material such as silicon nitride, boron nitride or the like. Ceramic materials such as above-mentioned have substantial strength but are not resilient. To avoid flutter, when the turbine discs H rotate at high speed, and the possible fracture of the discs as a result thereof, the discs are preferably formed in frusto-conical shape.
The manifold K as it progresses around housing 14, gradually decreases in internal transverse cross-section to the extent that pressurized water will be fed to nozzles 18 in such a manner that all of the nozzles will discharge jets of water 84 that are of the same velocity. The nozzles 18 have converging and diverging portions 18a and 18b as shown in FIG. 3. The jets 84 of high velocity water are of elongate shape and so oriented as to impinge on all of the turbine discs H substantially tangential thereto as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
The jets of water 84 enter the spaces 56 between the turbine discs H and thereafter lose velocity due to frictional resistance with the discs. The pressure on the water increases as the velocity decreases and as a result, the water pursues a spiral path prior to exiting from the discs through the passage 52. The pressurized water in flowing through spaces 56 imparts kinetic energy to the turbine discs H to drive the rotatable portion R-1 of masticating unit R. Flow of water under pressure to nozzles 18 is effected by manipulation of control assembly M.
When rotatable portion R-1 of masticating assembly R is driven, garbage (not shown) moving downwardly through shell F is masticated due to the corporative shredding action of the masticating portions R-1 and R-2. The garbage will continue to be shredded until it is reduced to particles of a size that will pass downwardly through openings 24 in plate O. However, plate O prevents garbage having particle sizes larger than openings 24 from moving downwardly below the masticating assembly R. Valve L includes an elongate hollow body 86 that has an internally threaded first end 88 that is closed by a threaded plug 90 that is connected to conduit 22. Plug 90 has a valve seat 92 on the inner end thereof. The valve seat is in communication with a passage 94 in the plug that connects with conduit 22. A second end 96 of body 86 is in communication with manifold K.
A spider 98 is disposed in body 86 and supports an elongate longitudinally extending member 100. Member 100 has a passage 102 that extends longitudinally therein, and communicates with a second passage 104 in the spider that leads to a conduit 106 that is connected to control unit M.
A cup-shaped valve member 108 is provided that includes a cylindrical side wall 110 and end piece 112. A resilient sealing ring 114 is mounted in a circular transverse recess 116 on member 100. Side wall 110 is slidably on member 100 and seals therewith due to ring 114.
A flat resilient seal 118 is held on the exterior surface of end piece 112 by an externally threaded member 120 that engages the tapped bore 122 formed in the end piece. Member 120 has a passage 124 with smaller diameter extending therethrough that communicates with a confined space 126 of variable volume defined within the valve member 108 as shown in FIG. 9.
When control assembly M is so disposed that water cannot flow from valve L through conduit 106, pressurized water will flow into confined space 126 and in cooperation with a compressed helical spring 128 in the confined space maintained valve member 108 in the first position as shown in FIG. 9.
The spring 128 does not by itself have sufficient strength to maintain valve member 108 in the first position against the force effected by pressurized water on the left hand side of seal 118 as viewed in FIG. 9.
The control assembly M includes an elongate rigid body 130 that has a longitudinal bore therein that is connected to a conduit 106. Bore 130 has a conventional pneumatic tire valve 134 therein, such as manufactured by the Shraeder Valve Company, that is spring-loaded and normally is in a closed position to prevent water flowing from conduit 106. Valve 134 includes a spring-loaded pin 136 which, when pressed downwardly as viewed in FIG. 9 opens control assembly M to permit flow of water therethrough to a conduit 138. Body 130 has a plug 140 sealingly mounted in the upper end thereof as shown in FIG. 9, which plug slidably supports a plunger 141 that has a handle 142 on the upper end thereof.
When plunger 140 is moved downwardly, the pin 138 is likewise moved downwardly, to open valve 134, and allow water from conduit 106 to flow to conduit 138. Flow of water in the above-described manner lessens the pressure of water in confined space 126, with valve member 108 now moving to the right as viewed in FIG. 9 to a second position. Pressurized water may now flow through valve V to manifold K to drive the garbage disposal unit A as previously described.
When manually exerted pressure is terminated on handle 142, the spring-loaded pin 136 returns valve 134 to a closed position. Water can no longer flow from conduit 106. Water now flows into confined space 126 to, in cooperation with spring 128, move valve member 108 to the left to occupy the first position as shown in FIG. 9. Flow of water through valve L to the manifold K is now terminated. Handle 142 is rotatable. The handle 142 has an undercut portion 144 thereon that is adapted to removably engage an L-shaped upwardly extending hook 146 when the handle is in a downwardly disposed position. The hook 146 is secured to the body 130 by conventional means.
In FIG. 6 an alternate form of rotatable masticating unit R'-1 is shown in which the rotatable blades 66' increase in length from the uppermost ones to the lowermost ones thereof. The blades of this configuration cooperation with the interior of the shell F to provide a downwardly extending confined space 150 in which the lowermost portion of garbage such as celery or corn cobs 152 will drop and be assured of being shredded. A second alternate form of blade structure R"-1 is shown in FIG. 8 in which the blade 66" has an elongate slot therein that engages a square, transverse, cross-sectional portion of the shaft 34 to move transversely when the first masticating portion R"-1 is being driven.
The operation of the preferred and first and second alternate forms of the invention in reducing garbage 152 which includes celery stocks, corn cobs and the like to particles S of a size that will become entrained with and carried by even a slow moving stream of water is as follows. When the button 142 is pressed downwardly the control assembly M allows water to flow to nozzles 18 where it is formed into jets 84 that impinge tangentially on the turbine discs H. Kinetic energy is imparted to the turbine discs H to cause the rotation thereof as well as portion R-1 of the garbage masticating assembly R.
Garbage 152 as it moves downwardly in shell F is sequentially positioned between the rotating portion R-1 and stationary portion R-2 of the garbage masticating unit to be chopped into particles S that are of sufficiently small size as to move downwardly through the openings 24 in plate O. To facilitate the chopping of the garbage 152 the leading edges of the blades in the rotating portion R-1 may be knife edges that slice through the garbage. Also, the lowermost surface of the lowest blade in the rotary portion R-1 as well as a desired number of the blades thereabove may taper downwardly and rearwardly from the leading edges thereof to effect a downward pumping action on water situated between it and the top surface of the plate O when the rotating portion R-1 rotates. Plate O is so situated relative to the rotating portion R-1 of the masticating assembly R that garbage 152 that has not been masticated cannot move an appreciable distance below the rotating portion.
When the turbine discs H are driven by water, the water discharges therefrom through passage 52 with sufficient velocity to impinge on the plate O, with a first portion of the water tending to flow upwardly through the openings 24 to mix with the particles S of garbage. A second portion of the water that contacts solid portions of the plate O will stay below the plate, and due to the volume of water discharging from passage 52 will flow to waste line N.
The particles of garbage S have a density greater than that of water, and will tend to move downwardly in the water above the plate. A first portion of the particles S above plate O will by the rotating action of the blades 66 be driven downwardly through the openings 24 to become entrained with the second portion of water and flow to the waste line N with it. A second portion of the particles S above plate O will be contacted by the rotating blades 66 and be driven by the blades through the spaces 72 into the waste line N. Irrespective of the paths the first and second portions of particles S follow their ultimate destination to waste line N. Rotation of the turbine discs H is terminated by allowing the button 142 to return to the up position.
Utilizing a maximum feed water pressure of 60.0 pounds per square inch (exemplary of the maximum water pressure in the Los Angeles, California area) it has been found that no-load speeds of shaft J in the area of 3,000 rpm have been found. In overall dimension, turbine discs H include approximately a 6 inch diameter dimension taken from the central axis of shaft J to a peripheral edge of turbine discs H. Presently, the vertical dimension of spaces 56 between discs H are being successfully used in the 1/16 14 1/8 inch dimension range. Garbage disposal unit A is based on a continuous feed type unit. Obviously the width of spaces 56 must be related to the cross-section of axially aligned sets of openings formed through discs H in a manner to allow the pressurized water to be discharged into the inside of housing G at a lower rate than can be discharged from housing G. Thus, water can escape from the inside of housing G at a faster rate than it is discharged thereinto.
The structure of the garbage disposal unit A and the method of using the same has been previously described in detail and need not be repeated.
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An energy saving garbage disposal unit that is disposed under a tank and connected to the drain thereof in a conventional manner. Actuation of the unit is provided by pressurized water from a domestic source thereof. Pressurized water entering the unit serves a twofold purpose; first, driving a turbine to actuate a garbage masticating assembly, and second, after discharge from the turbine the water mixing with masticated garbage and serving to flush the latter down a waste line that extends from the unit. The unit masticates garbage to particles of a predetermined size prior to discharging the particles to the waste line, with the possibility of the waste line becomming clogged or stopped up by garbage particles of substantial size being reduced to a minimum.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to United Kingdom patent application number GB 1320205.6 filed Nov. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to improved arrangements for slug mitigation in subsea pipelines, such as risers, as used in the oil and gas industry and particularly, according to the invention, utilising an in line separator apparatus in such arrangements.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
In-line separator devices are known in the art. For example, WO2008/020155 and WO2009/047484 each describe improved in-line separator arrangements; also known as cyclonic and/or uniaxial separators. FIG. 1 illustrates an in-line separator according to WO2008/020155 which is referred to commercially as an “I-SEP”. Furthermore, embodiments described by WO2009/047484 are known commercially as “Hi-SEP”, illustrated by FIG. 2 .
Likewise, jet pumps (a.k.a. surface jet pumps, SJPs, eductors or ejecters) are known. For example, EP0717818 relates to a surface jet pump where flow from a high pressure oil well is used to reduce the back pressure on low pressure wells. According to this document the source of motive flow is a high pressure well and the low pressure well is not gas lifted. This jet pump also incorporates an in-line separator, as illustrated by FIG. 3 .
It has been recognised by the present inventors that:
An I-SEP has been shown to absorb slug energy and calm the fluid flow down stream By making use of I-SEP technology it is possible to mitigate slug flow in pipelines and severe slugging in pipeline/riser systems An I-SEP has also been seen to influence flow regimes upstream in the piping and risers By making use of the I-SEP technology it is possible to mitigate slug flow at a higher production rate, i.e. less back pressure is required to mitigate the slug flow It is also possible to mitigate slug flow while producing a complete gas-liquid separation, thus debottlenecking the main 1 st stage separator using this technology This system is applicable for any slugging type/situation
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a section view of a prior art in-line separator;
FIG. 2 illustrates a section orthographic view of another prior art in-line separator;
FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art surface jet pump;
FIG. 4 illustrates a general pipeline/riser system known in the art;
FIG. 5 illustrates four cyclical stages of severe slugging, known in the art;
FIG. 6 illustrates a system having a control/choke valve situated at the top of a riser;
FIG. 7 illustrates as system having an I-SEP and control valve at a top of a riser;
FIG. 8 illustrates an example of how an I-SEP/Hi-SEP combination could be used;
FIG. 9 illustrates a similar design to mitigate severe slugging and perform a gas-liquid separation; and
FIG. 10 illustrates an example of making use of the I-SEP for slug mitigation and a jet pump (SJP).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been designed to specifically reduce the effect of slugging on a pipeline riser/pipeline system for offshore oil and gas use. FIG. 4 shows a general pipeline/riser system where the flow from the wellhead flows along the seabed and enters a typical riser configuration 11 which connects the seabed pipeline to the topside processing/separation equipment, e.g. a first stage separator 12 . The systems described herein can be used for severe slugging or any terrain induced slug flow that may be generated from the profile of a pipeline. A typical severe slugging regime has been used as an example to describe a solution but the invention is equally as effective for any slug flow regime.
One of the major issues associated with the type of system illustrated by FIG. 4 is a flow regime described as severe slugging (mentioned above). Severe slugging occurs generally in four cyclical stages, as can be seen in FIG. 5 . Severe slugging is the occurrence of a liquid slug that is at least one riser height in length and can be hundreds of metres in length. It is also known as terrain induced slugging because it usually occurs due to low points in a pipeline.
The most common four stages shown in FIG. 5 represent the cyclic nature of severe slugging, namely:
Stage 1: Liquid Fall Back—From the end of the previous cycle there is some liquid fall back down to the low point of the riser. Along with constant inflow of new liquids this causes a blockage at the base of the riser and starts the next cycle. Stage 2: Slug Formation—the liquid continues to build up in the riser as a liquid slug. Pressure builds up behind this liquid slug as gas continues to flow into the pipeline. Stage 3: Slug Production—once the liquid reaches the top of the riser the hydrostatic head can no longer increase and therefore gas pressure overcomes the liquid head and a liquid slug starts to be produced. Stage 4: Blowout—Once the tail of the slug reaches the base of the riser the gas breaks through and into the riser, expanding to cause a violent acceleration of the liquid slug; after which some liquid falls back down the riser and blocks the riser base thus commencing the next cycle (stage 1).
The main issues associated with production whilst in the severe slugging regime occur due to flooding of the separation systems during the slug production phase of the cycle resulting in poor separation and over pressurisation during the slug blow out stage which can cause the platform to shut down completely. For example, export compressors go into surge mode due to significant variation in the gas flowrates, imposing stress on the shaft/bearings and operational control issues. Sometimes this leads to unwanted flaring of the gas. Furthermore, cyclic surges introduce vibration to the process piping system and mechanical fatigue to the riser, leading to possible earlier failure. Accordingly, it is important that this flow regime can be controlled or mitigated.
Severe slugging can be managed by making use of slug catchers on the topside facilities but these are generally large vessels designed to hold the full liquid slug, thus mitigating any issues of flooding the separation trains. Slug catchers are typically very large and heavy as they have to be designed to withstand the high pressures observed during blowout. As footprint and weight are very important parameters for an offshore platform, there is generally not sufficient space or capability to carry the weight associated with the need for slug catchers. Accordingly, a more compact system is required.
FIG. 6 shows a system that is recognised as a simple fix in the field, namely a control/choke valve 13 situated at the top of the riser 11 that, by throttling the control/choke valve actively imposes a back pressure on the riser which slows down incoming flow, hence restricts the production rate. During the blowout stage of a severe slugging cycle, the higher back pressure acts to decelerate the liquid slug forcing it to mix with the gas in the riser, ultimately stabilising the flow. This method forces the operator to accept a reduction in production to achieve stable flow and may cause some wells to be abandoned. In some cases, the flow is sheared going to downstream processes and makes separation of phases difficult.
If a system can be found that mitigates the severe slugging regime whilst imposing a smaller back pressure on the base of the riser (resulting in changing of the flow regime in the riser and increasing the stable flow region) this will result in a higher production for the operator in a stable manner with minimum operational upsets.
Slug mitigation is possible by an I-SEP alone, but from experimental testing, it has become apparent that by making use of an I-SEP and control valve at the top of the riser, the system could act in a improved way to the use of the throttling valve. Such a system is illustrated by FIG. 7 where an I-SEP 14 is located downstream of the riser 11 (above sea level) and upstream of a throttling valve 15 . However, as illustrated, gas separated in a separated gas flow line 16 from the I-SEP 14 is shown to be able to bypass the throttling valve before re-joining the main pipeline prior to connection with the first stage separator 12 .
The valve 15 could be substituted by a fixed restriction to add a minor pressure loss, such as a smaller outlet of the I-SEP or a built in orifice plate. This would allow partially separated gas to be reintroduced and mixed before entering the main separator. The mixing point could be a commingler 22 , upstream of the first stage separator 12 .
Testing has shown that by making use of this system it is possible to mitigate the severe slugging regime with a lower back pressure compared to a control/choke valve ( 13 ) only. Early test results and computer simulations have shown that a 10-20% saving in pressure loss can be observed by making use of an I-SEP 14 rather than the control valve; this would result in a higher production rate by making use of the I-SEP rather than the control valve alone.
A further advantage of making use of an I-SEP device is its ability to separate gas and liquid that could be beneficial for pipeline riser systems where the first stage separator needs de-bottlenecking. FIG. 8 shows an example of how an I-SEP/Hi-SEP 14 / 17 combination could be used to mitigate severe slugging and perform a pre-separation on the fluids prior to entering the main separation train. The Hi-SEP component 17 (as described by WO2009/047484) is located downstream of the I-SEP 14 , where dense fluid separated therein is piped via a control valve to the first stage separator 12 . Gas separated in the Hi-SEP 17 can be piped via a control valve 18 to a compressor.
FIG. 9 shows a similar design to that of FIG. 8 that can be used to mitigate severe slugging and perform a gas-liquid separation. This embodiment includes a pipeline 19 , bypassing the I-SEP/Hi-SEP components 14 / 17 , directly to the first stage 12 controlled by a control valve 20 , such that the pre-separation stage is bypassed. The I-SEP/Hi-SEP arrangement can take part of the flow to debottleneck the main separator and also provide slug mitigation.
FIG. 10 shows an example of making use of the I-SEP 14 for slug mitigation and a jet pump (SJP) 21 , located at the top of the riser 11 , upstream of the I-SEP 14 , that can be used to re-inject the separated gas flow 16 from the I-SEP 14 and re-inject this back into the main riser-pipeline this also enables mixing of the flow hence changing the flow regime. The outlet valves can be controlled by a slug detection system thus allowing flow diversion based on incoming slug style (part of which is described in our patent application WO2014006371). As illustrated, a bypass line is installed to bypass the I-SEP. Control valves are provided in the bypass line and upstream/downstream of the I-SEP.
It is noteworthy that, for a slug mitigation application as required by the present invention, an I-SEP does not require control valves as no active control is needed, whereas the need for active control is needed in some prior art relating to slug mitigation. Furthermore, the I-SEP does not require a production separator immediately downstream in order to perform.
The present invention seeks to find a system that mitigates a severe slugging regime in a passive way without the need of active control whilst imposing a smaller back pressure on the base of the riser (resulting in changing of the flow regime in the riser and increasing the stable flow region) this will result in a higher production for the operator.
In one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a pipeline system including a riser located between a low level and an upper level of a pipeline, wherein an inline separator is located at the upper level of the pipeline, upstream of a first stage separator. A first control valve is located adjacent the inline separator, this may be either upstream or downstream thereof. In one embodiment, a gas line from the I-SEP is arranged to bypass the throttling valve.
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A slug mitigation system for subsea pipelines includes a riser located between a low level and an upper (above sea-) level of a pipeline, where an inline separator, e.g. an “I-SEP”, is located upstream of a first stage separator. A throttling valve or fixed restriction is located downstream or upstream in series with the inline separator. Further aspects may also include a surface jet pump upstream of the in-line separator and/or a cyclonic separator downstream of the in-line separator.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates in general to tools for running casing hangers in subsea wells, and in particular to a high capacity tool that sets and internally tests a casing hanger packoff in one trip.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A subsea well of the type concerned herein will have a wellhead supported on the subsea floor. One or more strings of casing will be lowered into the wellhead from the surface, each supported on a casing hanger. The casing hanger is a tubular member that is secured to the threaded upper end of the string of casing. The casing hanger lands on a landing shoulder in the wellhead, or on a previously installed casing hanger having larger diameter casing. Cement is pumped down the string of casing to flow back up the annulus around the string of casing. Afterward, a packoff is positioned between the wellhead bore and an upper portion of the casing hanger. This seals the casing hanger annulus.
[0003] Casing hanger running tools perform many functions such as running and landing casing strings, cementing strings into place, and installing and testing packoffs. Testing the packoff is traditionally performed by pressuring under the blow out preventer (BOP) stack, but more recent casing hanger running tool designs incorporate an “internal” or “down the drill pipe” test which isolates the test pressure to a small volume just above the hanger. An internal test has several benefits including reducing the annular pressure end load reacted against the hanger and making leak detection more direct, which is especially beneficial for sub-mudline casing strings which can be located several thousand feet from the BOP stack. The cost of the added functionality is complexity in the form of additional ports and seals.
[0004] Virtually all casing hanger running tools to date incorporate a cam that acts as a mechanical program for the tool. Rotational inputs to the cam drive it axially, causing it to drive engaging elements such as dogs radially, allows seal-setting pistons to communicate with the stem, and opens up additional ports for internal testing. Typically, cams occupy the radial space between the stem and the body of the running tool and must be thick enough to withstand radial loads generated by the dogs and pressure loads from setting and testing packoffs. If the cam could be eliminated, the radial space it normally occupied could be used to thicken up the body and the stem, thus increasing the hanging capacity of the tool. A need exists for a technique that addresses increased hanging capacity of a running tool, coupled with the ability to internally test a packoff. The following technique may solve one or more of these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In an embodiment of the present technique, a high capacity running tool sets and internally tests a casing hanger packoff during the same trip. The running tool is comprised of a body and a stem. The body is secured by threads to the stem of the running tool so that rotation of the stem relative to the body will cause the stem to move longitudinally. An engagement element connects the tool body to the casing hanger by engaging an inner surface of the casing hanger. Longitudinal movement of the stem relative to the body moves the engaging element between an inner and outer position, thereby securely engaging the running tool and the casing hanger. Longitudinal movement of the stem relative to the body also lines up ports in the stem and the body for setting and testing functions, much like a cam in previous running tools.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a high capacity running tool constructed in accordance with the present technique with the piston cocked and the engagement element retracted.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the high capacity running tool of FIG. 1 in the running position with the engagement element engaged.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the high capacity running tool of FIG. 1 in the setting position.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the high capacity running tool of FIG. 1 in the seal testing position.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the high capacity running tool of FIG. 1 in the unlocked position with the engagement element disengaged.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Referring to FIG. 1 , there is generally shown an embodiment for a high capacity running tool 11 that is used to set and internally test a casing hanger packoff. The high capacity running tool 11 is comprised of a stem 13 . Stem 13 is a tubular member with an axial passage 14 extending therethrough. Stem 13 connects on its upper end to a string of drill pipe (not shown). Stem 13 has an upper stem port 15 and a lower stem port 17 positioned in and extending therethrough that allow fluid communication between the exterior and axial passage of the stem 13 . A lower portion of the stem 13 has threads 19 in its outer surface. The outer diameter of an upper portion of stem 13 is greater than the outer diameter of the lower portion of stem 13 containing threads 19 . As such, a downward facing shoulder 21 is positioned adjacent threads 19 . A recessed pocket 23 is positioned in the outer surface of the stem 13 at a select distance above the downward facing shoulder 21 .
[0012] Running tool 11 has a body 25 that surrounds stem 13 , as stem 13 extends axially through the body 25 . Body 25 has an upper body portion 27 and a lower body portion 29 . The upper portion 27 of body 25 is a thin sleeve located between an outer sleeve 30 and stem 13 . Outer sleeve 30 is rigidly attached to stem 13 . A latch device (not shown) is housed in a slot 32 located within the outer sleeve 30 . The lower body portion 29 of body 25 has threads 31 along its inner surface that are engaged with threads 19 on the outer surface of stem 13 . Body 25 has an upper body port 33 and a lower body port 35 positioned in and extending therethrough that allow fluid communication between the exterior and interior of the stem body 25 . The lower portion 29 of body 25 houses an engaging element 37 . In this particular embodiment, engaging element 37 is a set of dogs having a smooth inner surface and a contoured outer surface. The contoured outer surface is adapted to engage a complimentary contoured surface on the inner surface of a casing hanger 39 when the engagement element 37 is engaged with the casing hanger 39 . Although not shown, a string of casing is attached to the lower end of casing hanger 39 . The inner surface of the engaging element 37 is initially in contact with the threads 19 on the inner surface of stem 13 .
[0013] A piston 41 surrounds the stem 13 and substantial portions of the body 25 . Referring to FIG. 3 , a piston chamber 42 is formed between upper body portion 27 , outer sleeve 30 , and piston 41 . Piston 41 is initially in a and upper or “cocked” position relative to stem 13 , meaning that the area of piston chamber 42 is at its smallest possible value, allowing for piston 41 to be driven downward. A piston locking ring 43 extends around the outer peripheries of the inner surface of the piston 41 . Locking ring 43 works in conjunction with the latch device (not shown) contained within outer sleeve slot 32 to restrict movement of the piston during certain running tool functions. A casing hanger packoff seal 45 is carried by the piston 41 and is positioned along the lower end portion of piston 41 . Packoff seal 45 will act to seal the casing hanger 39 to the wellbore (not shown) when properly set. While piston 41 is in the upper or “cocked” position, packoff seal 45 is spaced above casing hanger 39 .
[0014] A dart landing sub 47 is connected to the lower end of stem 13 . The landing sub 47 will act as a landing point for an object, such as a dart, that will be lowered into the stem 13 . When the object or dart lands within the landing sub 47 , it will act as a seal, effectively sealing the lower end of stem 13 .
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1 , in operation, the high capacity running tool 11 is initially positioned such that it extends axially through a casing hanger 39 . The piston 41 is in a “cocked” position, and the stem ports 15 , 17 and body ports 33 , 35 are axially offset from one another. Casing hanger packoff seal 45 is carried by the piston 41 . The running tool 11 is lowered into the casing hanger 39 until the outer surface of the body 25 of running tool 11 slidingly engages the inner surface of casing hanger 39 .
[0016] Referring to FIG. 2 , once the running tool 11 and casing hanger 39 are in abutting contact with one another, the stem 13 is rotated four revolutions. As the stem 13 is rotated relative to the body 25 , the stem 13 and piston 41 move longitudinally downward relative to body 25 . As the stem 13 moves longitudinally, the shoulder 21 on the outer surface of stem 13 makes contact with the engaging element 37 , forcing it radially outward and in engaging contact with the inner surface of casing hanger 29 , thereby locking body 25 to casing hanger 39 . As stem 13 moves longitudinally, stem ports 15 , 17 and body ports 33 , 35 also move relative to one another.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 3 , once the running tool 11 and casing hanger 39 are locked to one another, the running tool 11 and casing hanger 39 are lowered down the riser into the subsea wellhead housing (not shown) until the casing hanger 39 comes to rest. Referring to FIG. 3 , a solid dart 49 is then dropped or lowered into the axial passage 14 of stem 13 . The solid dart 49 lands in the landing sub 47 , thereby sealing the lower end of stem 13 . The stem 13 is then rotated four additional revolutions in the same direction. As the stem 13 is rotated relative to the body 25 , the stem 13 and piston 41 move further longitudinally downward relative to body 25 and casing hanger 39 . As the stem 13 moves longitudinally, stem ports 15 , 17 and body ports 33 , 35 also move relative to one another. Upper stem port 15 aligns with upper body port 33 , but lower stem port 17 is still positioned above lower body port 35 . This position allows fluid communication from the axial passage 14 of stem 13 , through stem 13 , into and through body 25 , and into piston 41 . Fluid pressure is applied down the drill pipe and travels through the axial passage 14 of stem 13 before passing through upper stem port 15 , upper body port 33 , and into chamber 42 , driving piston 41 downward relative to the stem 13 . As the piston 41 moves downward, the movement of piston 41 sets the packoff seal 45 between an outer portion of casing hanger 39 and the inner diameter of the subsea wellhead housing.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 4 , once the piston 41 is driven downward and packoff seal 45 is set, the stem 13 is then rotated four additional revolutions in the same direction. As the stem 13 is rotated relative to the body 25 , the stem 13 moves further longitudinally downward relative to body 25 and casing hanger 39 . Stem 13 also moves downward at this point relative to piston 41 . As the stem 13 moves longitudinally, stem ports 15 , 17 and body ports 33 , 35 also move relative to one another. Lower stem port 17 aligns with lower body port 35 , allowing fluid communication from the axial passage 14 of stem 13 , through stem 13 , into and through body 25 , and into an isolated volume above packoff seal 45 . Upper stem port 15 is still aligned with upper body port 33 . The latch device located with the slot 32 on the outer sleeve 30 is activated by the movement of the stem 13 and will act in conjunction with piston locking ring 43 to restrict the upward movement of piston 41 beyond the latch device. Pressure is applied down the drill pipe and travels through the axial passage 14 of stem 13 before passing through lower stem port 15 , lower body port 33 , and into an isolated volume above packoff seal 45 , thereby testing packoff seal 45 . The same pressure is applied to piston 41 , creating an upward force, however, movement of the piston 41 in an upward direction is restricted by the engagement of the piston locking ring 43 and the latch device (not shown) positioned in the slot 32 on outer sleeve 30 . In an alternate embodiment, the size of the fluid chambers in the piston 41 and seal 45 areas could be sized such that the larger sized fluid chamber in the seal 45 area maintains a downward force on piston 41 , thereby eliminating the need for the latch device and the piston locking ring 43 . An elastomeric seal 51 is mounted to the exterior of piston 41 for sealing against the inner diameter of the wellhead housing. Seal 51 defines the isolated volume above packoff seal 45 . If packoff seal 45 is not properly set, a drop in fluid pressure held in the drill pipe will be observed as the fluid passes through the seal area.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 5 , once the packoff seal 45 has been tested, the stem 13 is then rotated four additional revolutions in the same direction. As the stem 13 is rotated relative to the body 25 , the stem 13 moves further longitudinally downward relative to the body 25 , casing hanger 39 , and piston 41 . As the stem 13 moves longitudinally downward, the engagement element 37 is freed and moves radially inward into recessed pocket 23 on the outer surface of stem 13 , thereby unlocking the body 25 from casing hanger 39 . Upper stem port 15 remains aligned with upper body port 33 . Lower stem port 17 remains aligned with lower body port 35 . The lower stem port 17 and lower body port 35 vent the column of fluid in the drill pipe, allowing dry retrieval of the running tool 11 . Running tool 11 can then be removed from the wellbore.
[0020] The technique has significant advantages. The elimination of a cam provides fewer leak paths and an increased hanging capacity due to the increase radial space within the running tool.
[0021] While the technique has been shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the technique.
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A high capacity running tool sets and internally tests a casing hanger packoff during the same trip. The running tool has a stem and a body. The body is secured by threads to the stem of the running tool so that rotation of the stem relative to the body will cause the stem to move longitudinally. An engagement element connects the tool body to the casing hanger by engaging the inner surface of the casing hanger. Longitudinal movement of the stem relative to the body moves the engaging element between inner and outer positions and lines up ports in the stem and in the body for setting and testing functions.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/173,207, filed Jul. 1, 2005, which claims the benefit of an earlier filing date from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/607,227, filed Sep. 3, 2004, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
In the hydrocarbon exploration and recovery arts and other similar “downhole” arts, downhole tools are often “set” utilizing pressure from a pressure source such as a remote pump or a power charge. For example, a commercially available system from Baker Oil Tools, Houston, Tex. known as a “Baker E-4 pressure setting tool” with a firing head, utilizes a power charge. The power charge is ignited at an appropriate time. As the charge burns it creates expanding gas which is translated by a piston arrangement into either hydraulic fluid pressure for an inflatable or into mechanical energy to ratchet slips into place in a mechanical packer.
While the “E-4” product is quite capable of operating well, the power charge component thereof creates some difficulties with respect to transportation, importation and exportation due to varying laws regarding the transportation of “hazardous materials”. Because of these potential difficulties, it would be helpful to the industry to have a setting tool that operates similarly to the “E-4” tool but does not require the use of hazardous materials.
SUMMARY
Disclosed herein is a downhole tool actuation arrangement. The arrangement includes a housing having a chamber, at least one piston in operable communication with the chamber and at least one electrode exposed to the chamber. The electrodes are receptive to a power source.
Further disclosed is a method for actuating a downhole tool. The method includes discharging a voltage source through at least one electrode to cause a pressure wave in a fluid surrounding the at least one electrode and moving at least one piston in response to the pressure wave.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a pressure actuation component of a setting tool; and
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a focuser.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An actuation tool such as a setting tool having no need for a remote pressure source such as a surface hydraulic pump and reservoir or mechanical impact source, therefore runnable on wireline, and in addition not requiring a power charge, is realized by utilizing a submerged discharge electrical pressure source. Referring to FIG. 1 , one embodiment of an actuation or setting tool 10 is illustrated. A housing 12 is connected to a wireline by which the tool 10 is run and through which electrical energy is deliverable to the tool 10 . It is also to be understood that different power sources are also applicable such as seismic electric line, coil tubing with an electric feed, batteries, etc. Within housing 12 is a capacitor bank 14 . The capacitor bank 14 functions to store voltage for rapid release upon command. The stored voltage is delivered to and released through at least one electrode (if a suitable ground is available) or a pair of electrodes 16 (as illustrated) where an arc will be formed upon discharge of capacitor bank 14 . The electrodes 16 are immersed in a fluid 18 within a cavity 20 . In the illustrated embodiment a port 22 is provided for inflow of fluid from around the tool 10 . The fluid 18 in chamber 20 may be of many different chemical constitutions but commonly will be water or oil.
When triggered by a well operator, a downhole intelligent controller or even a simple switch configured to cause the discharge of the capacitor bank 14 at the appropriate time, an arc 24 forms between the two electrodes 16 . In the volume of fluid surround the arc 24 , an instantaneous vaporization (or other pressure creating modification) of the fluid takes place. The vaporization creates a pressure spike in the form of a shock wave that then propagates through the fluid 18 . When the shock wave encounters a material boundary such as housing 12 or a piston the energy of the shock wave is absorbed. Some of this energy (a device designed to focus the shockwave on the piston is disclosed hereinafter) is absorbed by the piston 26 causing the same to move in piston bore 28 . The amount of movement of the piston 26 is dependent upon the amplitude of the shockwave. Shockwave amplitude is directly proportional to the fluid 18 density and inversely proportional to the square of electric discharge duration. It should be noted that although FIG. 1 illustrates the piston 26 as an intermediary component utilized to compress a trapped fluid, piston 26 could be mechanically connected to the tool to be actuated, such arrangement foregoing the trapped fluid chamber.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 , the piston 26 is a ratcheting piston. This arrangement is selected so that smaller amplitude shockwaves are useable by the actuation tool. The piston 26 includes ratchet teeth 30 , which engage a ratchet recess 32 . Through the ratchet arrangement, each shockwave (generated by capacitor discharge), causes an incremental movement of piston 26 , is cumulative in effect with respect to piston 26 because of the ratchet arrangement. The piston may only move in one direction; it is mechanically prevented from moving in the opposite direction. Thereby such is also cumulative with respect to a fluid 34 that is trapped in recess 32 between surface 36 of piston 26 and surface 38 of piston 40 . Fluid pressure on piston 40 (this could be one or more pistons that may be cylindrical and arranged annularly or may be annular pistons; the trapped fluid pressure is not bound to one piston) is utilized as is the power charge expansion fluid in the commercially available E-4.
In another embodiment, the ratchet teeth are not necessary as the frequency of discharge at the electrodes 16 is altered such that pressure in the fluid 18 accumulates at a rate similar to that of a power charge in the prior art E-4 device. More specifically, the discharge frequency is such that pressure generated in a discharge event is not dissipated as subsequent discharge events are occurring. The frequency of pulses is controlled to build and then maintain a substantially constant pressure. The exact time required to set a specific tool depends on a number of factors such as the complexity of the tool being set, the hydrostatic pressure in the immediate vicinity of the tool being set and the temperature of the well, especially in the vicinity of the tool being set. As the complexity of the tool increases, the setting time increases; as hydrostatic pressure increases, the setting time increases; and as temperature increases the setting (or actuation) time decreases. For example, time factors for setting tools might be about 5-10 seconds for more simple tools in easier-to-set conditions while more complex tools that might be in harder-to-set conditions could have a time factor to set of about 40-60 seconds. It is important to recognize that these are only examples and that other times to set could be applicable for certain situations or constructions. The pulse arrangement disclosed herein allows for adaptation to these variables in the field and on-the-fly. Therefore, much greater control and accuracy of the setting process is obtainable using the method and arrangement disclosed herein.
In each of the foregoing embodiments a focuser 50 (see FIG. 2 ), may be frustoconical or parabolic in configuration. The focuser 50 includes an opening 52 in a location calculated to release an incident pressure wave toward a target surface. The focuser 50 may be placed at the electrode discharge location to focus the resulting pressure wave. Such focusing is beneficial to functionality of the arrangement because where the pressure is focused on the piston, less of the pressure wave will be lost to non-functional portions of the arrangement.
It is also important to note that the arrangement as described herein allows for pressure generation to be started and stopped at will. This is beneficial in that it means a downhole tool may be partially set and then held in that position before being completed. For example, a setting sequence of a packer can be controlled; the packer can be set and allowed to stand for a period of time before being final set and released. Such control of the setting or other actuation process was not available with the prior art E-4 system. Control is advantageous in that it ensures a good set of the target tool.
The discharge may be controlled from a surface location or downhole location and may be remote or local. In one embodiment, control would be tighter through the incorporation of one or more sensors at the arrangement. Sensors might include pressure in the chamber 20 , movement in piston 26 or other of the employed pistons. In addition or substitutionally operational sensors in the tool being set to verify that it is in a particular condition may be employed.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.
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Disclosed herein is a downhole tool actuation arrangement. The arrangement includes a housing having a chamber, at least one piston in operable communication with the chamber and at least one electrode exposed to the chamber. The electrodes are receptive to a power source. Further disclosed is a method for actuating a downhole tool. The method includes discharging a voltage source through at least one electrode to cause a pressure wave in a fluid surrounding the at least one electrode and moving at least one piston in response to the pressure wave.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sensor element for opening of doors and gates, in which case a sensing field can be generated using an antenna element for the purpose of detecting people and/or static objects.
Multifarious forms and designs of such sensor elements are known and available commercially. They are used to generate a sensing field in front of a door and/or gate area and are usually arranged above doors or gates. They are also usually in the form of stationary sensors, infrared sensors or radar sensors and detect stationary objects and/or people in the sensing field in front of a door in order to keep the latter open or to open it.
Since such sensor elements have to be adjustable or have to be adjusted to different heights and widths for particular door areas in order to generate an optimized sensing field for different heights and doors and gates of different widths, a complicated control device and adjusting devices have hitherto been provided on the sensor elements in order to adjust an angle of inclination of the sensor, for example, or to carry out optical adaptation or the like, which is undesirable.
For example, as a result of doors of different heights, the sensor element, in particular a radar sensor, is often set and readjusted after installation in order to set and align a sensing field to the conditions. The setting and alignment or adjustment operation is also time-consuming and expensive.
In particular, the operation of manually installing and aligning and adjusting sensing fields in front of doors and gates involves a high level of installation and alignment outlay, which is likewise undesirable.
EP 1 508 818 A exhibits a radar sensor in which individual slot antennas are provided in the carrier element.
US 2002/036595 A1 describes an antenna in which individual antennas are arranged at the same distance from one another. An antenna array is described in EP 1 113 523 A1, in which a plurality of pin antennas are likewise arranged at equal distances around an antenna element.
The publication by Schlub R. et al.: “Dual-band six-element switched parasitic array for smart antenna cellular communications systems” ELECTRONIC LETTERS, IEE STEVENAGE, GB, vol. 36, no. 16, 3 Aug. 2000 (2000 Aug. 3), pages 1342-1343, XP006015551 ISSN: 0016-5194” describes a conventional array antenna in which only individual arrays are provided in order to influence a field in different ways. Although some antennas may be arranged in different lengths, it is not possible to accurately determine a clear delimitation and boundary of a field.
The citation MURATA M ET AL.: “Planar active Yagi-like antenna” ELECTRONICS LETTERS, IEE STEVENAGE, GB, vol. 36, no. 23, 9 Nov. 2000 (2000 Nov. 9), pages 1912-1913, XP006015913 ISSN: 0013-5194 discloses an antenna in which the antennas are inserted into conductor tracks in a planar structure. Said antenna does not have any separate pins.
The present invention is based on the object of providing a sensor element for opening of doors and gates, in which the length and width of a sensing field can be exactly preset in order to ensure sufficient protection and a sufficient sensing field for opening of doors and gates for doors and gates of a particular width at an installation height or passage height which can be determined and selected.
In this case, the intention is to dispense with manual setting-up and readjustment, in which case only the sensor element has to be installed at a determinable height above or beside doors and gates in order to ensure an optimum sensing field in front of the door and/or gate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved by the features of a sensor element for opening of doors and gates, in which case a sensing field can be generated using an antenna element for the purpose of detecting people and/or static objects, characterized in that the antenna element has a flat antenna unit, at least one pin-like antenna projecting approximately perpendicularly from the flat antenna unit.
In the present invention, it has proved to be particularly advantageous to form an antenna element as a flat antenna unit, at least one antenna in the form of a pin antenna projecting from the flat antenna unit itself.
The width of a sensing field can be defined by preferably arranging two or more individual pin antennas beside one another.
Reflectors which are correspondingly arranged above the antenna and directors which are arranged below the antenna additionally make it possible to exactly determine and align a length of the sensing field on a background for a predefined installation height.
The sensor element is thus individually aligned for the required installation situation as regards the width and height of the gate or door by means of the corresponding pin-like arrangement and dimensioning.
In this case, the antenna, the reflector and the director are preferably arranged above one another and project perpendicularly from a reference plane of the flat antenna unit.
Appropriate selection of a length of the reflector, antenna and director makes it possible to exactly define and restrict the field of the antenna. In this case, the scope of the present invention should also include the fact that a plurality of arrangements of the reflector, antenna and underlying director are arranged beside one another, a width of the sensing field being able to be determined and aligned using a distance between two or more antennas, in particular underlying director are arranged beside one another, a width of the sensing field being able to be determined and aligned using a distance between two or more antennas, in particular two or more arrangements of the reflector, antenna and director.
A plurality of sensing fields of different sizes and widths can also be generated by using a plurality of arrangements which can also be connected to one another below one another. This should likewise be within the scope of the present invention.
The practice of producing different lengths of the sensing field by varying different lengths of the individual reflectors or antennas and directors should also likewise be considered. The invention shall not be restricted to this.
The reflector, antenna and director are preferably above one another, in which case the fact that a plurality of reflectors can be arranged above the antenna in different arrangements and one or more directors may also be arranged below the antenna may also be considered. The invention shall not be restricted to this.
In this case, one or more receiving antennas may be provided beside the antenna. Only the transmitting antenna itself as well as the receiving antenna are electrically connected to a respective radio-frequency circuit. The reflector and director are preferably connected to ground, if necessary by means of additional circuits.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 a shows a diagrammatically illustrated plan view of a sensor element for opening of doors and gates;
FIG. 1 b shows a diagrammatically illustrated side view of the sensor element in the installed state according to FIG. 1 a;
FIG. 2 a shows a diagrammatically illustrated plan view of a further exemplary embodiment of a further sensor element according to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b;
FIG. 2 b shows a diagrammatically illustrated plan view of a further exemplary embodiment of the sensor element according to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b;
FIG. 2 c shows a diagrammatically illustrated plan view of yet another exemplary embodiment of a sensor element according to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
According to FIG. 1 a , a sensor element R 1 according to the invention has an antenna element 1 which is in the form of a flat antenna unit 2 . In this case, pin-like antennas 3 which are preferably arranged beside one another project from a reference plane E of the flat antenna unit 2 which may be in the form of a flat base plate, printed circuit board, substrate or the like.
The antenna 3 preferably projects perpendicularly from the flat antenna unit 2 , but also projects at an angle if necessary, and is electrically operated in order to generate a sensing field 4 .
The at least one antenna 3 which is in the form of a pin is preferably installed orthogonal to the flat antenna unit 2 and is designed and dimensioned in a manner corresponding to a Marconi antenna, in particular is in the form of an asymmetrical λ/4 dipole. The antenna 3 is preferably electrically operated actively as the actual antenna in order to generate the sensing field 4 .
The antenna 3 may be installed, for example, on a wall 5 or above a door 6 or gate or else at any other desired locations. It illuminates a sensing field 4 which, as shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , may extend from the door 6 to the floor 7 , for example. The contour of the sensing field 4 may be of any desired type and size.
In order to determine and set a length L E of the sensing field 4 , it has proved to be advantageous in the present invention to arrange at least one reflector 8 above the antenna 3 .
In order to also limit the field in order to obtain a desirable “endfire” characteristic, at least one director 9 may be arranged in a pin-like manner below the antenna 3 . The reflector 8 and director 9 are likewise of pin-like design, the reflector 8 and director 9 preferably lying on a common vertical to the antenna 3 , as shown in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 a.
The reflector 8 and director 9 are preferably connected to ground directly or indirectly, if necessary by means of an additional circuit. The reflector 8 and director 9 are likewise of pin-like design and analogously project approximately perpendicularly from the antenna 3 . Like the antenna 3 as well, the reflector and director may likewise have a round, oval, square or polygonal cross section and preferably project perpendicularly from the flat antenna unit 2 .
However, the scope of the present invention should also include the fact that the antenna 3 as well as the reflector 8 and director 9 are oriented at an angle, that is to say greater or less than 90°, to the surface of the flat antenna unit 2 or project from the latter.
An opening angle φ with respect to the floor 7 can be set and determined by means of a corresponding length L of the reflector 8 relative to the antenna 3 and of the director 9 relative to the antenna 3 in order to set a desired length L E of the sensing field 4 .
In this case, the length of the reflector 8 may be less than, equal to or greater than a length of the antenna 3 . The same applies to the director 9 . As is also clear from FIG. 1 a of the present invention, a width B E of the sensing field 4 of the sensor element R 1 can be determined by virtue of the fact that a plurality of arrangements D 1 , D 2 comprising the reflector 8 , the underlying antenna 3 and the director 9 arranged below the latter are preferably at a distance A 1 from one another on a vertical.
A width B E of the sensing field 4 and/or a width angle α can be set or changed, in particular by virtue of the distance between the two antennas 3 in the arrangements D 1 , D 2 .
In this case, it is not absolutely necessary for the reflector 8 and director 9 to be provided or to be perpendicularly arranged above one another in a correspondingly vertical manner. They may also be arranged outside a vertical in order to produce, for example, a different size or contour of the sensing field 4 . For example, one or the other director 9 or reflector 8 may be dispensed with or a plurality of reflectors 8 and/or directors 9 may be provided below and/or above the at least one antenna 3 . This should likewise be within the scope of the present invention.
In addition, it is conceivable to set a horizontal distance A between the reflector 8 and antenna 3 and/or a distance A between the antenna 3 and director 9 as desired in order to influence the length L E and/or width B E of the sensing field 4 on the floor and/or to influence the opening angle φ and the width angle α.
Furthermore, the antenna element 1 , in particular the flat antenna unit 2 , as indicated in FIG. 1 a , may be assigned at least one receiver antenna 10 which is preferably arranged beside the arrangements D 1 and/or D 2 at the same height as the antenna 3 and/or reflector 8 and director 9 . The receiver antennas 10 are preferably on a vertical parallel to the arrangement D 1 and/or D 2 and are in the form of perpendicularly projecting pins as a receiver antenna 10 on the same flat antenna unit 2 . The receiver antennas 10 are preferably arranged at a lateral distance from the other antennas 3 , the reflector 8 and the director 9 .
A sensor element R 2 is shown in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 2 a , the antenna element 1 being in the form of a flat antenna unit 2 , and reflectors 8 which are arranged in an area 11 above two antennas 3 , which are on a horizontal and are at a distance from one another, and are arranged in any desired area 11 above the antennas 3 being provided. They need not necessarily be arranged on a vertical to the antenna 3 .
In this case, at least one director 9 can also be provided in an area 12 below the at least one antenna 3 . This should likewise be within the scope of the present invention. A plurality of receiver antennas 10 may be provided in the flat antenna unit 2 at a distance from the arrangement of the antenna 3 as well as the reflector 8 and director 9 .
A sensor element R 3 which approximately corresponds to the abovementioned type is shown in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 2 b . The difference is that only one antenna 3 or else a plurality of antennas 3 (not illustrated in any more detail in this case) may also be provided, for example, a plurality of reflectors 8 being able to be provided in an area 11 above the antenna 3 and a plurality of directors 9 being able to be provided in an area 12 below the antenna 3 in any desired arrangement. These are used to focus the field, in particular the sensing field 4 .
In this case, a length L of the individual antennas 3 and/or reflectors 8 and/or directors 9 may also vary in a corresponding manner. The same applies to their cross sections.
A sensor element R 4 , in which a plurality of arrangements D 1 , D 2 and D 3 of the antenna 3 , reflector 8 and director 9 are formed, is shown in the final exemplary embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 2 c.
In this case, in the preferred exemplary embodiment, the reflector 8 , the underlying antenna 3 and the underlying director 9 are arranged above one another in the vertical direction according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention 1 a and 1 b.
A corresponding further arrangement D 2 is provided beside it such that it is parallel to, and at a particular distance A 1 from, the arrangement D 1 .
A particular distance A 1 is selected between the arrangements D 1 and D 2 . In this case, a third arrangement D 3 comprising the reflector 8 , the underlying antenna 3 and the underlying director 9 may be provided, which third arrangement is aligned at a different distance A 2 from the arrangement D 1 than the arrangement D 2 .
This makes it possible to connect arrangements D 1 and D 2 at a selectable distance A 1 in order to obtain a desired sensing field 4 . At the same time, it is conceivable for only the arrangements D 1 and D 3 to be connected to one another in order to generate a sensing field 4 with a correspondingly different opening angle φ and width angle α to the combination of arrangements D 1 and D 2 .
It is also conceivable to connect the arrangements D 2 and D 3 together in order to generate yet another sensing field. This should likewise be within the scope of the present invention. This should also concomitantly include the fact that corresponding receiver antennas 10 are also provided on the antenna element 1 beside the individual arrangements D 1 , D 2 and D 3 .
Furthermore, as illustrated using dashed lines in FIG. 2 b , a separate independent receiver antenna may also be assigned to the antenna element 1 or may be provided beside the latter. The invention shall not be restricted to this.
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A sensor element for opening of doors and gates, with the aim being to allow production of a detection field for identification of people and/or static objects by means of an antenna element, the antenna element is intended to have a flat antenna unit, with a pin-like antenna projecting at least approximately vertically from the flat antenna unit.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shield tunneling method and apparatus, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for thrusting a shield, which is adapted for use in jacking pipes into the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, according to the pipe jacking method, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,411, a shield is provided at the foremost part of a pipe to be thrusted and the ground is bored by the operation of an excavator attached to the shield, then by the subsequent operation of a hydraulic thrust jack disposed behind the pipe a thrust is exerted on the shield and the pipes, so that the shield and the pipes are thrusted into the bored portion of the ground. The above excavator is disposed rotatably in the front portion of the shield and is driven by a drive unit disposed behind a partition wall extending across the interior of the shield. During operation of the excavator, the cut surface of the ground or the tunnel face is maintained in a stable condition by being pressurized with pressurized water, sludge, etc.
Such preboring of the ground by the excavator diminishes the thrust resistance of the succeeding pipes, but since the pipes undergo an earth pressure acting on their circumference, the thrust resistance increases with adding of pipes required as the pipe thrusting proceeds and hence with increase of the overall length of pipes to be thrusted. Therefore, the above thrust jack must be large-sized enough to produce a large thrust. The foregoing earth pressure not only is an obstacle to the thrusting of a pipe but also continues to act on the circumference of the pipes after embedded in the ground and impedes a stable maintenance of the pipes.
On the other hand, the excavator for excavating the ground which covers the front of the shield requires a large-sized drive unit capable of producing a large driving torque for driving its rotary cutter head. This drive unit must be disposed within the shield, but in the case of a shield having a small outside diameter, e.g., 300 mm or so, there is no room for mounting therein a large-sized drive unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to diminish the thrust resistance of a shield and the succeeding pipe or pipes induced by earth pressure thereby reducing the required thrust and attaining a permanent stability of the pipe embedded.
It is another object of the present invention to attain the reduction in size of a drive unit for driving a boring rotary head attached to a shield thereby attaining a further reduction in size of the shield and hence permitting the application of pipes of smaller diameters.
The present invention is based on the concept that a part or the whole of earth and sand which cover the front of a shield is thrusted away radially of the shield by means of a rotary head causing an eccentric motion, thereby forming a volumetric change in part of the ground which surrounds the shield, that is, forming a consolidated self-support zone in the ground.
The shield thrusting method of the present invention is characterized in that a conical or frustoconical rotary head supported by a crank shaft or an eccentrically disposed straight shaft at the front portion of a shield body is allowed to undergo an eccentric motion by driving the crank shaft and allowed to consolidate the ground, and in that a thrust is exerted on the shield body during such operation of the rotary head.
The shield thrusting apparatus of the present invention basically includes a crank shaft having one end supported rotatably by a partition wall extending across the interior of the shield body and connected to a drive mechanism behind the partition wall and the other end extending in front of the partition wall; a conical or frustoconical rotary head supported rotatably by the other end of the crank shaft; and a hydraulic means positioned behind the shield body for imparting a thrust to the shield body.
Further, the shield thrusting apparatus of the present invention includes an eccentric collar supported rotatably by a partition wall extending across the interior of the shield body, the eccentric collar being connected to a first drive mechanism; a crank shaft or an eccentrically disposed straight shaft connected to a second drive mechanism; a rotary head supported by the other end of the crank shaft or the straight shaft; and a hydraulic means positioned behind the shield body for imparting a thrust to the shield body, in which the crank shaft or the straight shaft itself is allowed to undergo an eccentric motion with respect to the shield body by the operation of the first drive mechanism and this eccentric motion is performed intermittently to form an appropriate extra space around the shield body, thereby facilitating the control or adjustment of the thrusting direction of the shield.
The features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are partial longitudinal view and a front view, respectively, showing a modification of a rotary head;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are a partial longitudinal sectional view and a plan view, respectively, showing a further example of a rotary head;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 6.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a shield thrusting apparatus 10 embodying the invention, which includes a conical rotary head 14 supported at the front portion of a shield body 12 and a hydraulic thrust jack (not shown) of a structure known per se for exerting a thrust on both the shield body and a concrete pin 16 contiguous to the rear portion of the shield body. The shield body 12 is provided with a partition wall 18 extending across the interior of the shield body, with a drive mechanism 20 for the rotary head 14 being supported by the partition wall 18.
The drive mechanism 20 includes a crank shaft 22 and a motor 26 connected to the crank shaft through a reduction gear 24. A shaft portion 22a on one end side of the crank shaft 22 is supported through a bearing 28 mounted to the partition wall 18 and is keyed to an output shaft 24a of the reduction gear 24. On the other hand, a shaft portion 22b on the other end side of the crank shaft 22 supports the rotary head 14 rotatably through a bearing 30 which is mounted to the rotary head together with an agitator plate 29. The crank shaft 22 has an amount of eccentricity corresponding to "e" (shown in FIG. 1) between its shaft portions 22a and 22b. The crank shaft 22 shown in the drawings is a single overhung solid crank shaft.
A pair of pipes 32 and 34 constitute means for discharging mined material from the forward zone of the partition wall 18 to the backward zone of the partition wall 18 and are attached to the partition wall 18 in lower positions of the wall so as to be open towards the front of the partition wall. The pipe 32 is a liquid feed pipe for feeding liquid such as fresh or muddy water ahead of the partition wall 18, while the pipe 34 is a liquid discharge pipe for discharging surplus water contained in the ground and muck together with the liquid fed.
Upon operation of the motor 26, the crank shaft 22 is rotated, so that the rotary head 14 undergoes an eccentric motion and comes into an intermittent contact with the ground. During this eccentric motion, the rotary head 14 exerts an urging force on the ground and at the same time receives a reaction force from the ground, so that it rotates by itself. The ground with the urging force exerted thereon is pressurized as a whole in the diametrical direction of the shield, which direction is attributable to the shape of the rotary head and the thrust acting from the rear, and the thus pressurized ground portion forms a consolidated zone 33 which surrounds the shield. The formation of the consolidated zone 33 is effective in diminishing the thrust resistance of the shield and reducing the earth pressure against the embedded pipe, thereby attaining stabilization of the pipe.
Where the ground is weak or soft, there will be little discharge of muck, but pore water present between soil particles will be separated upon consolidation of the ground and discharged through the liquid discharge pipe 34. In the case where the ground is hard or of a noncompressible nature such as rock bed, muck is formed by a squeezing or crushing action of the rotary head 14 and it is discharged through the discharge pipe 34.
The above-described action of the rotary head 14 supported by the driven crank shaft will be easily understood by recalling an internal gear type planetary reduction gear and by likening the action of an internal gear to the ground and that of a planetary gear to the rotary head. In this case, the rotary head corresponding to the planetary gear causes its transfer torque to be developed by virtue of a frictional force acting between the rotary head and the ground, and causes the resulting torque reaction to be borne by the shield body 12. Therefore, even if a small-sized reduction gear is used as the reduction gear 24 disposed between the crank shaft 22 and the motor 26 and the crank shaft is rotated at high speed and small torque, it is possible to develop a large torque according to the nature of the ground. As a result, it becomes possible to dispose a small-sized drive mechanism within a shield of a small diameter not having a large space, and this is extremely advantageous in realizing a shield having as small a diameter as possible.
The foregoing intermittent contact between the rotary head and the ground which occurs during the eccentric motion of the rotary head 14 is a contact of the rotary head with the ground in a linear portion extending from the tip end 14a of the rotary head to the rear end along the surface thereof. In order to enhance the squeezing or crushing action of the rotary head during such contact, it is advantageous to provide many chips or bits on a conical face plate 14b of the rotary head 14. Alternatively, convex and concave portions extending radially from the tip end 14a of the rotary head 14 may be provided in an alternately continuous manner in the form of a bevel gear.
The rotary head 14 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 has a generally frustoconical shape and is provided in its front surface as a vertical surface with slits 36 and 38 which are paired in the diametrical direction. Projecting foward from those slits are a large number of bits 44 attached to support members 40 and 42. Further, on the conical surface contiguous to the front surface is formed a saw tooth-like rugged portion 46 with convexes and concaves extending alternatively in the circumferential direction. The mucks formed by excavation with the bits 44 are sent backward through the slits 36 and 38 and collected to the lower portion of the partition wall 18 under the action of the agitator plate 29, then conveyed further backward through the discharge pipe 34. During the eccentric motion of the rotary head, the rugged portion 46 on the conical peripheral surface compresses the ground and at the same time exerts an effective squeezing or crushing force thereon.
The rotary head illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 has four slits 38 formed in the conical face plate 14b and extending crosswise from the tip end 14a. Within each of the slits 38 are provided plural limit pieces or restrictors 48 at predetermined intervals for limiting the size of muck taken in therethrough. Further, on the conical face plate 14b is provided a rugged portion 46 extending from the tip end 14a radially backward. In place of the conical face plate illustrated, a plurality of spokes may be arranged at predetermined intervals on the conical plane of the generally conical rotary head, and in this case the aforementioned limit pieces are disposed at predetermined intervals between the spokes and a multitude of chips and/or bits are provided on the spokes.
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention, in which a large number of bits 44 are provided on spokes 50 which are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction and there is provided a mechanism 52 whereby a shaft 22 (a crank shaft in the example shown) which supports the rotary head 14 is allowed to perform an eccentric motion with respect to the central axis of the shield body for forming an extra space. This eccentric motion mechanism 52 includes an eccentric collar 56 which is supported by the partition wall 18 through a bearing 54 and a sleeve 58 which is disposed in the eccentric collar 56. The mechanism 52 further includes a drive mechanism provided with a motor 60 and a reduction gear 62 whereby the eccentric collar 56 is driven and rotated through engagement of a gear 66 formed on the outer periphery of a flange 64 of the eccentric collar 56 with a gear 68 mounted on an output shaft of the reduction gear 62.
A shaft portion 22a of the eccentric shaft is received rotatably in the sleeve 58 and it is keyed at an end portion thereof to an output shaft of a reduction gear 24 which is connected to a motor 26. The sleeve 58 has a flange 70 and a bracket 72 integral with the flange. One end of a rocker arm 74 extending in the transverse direction of the shield body is pivotally connected to the bracket 72 through a pin 76, while the other end of the rocker arm 74 is pivotally connected through a pin 80 to a bracket 78 which is mounted to the shield body 12. Under the action of the rocker arm 74 the sleeve 58 performs an eccentric motion in accordance with the rotation of the eccentric collar 56, but its rotation about its own axis is prevented.
If the eccentric collar 56 is rotated at least once or rotated angularly during rotation of the crank shaft 22, the driven shaft itself which supports the rotary head 14 performs an eccentric motion about the axis of the shield body 12. Therefore, if the shaft portion on the reduction gear side of the driven shaft is held in the eccentric position when the driven shaft is a crank shaft or if the entirety of the driven shaft is held in the eccentric position when the driven shaft is an eccentrically disposed straight shaft, then by selecting the outside diameter of the rotary head suitably according to the diameter of the shield body, there can be formed an extra space having desired diameter and length through the overall circumference of the shield body or over a certain angular range, thereby permitting control of the thrusting direction of the shield body. The number of revolutions of the eccentric collar 56 can be set at about one twentieth of that of the crank shaft. Further, by controlling the operation of the drive mechanism 52, the rotation of the eccentric collar can be done continuously or intermittently according to the control for a desired shield thrusting direction.
An extra space for permitting the above-described thrusting direction control by the eccentric motion mechanism may be formed not only by a rotary head supported on a crank shaft but also by a rotary cutter fixedly supported on a straight shaft which is rotatably supported in a position eccentric to the axis of a shield.
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Method for thrusting a shield for use in tunneling includes the steps of causing a rotary head, provided at the front portion of a shield body, an eccentric motion so that earth, soil or sand covering the front of the shield is pressed away radially of the shield, and exerting a thrust on the shield body during the eccentric motion of said rotary head. Apparatus for carrying out the method includes a driven crank shaft or a driven eccentric straight shaft, a conical or frustoconical rotary head supported rotatably by the crank or eccentric straight shaft, conveyor for discharging mined material backwardly, and hydraulic jacks for imparting a thrust to the shield body.
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PRIOR APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This patent application claims priority and benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/213,368, titled “Hybrid Operating Room, and Method of Using Thereof”, filed on Jun. 2, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] Some embodiments are related to the field of surgery centers and operating rooms.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Various types of surgery (for example, life-saving surgery, emergency surgery, or non-emergency surgery) may be performed in hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and other medical care facilities.
[0004] Many surgeries require to be performed in a dedicated Operating Room (“OR”), which needs to be sterilized prior to the surgery, and needs to be maintained sterile during the surgery. The Operating Room, as well as the patient undergoing surgery, may need to be protected from outside contamination (e.g., dust, bacteria, microorganisms, or the like), in order to prevent contamination which may lead to infections and other medical complications.
[0005] Unfortunately, construction and/or maintenance of a sterile Operating Room may be very expensive. Furthermore, sterilizing an Operating Room may be an expensive, time-consuming, and effort-consuming process.
SUMMARY
[0006] Some embodiments include, for example, a hybrid Operating Room (“OR”), as well as methods for using thereof.
[0007] In some embodiments, for example, a surgery center includes: a hybrid operating room comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are adjacent and share a common wall, wherein the common wall comprises an aperture, wherein the hybrid operating room further comprises a surgery bed, wherein a first portion of the surgery bed is located in the first chamber, wherein a second portion of the surgery bed is located in the second chamber.
[0008] In some embodiments, for example, the first chamber is a substantially non-sterile chamber, and the second chamber is a substantially sterile chamber.
[0009] In some embodiments, for example, the first chamber has a first pressure, the second chamber has a second pressure, and the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.
[0010] In some embodiments, for example, the aperture comprises an adjustable divider, and the adjustable divider is able to hermetically shut the aperture.
[0011] In some embodiments, for example, the adjustable divider comprises a vertically-movable window panel.
[0012] In some embodiments, for example, the surgery bed is substantially perpendicular to the common wall.
[0013] In some embodiments, for example, the surgery bed traverses through the aperture.
[0014] In some embodiments, for example, the aperture is able to have a first state, a second state, and a third state; in the first state the aperture is entirely and hermetically shut; in the second state the aperture is entirely open; and in the third state the aperture is partially open and partially closed.
[0015] In some embodiments, for example, the second chamber comprises a sterilization system.
[0016] In some embodiments, for example, the second chamber comprises a compressor to create a positive pressure in the second chamber relative to the first chamber.
[0017] In some embodiments, for example, more than 50 percent of the surgery bed is located within the first chamber, and less than 50 percent of the surgery bed is located within the second chamber.
[0018] In some embodiments, for example, more than 75 percent of the surgery bed is located within the first chamber, and less than 25 percent of the surgery bed is located within the second chamber.
[0019] In some embodiments, for example, the common wall comprises a substantially transparent wall portion.
[0020] In some embodiments, for example, the common wall comprises an emergency door, and the emergency door is able to be hermetically shut.
[0021] In some embodiments, for example, the surgery center comprises a vehicular surgery center.
[0022] In some embodiments, for example, the surgery center comprises a military surgery center.
[0023] In some embodiments, for example, the surgery center comprises an ambulatory surgery center.
[0024] In some embodiments, for example, a method for preparing a person for surgery in a hybrid operating room includes: placing the person in a pre-defined position on a surgery bed of the hybrid operating room, wherein the hybrid operating room comprises a non-sterile chamber adjacent to a substantially sterile chamber, wherein the sterile chamber and the non-sterile chamber share a common wall having an aperture, wherein the surgery bed traverses through the aperture.
[0025] In some embodiments, for example, placing the person in the pre-defined position comprises: placing the person in a position such that a body area of the person, which is intended to undergo surgery, is located within the sterile chamber, and such that a body area of the person, which is not intended to undergo surgery, is located within the non-sterile chamber.
[0026] In some embodiments, for example, the method further includes: prior to said placing of the person on said surgery bed, performing pre-surgery preparatory operations on the person within the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid operating room.
[0027] In some embodiments, for example, the method further includes: prior to said performing pre-surgery preparatory operations on the person, hermetically shutting the aperture of the common wall.
[0028] In some embodiments, for example, the method further includes: subsequent to said performing pre-surgery preparatory operations on the person, and prior to said placing of the person on said surgery bed, opening the aperture of the common wall.
[0029] In some embodiments, for example, the method further includes: subsequent to said placing of the person on said surgery bed, partially closing the aperture of the common wall.
[0030] In some embodiments, for example, the method further includes: prior to said placing of the person on said surgery bed, creating in the sterile chamber a positive pressure relative to a pressure in the non-sterile chamber.
[0031] In some embodiments, for example, the method further includes, prior to said placing of the person on said surgery bed: hermetically shutting the aperture of the common wall; and sterilizing the sterile chamber.
[0032] Some embodiments may provide other and/or additional benefits and/or advantages.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity of presentation. Furthermore, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. The figures are listed below.
[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a hybrid Operating Room in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0035] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a vehicular surgery center in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a non-portable surgery center in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0037] FIG. 4 is schematic flow-chart of a method of preparing a person for surgery in a hybrid Operating Room, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0038] FIGS. 5-8 are schematic illustrations of three-dimensional isometric views of a hybrid Operating Room, shown from above, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0039] FIGS. 9-10 are schematic illustrations of three-dimensional isometric views of a hybrid Operating Room, shown from within the sterile chamber, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0040] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of a surgery center, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
[0041] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a surgery center, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments. However, it will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that some embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, units and/or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the discussion.
[0043] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a hybrid Operating Room (“OR”) 100 in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. The hybrid OR 100 may be part of a hospital or a medical center, may be part of a surgery center, may be part of an ambulatory medical care center, may be a stand-alone or independent unit, may be part of a mobile or vehicular or portable surgery center, may be part of a military surgery center, may be part of a permanent or temporary surgery center, or the like.
[0044] The hybrid OR 100 includes multiple rooms, chambers, portions or regions. For demonstrative purposes, the hybrid OR 100 as shown in FIG. 1 includes two adjacent chambers 103 - 104 sharing a common wall 127 . Chamber 103 is a non-sterile chamber, whereas chamber 104 is a sterile chamber. The pressure in the sterile chamber 104 is higher than the pressure in the non-sterile chamber 103 . The wall 127 includes an aperture 123 having one or more dividers 124 . A surgery bed 120 traverses from the non-sterile chamber 103 into the sterile chamber 104 , through a lower portion of the aperture 123 , and substantially perpendicular to the wall 127 . A patient 199 who undergoes surgery in a particular body organ or body part or body area (e.g., eyes, ears, teeth, foot), lies on the bed 120 , such that the body area which undergoes surgery is located within the sterile chamber 104 , whereas the other body areas which do not undergo surgery are located within the non-sterile chamber 103 . Once the patient 199 assumes this position on the surgery bed 120 , a surgeon and/or other medical professionals, who are located in the sterile chamber 104 , perform the surgery on the patient 199 . The surgeon may perform the surgery while standing, or while sitting on a chair or a stool 195 located in proximity to the portion 122 of the surgery bed 120 located within the sterile chamber 104 .
[0045] The non-sterile chamber 103 may be used as pre-operation (“pre-op”) preparation chamber. For example, in the non-sterile chamber 103 , the patient 199 is being prepared for his surgery, e.g., having his blood pressure measured, having his heart rate measured, removing his everyday clothes and accessories (sunglasses, rings, jewelry), wearing a surgery robe, wearing a hair-cap or a head-cap, wearing feet caps, or the like; these preparation actions may be performed by the patient 199 by himself, or with the aid of a nurse or another assistant located with the patient 199 in the non-sterile chamber 103 .
[0046] Chamber 103 may be non-sterile, or generally non-sterile, or substantially non-sterile. In some embodiments, chamber 103 lacks any equipment to sterilize chamber 103 . In other embodiments, chamber 103 may include equipment for cleaning and sterilizing the patient 199 , or the body area of patient 199 which is intended to undergo surgery; whereas chamber 103 lacks equipment for sterilizing the other content of chamber 103 (e.g., except for the patient 199 ).
[0047] In contrast, chamber 104 may be sterile, or essentially sterile, or substantially sterile. Chamber 104 may include equipment to sterilize chamber 104 , and/or equipment to protect chamber 104 and its content from contamination, and/or equipment to maintain chamber 104 in a sterile state prior to surgery, during surgery, and subsequent to surgery.
[0048] Chambers 103 - 104 may be adjacent to each other, and may be separated by a common partition or wall 127 . The wall 127 may be, for example, a permanent wall, a temporary wall, an ad-hoc wall, a brick wall, a cement wall, a calcium sulfate wall, a wall formed of one or more metals, a wall or partition formed of plastic and/or wood and/or fabric, a rigid wall, a generally rigid wall, a flexible wall, a partition, a partition made of fabrics, a glass wall, or the like.
[0049] In some embodiments, wall 127 is formed of a transparent material (e.g., glass), a substantially transparent material, a semi-transparent material, or the like. This may allow person(s) located in the sterile chamber 104 to view the person(s) located in the non-sterile chamber 103 , or vice versa. This may further allow person(s) located in the sterile chamber 104 to view the part of the patient's body, which is located within the non-sterile chamber 103 (e.g., and to possibly view symptoms of distress, discomfort, palpitations, seizures, shaking, trembling, medical complications, or the like). In some embodiments, wall 127 may include a one-way mirror, allowing persons located in the sterile chamber 104 to view the content of the non-sterile chamber 103 , but blocking persons located in the non-sterile chamber from viewing the content of the sterile chamber 104 .
[0050] Wall 127 includes the aperture 123 , for example, a hole or slit which may be similar to a window. In some demonstrative embodiments, the dimensions of aperture 123 may be, for example, approximately 20 by 20 centimeters, approximately 25 by 25 centimeters, approximately 30 by 30 centimeters, approximately 35 by 35 centimeters, approximately 40 by 40 centimeters, approximately 50 by 50 centimeters, approximately 40 centimeters (horizontally) by 30 centimeters (vertically), or the like. Aperture 123 may be, for example, square-shaped, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval, or may have other suitable shape.
[0051] The hybrid OR 100 further includes the surgery bed 120 , located partially within the non-sterile chamber 103 and partially within the adjacent sterile chamber 104 . The bed 120 may be substantially perpendicular to the wall 127 and/or to the lower panel of the aperture 123 .
[0052] The surgery bed may include two portions, for example, a first bed portion 121 located within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and a second bed portion 122 located within the sterile chamber 104 . The bed 120 may traverse through the aperture 123 , and may be constructed such that bed 120 partially lies on or touches a lower panel of the aperture 123 .
[0053] In some embodiments, approximately 50 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 50 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 60 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 40 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 66 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 34 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 70 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 30 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 75 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 25 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 80 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 20 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 90 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 10 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, approximately 95 percent (or more) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and approximately 5 percent (or less) of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, a majority portion of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and a minority portion of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, a minority portion of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and a majority portion of bed 120 may be within the sterile chamber 104 . Other suitable ratios may be used.
[0054] In some embodiments, bed 120 may have one or more legs, stands or support beams in the non-sterile chamber 103 (e.g., connecting the bed 120 with the floor of chamber 103 , the ceiling of chamber 103 , or one or more walls of chamber 103 ); and bed 120 may have one or more legs, stands or support beams in the sterile chamber 104 (e.g., connecting the bed 120 with the floor of chamber 104 , the ceiling of chamber 104 , or one or more walls of chamber 104 ). In other embodiments, bed 120 may have one or more legs, stands or support beams in the non-sterile chamber 103 (e.g., connecting the bed 120 with the floor of chamber 103 , the ceiling of chamber 103 , or one or more walls of chamber 103 ); but bed 120 may lack any legs, stands or support beams in the sterile chamber 104 .
[0055] In some embodiments, a majority portion (portion 121 ) of bed 120 may be within the non-sterile chamber 103 , and may have legs, stands or support there in the non-sterile chamber; whereas a minority portion (portion 122 ) of bed 120 may extend or protrude through the aperture 123 into the sterile chamber 104 , and may be suspended within the sterile chamber 104 , or may be unsupported within the sterile chamber 104 . In some embodiments, the center of gravity of bed 120 may be located within the non-sterile chamber 103 , for example, in order to allow unsupported protrusion of bed portion 122 into sterile chamber 104 , or in order to allow unsupported suspension of bed portion 122 within the sterile chamber 104 .
[0056] One or more divider(s) 124 may be located, hung, connected, or otherwise disposed within the aperture 123 . Divider 124 includes a movable, adjustable, slide-able, foldable, or otherwise modifiable divider, allowing a person to close the aperture 123 , to hermetically close the aperture 123 , to open the aperture 123 , and to partially open and partially close the aperture 123 . In some embodiments, divider 124 may be able to partially cover, or may be able to substantially entirely cover, the aperture 123 .
[0057] In some embodiments, divider 124 may be formed of, for example, a fabric, a cloth, a curtain, a textile, plastic, a flexible material, a semi-flexible semi-rigid material, an elastic material, a stretchable material, a foldable material, or the like. In other embodiments, divider 124 and aperture 123 may be implemented as a window, a sliding window, a window having a sliding panel, a window having panel able to slide horizontally or vertically, a window having a shutter, a window having a blind or a set of blinds, a window having a rigid or flexible or rigid-flex cover, a glass window, a plastic window, a window having a glass shutter, a window having a plastic shutter, a window having a glass partition able to entirely and hermetically shut the window, or the like.
[0058] In some embodiments, the divider 124 may include multiple dividers, for example, both a flexible partition (e.g., a fabric) and a rigid partition (e.g., a glass window). In some embodiments, the divider 124 may include one or more panels or portions which may be slid horizontally, upwards and downwards; and/or one or more panels or portions which may be slid vertically or sideways. In some embodiments, the divider 124 may be implemented as a fabric or a flexible material having a slit or crack therein, allowing a patient's head or other body organ to be pushed through the slit or crack in the flexible material, in a way which may be similar to insertion of an arm into a sleeve.
[0059] The hybrid OR 100 may be used, for example, in conjunction with surgery of patient 199 . The patient 199 may be prepared for the surgery in the non-sterile chamber 103 , where the patient may be cleaned, bathed, showered, shaved, and/or otherwise sterilized or decontaminated. The non-sterile chamber 103 may include pre-op preparatory equipment 193 . In some embodiments, substantially the entire body of the patient 199 may be cleaned, bathed, showered, shaved, and/or otherwise sterilized or decontaminated in the non-sterile chamber 103 . In other embodiments, only one or more relevant body parts, body organs, or body areas of the patient 199 , are cleaned, bathed, showered, shaved, and/or otherwise sterilized or decontaminated in the non-sterile chamber 103 . For example, in some embodiments, patient 199 may undergo eye surgery, and only the eyes area and/or the head area of patient 199 may be cleaned, bathed, showered, shaved, and/or otherwise sterilized or decontaminated.
[0060] Upon completion of the pre-op preparation process in the non-sterile chamber 103 , the patient 199 lies on the surgery bed 120 in accordance with a lying position instructed to him in advance. For example, patient 199 lies on the surgery bed 120 such that one or more body parts, body organs, or body areas of patient 199 , which are not directly subject to the surgery and/or are not affected by the surgery, are located within the non-sterile chamber 103 ; whereas one or more body parts, body organs, or body areas of patient 199 , which are subject to the surgery and/or are affected by the surgery, are located within the sterile chamber 104 .
[0061] For example, if the patient 199 undergoes surgery to his eyes, ears, or teeth, then patient 199 may lie on the bed 120 such that the head of patient 199 is within the sterile chamber 104 , the neck of patient 199 is within the aperture 123 , and the rest of the body of patient 199 (from the neck down) is within the non-sterile chamber 103 . In contrast, for example, if the patient 199 undergoes surgery to his foot or toe, then patient 199 may lie on the bed 120 in a reverse position, such that one foot or two feet of patient 199 are within the sterile chamber 104 , knee or knees of patient 199 are within the aperture 123 , and the body of patient 199 (from the knees up) is within the non-sterile chamber 103 . Other suitable positioning schemes may be or utilization schemes may be used. In some embodiments, various types of surgeries may be associated with one or more pre-defined patient lying positioning schemes.
[0062] In some embodiments, optionally, surgery bed 120 may be movable or adjustable, in order to allow increase and/or decrease of the portion 122 of bed 120 which is located within the sterile chamber 104 , as well as a decrease and/or increase of the portion 121 of bed 120 which is located within the non-sterile chamber 103 . For example, in some embodiments, bed 120 may be foldable, extendable, retractable, modifiable, may have an adjustable length, or may otherwise be adjustable to allow such increase and/or increase in the size of the bed portions 121 - 122 . This may allow, for example, enlargement of the bed portion 122 which accommodates a larger organ or body area of patient 199 which needs to undergo surgery within the sterile chamber 104 .
[0063] Prior to placement of the patient 199 on the bed 120 , the divider 124 may be folded, opened, retracted, or removed from the aperture 123 , in order to provide an adequate and sufficient opening in the aperture 123 such that a portion of the body of patient 199 may go through the aperture 123 . Upon placement of the patient 199 on the bed 120 in the relevant lying position, the divider 124 may be returned to the aperture 123 , or may be otherwise unfolded or stretched or closed, in order to minimize the opening in the aperture 123 , and in order to reduce and minimize the possibility of contamination flowing from the non-sterile chamber 103 to the sterile chamber 104 . In some embodiments, upon placement of the patient 199 on the bed 120 , the divider 124 may block most of the aperture 123 , and may optionally touch the body of patient 199 who lies on the bed 120 .
[0064] Each one of chambers 103 - 104 may have one or more doors, to allow supervised entry thereto and/or supervised exit therefrom. In some embodiments, entry into each chamber 103 - 104 and/or exit from each chamber 103 - 104 may be supervised by, monitored by, or conditioned upon approval of a supervisor or medical professional. For example, a door 132 may allow the patient 199 to move from the outside world, or from a waiting room, into the non-sterile chamber 103 of the hybrid OR 100 . Similarly, a door 133 my allow surgeons, nurses, or other medical professionals to move between the sterile chamber 104 of the hybrid OR 100 and the outside world or other rooms of a medical facility (e.g., a room in which medical professions wait or prepare for surgery).
[0065] In some embodiments, the wall 127 which separates between the adjacent chambers 103 - 104 of the hybrid OR 100 lacks a door, such that a person may not be able to move directly from the sterile chamber 104 to the non-sterile chamber 103 , or vice versa. In other embodiments, the wall 127 may include a hermetic door, optionally implemented as an emergency-only door, to allow persons to move (e.g., in case of medical emergency) from the sterile chamber 104 to the non-sterile chamber 103 , or vice versa.
[0066] In some demonstrative embodiments, the hybrid OR 100 may be used in conjunction with eye surgery. The sterile chamber 104 undergoes a full process of sterilization, prior to the surgery and/or during the surgery. The medical professionals involved in the surgery further undergo a full process of sterilization, prior to the surgery and/or during the surgery. In contrast, prior to the surgery, the patient undergoes a partial process of sterilization, in which only the patient's head (or upper-body) undergoes sterilization, whereas the rest of the patient's body does not undergo sterilization. The patient wears sterile clothes or a surgery robe, as well as a sterile head-cap or hair-cap, and then lies on the bed 120 in a suitable position. For example, only the sterile head of patient 199 is within the sterile chamber 104 , whereas the rest of the body (which was not sterilized) of patient 199 is within the non-sterile chamber 103 . The medical professionals are located in the sterile chamber 104 , and they perform the surgery on the sterile head of the patient 199 , located near them within the sterile chamber 104 on the portion 122 of the surgery 120 . Upon completion of the surgery, the entire body of the patient 199 moves back into the non-sterile chamber 103 , and the divider 124 is adjusted such that the aperture is closed and hermetically shut. Optionally, the patient 199 is escorted out of the non-sterile chamber 103 through the door 132 , and a subsequent patient may enter the non-sterile chamber 103 and undergo a pre-op preparation process towards a subsequent surgery in the hybrid OR 100 . Optionally, the surgery bed 120 , or at least the portion 122 of the surgery bed 120 , may be sterilized or decontaminated, for example, periodically and/or between consecutive surgeries.
[0067] In some embodiments, prior to the surgery, and while the patient 199 is being prepared for the surgery, the divider 124 is entirely closed and/or hermetically shut, in order to isolate and separate between the sterile chamber 104 and the non-sterile chamber. Once the patient 199 is prepared for the surgery, and already wears the required surgery clothes and/or hair-cap, the divider 124 is lifted or opened (partially or entirely) to allow the positioning of the patient 199 on the bed 120 . Then, once the patient is positioned on the bed, with the patient's body area which undergoes surgery protruding into the sterile chamber 104 , the divider 124 is pulled down and is closed until it touches the patient's body. Optionally, multiple dividers are used (e.g., a sliding window panel, a blind, a transparent curtain, or the like) in order to maximize the area of the aperture 123 which is covered by dividers. The surgery takes place within the sterile chamber 104 , on the body area located in the sterile chamber 104 , while the patient 199 remains in this position. Upon completion of the surgery, the divider 124 is again lifted or opened (partially or entirely), to allow the removal of the patient 199 from the bed 120 and into the non-sterile chamber 103 . The divider 124 is then closed or shut again, to maintain the separation between the sterile chamber 104 and the non-sterile chamber 103 , and to block or reduce contamination flowing from the non-sterile chamber 103 to the sterile chamber 104 .
[0068] In some embodiments, the body portion of the patient which is located in the non-sterile chamber 103 , may be connected to one or more medical devices, for example, intravenous (IV) drugs, dialyses machine, blood pressure monitor, heart rate monitor, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the body portion of the patient which is located in the sterile chamber 104 , may be similarly connected to one or more medical devices, for example, an oxygen mask may be placed on the patient's nose and mouth.
[0069] In some embodiments, the aperture 123 may be relatively small, in order to reduce or minimize the possibility of contamination flowing from the non-sterile chamber 103 into the sterile chamber. For example, in some embodiments, aperture 123 may be the size of an average a person's head, and not significantly larger. In some embodiments, optionally, an assistant within the non-sterile chamber 103 may assist to insert the patient's head through the aperture 123 and into the sterile chamber 104 . In other embodiments, aperture 123 may be sufficiently large in order to allow reasonable or convenient insertion and removal of the patient's head through the aperture 123 , for example, without the patient 199 being hit by the wall 127 in such insertion or removal.
[0070] In some embodiments, the sterile chamber 104 may include surgery equipment 194 , for example, a surgery cart, surgery instruments, or the like. The sterile chamber 104 may further include a sterilization system 141 or other suitable sterilization equipment. In some embodiments, the sterile chamber 104 may include one or more filters 142 (e.g., one-way filters or uni-directional filters) to prevent entry of contaminated air or gas into the sterile chamber 104 . The sterile chamber 104 may include one or more Air Conditioning (A/C) units 140 , or other suitable cooling units, heating units, decontamination/ventilation units, or the like.
[0071] In some embodiments, the sterile chamber 104 may include a bellows, a blower, or a compressor 143 , able to create and maintain a higher pressure in the sterile chamber 104 relative to the pressure in the adjacent non-sterile chamber 103 . This difference in pressures between the two chambers 103 - 104 (namely, between the high-pressure or increased-pressure sterile chamber 104 which may have a mild positive pressure, and the low-pressure or reduced-pressure non-sterile chamber 103 which may have a mild negative pressure or no pressure), may allow, for example, elimination or avoidance or reduction in the movement of contamination during the surgery from the non-sterile chamber 103 to the sterile chamber 104 . Other suitable units may be used to create a higher pressure in the sterile chamber 104 relative to the non-sterile chamber 103 .
[0072] Although portions of the discussion herein relate, for demonstrative purposes, to placement of the patient 199 on the surgery bed 120 in a lying position, some embodiments may utilize other, non-lying, placement positions which still maintain the pre-defined positioning scheme. For example, if patient 199 undergoes foot surgery, patient 199 may be placed in a sitting position on the surgery bed 120 , such that his feet (or one of his feet) extend into the sterile chamber 104 , whereas the rest of his body is seated or supported (e.g., with pillows) within the non-sterile chamber 103 .
[0073] In some embodiments, the patient 199 may be anesthetized, for example, locally (e.g., in a particular body organ), regionally (e.g., in a particular body area), or completely (e.g., in his entire body). In some embodiments, the anesthesia may be performed, for example, in the non-sterile chamber 103 and prior to placing the patient 199 on the surgery bed. In some embodiments, the anesthesia may be performed, for example, in the non-sterile chamber 103 , while the patient 199 is placed on the portion 121 of the surgery bed 120 located within the non-sterile chamber, and prior to opening the hermetically-shut aperture 123 . In some embodiments, the anesthesia may be performed, for example, in the non-sterile chamber 103 while the patient 199 is placed on surgery bed 120 in the suitable position for the surgery that the patient 199 is about to undergo. In some embodiments, the anesthesia may be performed, for example, in the sterile chamber 104 while the patient 199 is placed on surgery bed 120 in the suitable position for the surgery that the patient 199 is about to undergo. Other suitable method of anesthesia may be used.
[0074] In some embodiments, the surgery bed 120 may be a portable or movable surgery bed, for example, having wheels at the lower part of the legs or the surgery bed 120 . This may allow, for example, rapid removal of the surgery bed 120 from the hybrid OR 100 ; rapid exchange of a used surgery bed 120 with a new surgery bed 120 ; or introduction of the patient 199 into the hybrid OR 100 while the patient 199 is already on the portable surgery bed 199 (e.g., if the patient 199 is in a coma, or severely wounded, or unconscious, or asleep). The portable implementation of the surgery bed 120 may include locks or stabilizers, allowing to lock the wheels of the surgery bed into a non-moving position, in order to allow stability and non-movement of the surgery bed 120 during the surgery. In some embodiments, the height of the surgery bed 120 may be modifiable or adjustable, in order to accommodate the height (e.g., from the floor) of various types of apertures 123 in various types of hybrid ORs 100 .
[0075] Although portions of the discussion herein relate, for demonstrative purposes, to a “patient”, some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various types of persons or users, for example, not necessarily a sick or ill person, a healthy person, a non-hospitalized person, a volunteer, a medical research participant, or the like.
[0076] In some embodiments, the hybrid OR 100 may be used such that a single patient may be operated on at any given time, and multiple patients may be operated on sequentially, using the same hybrid OR 110 . In other embodiments, a single hybrid OR 100 may be adapted to allow concurrent and/or simultaneous surgery on two or more patients in parallel. For example, the wall 127 may have two apertures 123 , and two surgery beds 120 may traverse these two apertures (one surgery bed 120 per each aperture 123 ). This mail allow, for example, a first patient to undergo surgery using the first surgery bed, and in parallel (entirely in parallel, or at least partially in parallel, using a partially overlapping time-slot), a second patient may undergo surgery (e.g., the same type of surgery, or a different type of surgery) using the second surgery bed. For demonstrative purposes, FIGS. 1-3 show a hybrid OR having a single aperture and a single surgery bed, allowing to operate on a single patient at a time. For demonstrative purposes, FIGS. 5-10 show a hybrid OR having three apertures and three surgery beds, allowing to operate on one or two or three patients in parallel. FIG. 11 shows a hybrid OR having six apertures and six surgery beds, allowing to operate on up to six patients in parallel. Other suitable numbers of apertures and surgery beds may be used in conjunction with a single hybrid OR.
[0077] Although portions of the discussion herein relate, for demonstrative purposes, to a human patient, some embodiments may be used in conjunction with non-humans, for example, in conjunction with surgery performed on dogs, cats, monkeys, or other pets or animals.
[0078] In some embodiments, the hybrid OR 100 may be ambulatory, portable, wheel-based, mobile, or vehicular. In some embodiments, the hybrid OR 100 may be part of a transportation unit. For example, the dual-chamber or double-chamber hybrid OR 100 , including its multiple chambers 103 - 104 , may be implemented within a vehicle, a truck, a van, a bus, a motor vehicle, a tank, a military vehicle, a cabin of a truck, a cabin of a vehicle, a cabin of a van, a towed unit, a towable unit, an airplane, a helicopter, a boat, a ship, a submarine, or the like. For example, hybrid OR 100 may be implemented as, or within, a cabin of a truck, and may thus be portable and mobile since it may be connected to a set of wheels, a vehicular engine, and a driver's cabin.
[0079] Reference is made to FIG. 2 , which schematically illustrates a vehicular surgery center 200 in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. The vehicular surgery center 200 includes a hybrid OR which may be similar or identical to the hybrid OR 100 of FIG. 1 . The vehicular surgery center 200 includes a driver cabin 210 , as well as a set of wheels 201 - 204 and other suitable vehicular components (e.g., a vehicular motor, a vehicular gas tank, a vehicular and electric system, a vehicular steering system, or the like). The hybrid OR 100 is implemented as a unit of the vehicular surgery center 200 . Optionally, doors 132 - 133 of the hybrid OR 100 may be located in suitable locations of the vehicular surgery center 200 , in order to allow entry into and exit from the hybrid OR 100 , optionally using a set of steps or stairs (e.g., if the vehicular surgery center is implemented as a large truck).
[0080] In some embodiments, the hybrid OR 100 of FIG. 1 may be part of a greater surgery center, medical center, hospital, laboratory, or other medical facility.
[0081] Reference is made to FIG. 3 , which schematically illustrates a non-portable surgery center 300 in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. The non-portable surgery center 300 includes a hybrid OR which may be similar or identical to the hybrid OR 100 of FIG. 1 . The surgery center 300 may include additional chambers, which may be in proximity to the hybrid OR 100 or may be adjacent to the hybrid OR 100 . For example, the surgery center 300 may include a patients' waiting room 302 , which may be adjacent to the non-sterile chamber 103 . The surgery center 300 may further include a medical team preparation room 305 , which may be adjacent to the sterile chamber 104 . Other suitable chambers may be included in the surgery center 300 .
[0082] FIG. 4 is schematic flow-chart of a method of preparing a person (e.g., a patient) for surgery in a hybrid Operating Room (OR), in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. Operations of the method may be used, for example, in conjunction with the OR 100 of FIG. 1 , the vehicular surgery center 200 of FIG. 2 , the surgery center 300 of FIG. 3 , or other suitable facilities. Operations of the method may be performed, for example, by the patient which undergoes surgery, by an assistant, by a medical professional, by a physician, by a nurse, or by other suitable persons.
[0083] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, hermetically shutting the aperture between the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR and the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 405 ).
[0084] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, creating a higher pressure in the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR, relative to the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 410 ).
[0085] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, sterilizing the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 415 ).
[0086] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, introducing a patient into the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 420 ).
[0087] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, performing one or more pre-surgery preparation operations on the patient within the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 425 ). This may include, for example, measuring of various medical parameters (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate), shaving, showering, cleaning, decontaminating, changing clothes, putting on a surgery robe, putting on a hair-cap or a head-cap, putting on feet caps, or the like.
[0088] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, opening (partially or entirely) the aperture between the non-sterile chamber and the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 430 ). This may include, for example, sliding of one or more dividers or partitions, or otherwise adjusting or opening a window-like implementation of the aperture.
[0089] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, placing the patient in a pre-defined lying position on the surgery bed of the hybrid OR (block 435 ). For example, the patient may be placed on the surgery bed, such that the body part which undergoes surgery is located within the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR, whereas the rest of the body of the patient is located within the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid OR.
[0090] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, partially closing the aperture between the sterile chamber and the non-sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 440 ). This may include, for example, lowering or unfolding a divider within the aperture, until it touches the patient's body.
[0091] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example, performing one or more pre-surgery preparatory operations on the patient within the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR (block 445 ). This may include, for example, placing an oxygen mask on the patient's nose and mouth (e.g., if a part of the head is intended to undergo surgery), removing a bandage from the body area which is intended to undergo surgery, connecting an IV to the body area which is intended to undergo surgery, connecting a medical monitoring unit or a medical measurement unit to the body area which is intended to undergo surgery.
[0092] Upon completion of these operations, a surgeon located in the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR performs surgery on the body part or body area which is located within the sterile chamber of the hybrid OR. During the surgery, the sterile chamber is maintained sterile; whereas the non-sterile chamber is not sterilized and continues to lack a sterilization process.
[0093] Upon completion of the surgery, the aperture may be opened (partially or entirely); the patient is entirely removed from the surgery bed and into the non-sterile chamber; and the aperture is closed and hermetically shut.
[0094] Other suitable operations or sets of operations may be used in accordance with some embodiments. Some operations or sets of operations may be repeated, for example, substantially continuously, for a pre-defined number of iterations, or until one or more conditions are met. In some embodiments, some operations may be performed in parallel, in sequence, or in other suitable orders of execution.
[0095] FIGS. 5-8 are schematic illustrations of three-dimensional isometric views of a hybrid OR (denoted with numerals 500 , 600 700 and 800 ), shown from above, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. The hybrid OR of FIGS. 5-8 includes three apertures in the common wall shared by the sterile chamber and the non-sterile chamber, as well as three surgery beds traversing through the three apertures, respectively.
[0096] FIGS. 9-10 are schematic illustrations of three-dimensional isometric views of a hybrid OR (denoted with numerals 900 and 1000 ), shown from within the sterile chamber, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. The hybrid OR of FIGS. 9-10 includes three apertures in the common wall shared by the sterile chamber and the non-sterile chamber, as well as three surgery beds traversing through the three apertures, respectively.
[0097] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of a surgery center 1100 , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. Surgery center 1100 may include, for example, a sterile area 1101 , a non-sterile area 1102 , multiple beds 1103 traversing and protruding through apertures from the non-sterile area 1102 into the sterile area 1101 , a veranda 1104 , a dressing room 1105 , a diagnostic room 1106 , a bathroom 1107 , an office 1108 , a storage room or storeroom 1109 , a generator room 1110 , one or more Air Conditioning (A/C) units 1111 , and other suitable components. The sterile area 1101 and the non-sterile area 1102 may correspond to, or may be similar to, the sterile chamber 104 and the non-sterile chamber 103 of FIG. 1 , respectively.
[0098] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a surgery center 1200 , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. The portion of the surgery center 1200 as shown may include, for example, a patient 1299 who may lie on a bed 1204 , such that a part of the patient's body (e.g. only his head) may be in a sterile zone whereas another part of the patient's body (e.g., the entire body except the head) may be in a non-sterile zone. The sterile and non-sterile zones may be separated by a divider 1201 which may be flexible or semi-flexible, e.g., formed of plastic or nylon; and may optionally be held in place using one or more vertical members 1202 (e.g. vertical poles) and/or one or more horizontal members 1203 . The flexible divider 1201 may have an extension (e.g., an elongated sleeve or tunnel) which may be shaped as a protruding pyramid or cone or frustum or tunnel or sleeve, and which may include at its end a cavity through which the patient's head (or other body organ to be operated on) may protrude from the non-sterile zone into the sterile zone. Optionally, a fastening mechanism 1205 may be used (e.g., utilizing Velcro, a belt, a gluing mechanism, or the like) in order to tightly fit the flexible divider 1201 around the neck and/or head of the patient 1299 . In the shown position, the patient 1299 may undergo surgery (e.g., eye surgery, ear surgery, brain surgery, nose surgery, or the like) by one or more medical team-members or physicians located within the sterile zone near the head of the patient 1299 . Other suitable implementations may be used.
[0099] The terms “plurality” or “a plurality” as used herein include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more”. For example, “a plurality of items” includes two or more items.
[0100] Functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more embodiments, may be combined with, or may be utilized in combination with, one or more other functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more other embodiments, or vice versa.
[0101] While certain features of some embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the following claims are intended to cover all such modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents.
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Hybrid operating room, and method of using thereof. For example, a surgery center includes: a hybrid operating room comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are adjacent and share a common wall, wherein the common wall comprises an aperture, wherein the hybrid operating room further comprises a surgery bed, wherein a first portion of the surgery bed is located in the first chamber, wherein a second portion of the surgery bed is located in the second chamber.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF HE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to oil and gas well drilling operations and more particularly to determining the condition to update the bit depth value based on travelling block motion above a drilling rig floor and motion of the drill string.
B. Description of the prior art
Oil and gas wells are drilled by means of drilling rigs. The drilling rig generally consists of a mast or derrick that is mounted over a rig floor and a substructure. The drill string is moved vertically in the rig by a block and tackle arrangement suspended from the mast, which includes a crown block mounted near the top of the mast or derrick and a travelling block that is movable with respect to the crown block by a cable. The cable is strung between the crown block and the travelling block and the end of the cable is carried by a drawworks drum. The change in the block height when the drawworks drum is rotated is approximately equal to the amount of cable paid out or taken in by the drawworks divided by the number of lines strung between the crown block and the travelling block.
An important parameter during well drilling is the position of the travelling block above the rig floor. This position can be differentiated with respect to time to indicate the velocity of the drill string during tripping and the rate of penetration during drilling. The value of block height may also be accumulated to indicate the depth of the drill bit.
Motion of the traveling block may be associated with drilling operations in which the drill string does not move. For example, in tripping the string, the traveling block may transition through several up and down motions for each connection or disconnection of pipe sections in the drill string. Consequently, if bit depth measurement employed only position of the traveling block while ignoring actual motion of the drill string, significant errors could result. Therefore, only changes in block height, which accompany actual drill string motion, should be incorporated into the bit depth and bit rate calculations.
An example of a system developed for calculating the block height is described in a patent application, serial no. 07/762,745, titled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE HEIGHT OF A TRAVELLING BLOCK ABOVE A RIG FLOOR."
A detection of hook load has traditionally been used to determine if the drill pipe is connected to the travelling block. However, it becomes very difficult to determine the presence of the drill pipe if the pipe is very short and light. Furthermore, the error of calculation increases when the drill pipe is farther away from the rig floor. The sensitivity of the hook load transducer becomes less capable of detecting changes due to the large weight span of the pipe. The present invention avoids such insensitivities and is unaffected by the weight restrictions and ambient conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes in combination elements for measurement of travelling block height, detection of drill pipe motion, and calculation to determine the bit depth value, drill string velocity, and rate of penetration. The present invention is used in an oil and gas drilling rig with a measuring system employing a drawworks and a method to determine the height of the travelling block, a detecting system employing a sensor installed underneath the rig floor to determine the motion of the drill pipe, and a computer system to compute the bit depth value.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a drilling rig with a position sensor of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the system of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a logic flow diagram of the system of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A system equipped with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The drilling rig 11 includes a rig floor 13 and a derrick or mast (not shown). A drawworks 15 provides cable for operation of the drill rig. A crown block (not shown) is suspended in a derrick and a travelling block 19 is suspended from crown block by a cable 21. Travelling block 19 is further connected to a swivel 23, a kelly 25, and a rotary bushing 27, where a drill pipe 29 is inserted. A rotary table 31 is installed in the rig floor. A sensor 3 comprising a microwave transceiver in the embodiment shown in the drawings is positioned adjacent to the drill pipe where it exits the rotary table immediately under the rig floor. The microwave transceiver is housed within a weatherproof fiberglass enclosure and mounted to the rig floor or other appropriate structure.
When the pipe moves up or down the sensor detects this motion and locks on to the target drill pipe. The detection of drill pipe vertical movement provides an independent source of information for enabling accurate computation of the drill bit position within the well bore, which is automatic. The sensor utilized in the embodiment shown in the drawings is an AlphaSensor MSM10200 manufactured by Alpha Industries, Inc., and its operation is further described in their publication No. 50050400. The AlphaSensor MSM10200 is a low power microwave transceiver incorporating a Gunn diode mounted in a wave guide as a transmitter, a microwave mixer diode as a receiver, and an oscillator output focused by one of two horn antennas.
The microwave transceiver is installed and pointed towards the drill pipe and as part of the integration a calibration is performed. First the sensitivity adjustment is made to adjust the distance from the microwave sensor to the drill pipe. Second the threshold is adjusted to cause the sensor to indicate the detected motion of the drill pipe and to ignore any other outside interference. Third the hold-off adjustment is made to adjust the time that motion must be sensed before a detection is indicated. And lastly the hold-on adjustment is made to adjust the time that a motion continues to be sensed after the motion is stopped.
Referring to FIG. 1 again, when the calibration is completed the sensor is ready for operation with a depth measurement system incorporating a drawworks encoder 5, and a host computer 9. The depth measurement system employs an algorithm for calculation of travelling block height and a sensor module providing angle information for the position of the drawworks drum. The host computer is a general personal computer.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the system employed for measurement of block height is an Electronic Depth Measurement System or EDMS. As shown in block diagram in FIG. 2, the EDMS incorporates an optical sensor module, which is a part of the drawworks encoder, which is integrated with the drawworks shaft to sense the angular position of the shaft as the drawworks rotates to take up or play out cable to the rig. Data providing the angular position from the sensor module is converted to digital format by a depth measurement system 40 and then sent to a main computer system 42. The microprocessor incorporated within the main computer converts the angular position to a cable length and compensates for drum wraps, lines strung, rope lay anomalies, and cable stretch to accurately determine the traveling block position. Operation of the microwave sensor 3 incorporated as an element of the present invention acts to disable calculation of bit depth, drill string velocity, or penetration rate by the microprocessor unless the drill string is in motion. If the microwave sensor detects motion of the drill string, the block height information is employed by the microprocessor to complete those calculations. The EDMS microprocessor then provides outputs for actual block height, bit depth, and penetration rate. These data from the main computer system then can be displayed to a display unit 44 or be recorded in a permanent format by a recorder 46.
Operation for the invention as embodied in the drawings is accomplished as follows: the driller turns the drawworks so the blocks start to move. The drawworks encoder sends a signal to the depth measurement system which produces the block height measurement signals. The measurement from the device is sent to the main computer, referring to FIG. 2. When the pipe is in motion the microwave system also sends a signal to the main computer.
As indicated in logic flow diagram in FIG. 3, the main computer system will start a computation from block 50. If an indication of a vertical block movement by the encoder occurs, as shown in block 52, the computation will proceed to block 54. If there is no indication of vertical block movement the computation will complete and stop at block 60. From block 54 if an indication of a vertical pipe movement by the microwave sensor exists the computation will enter block 58, otherwise the computation will again complete at block 60. An update of bit depth by the amount indicated by the block movement will follow in block 58, and the computation will complete at block 60.
Operation of the calculations previously described with respect to FIG. 3 are accomplished in the embodiment shown in the drawings through software or firm ware for the microprocessor. An exemplary software routine receiving the inputs from the shaft encoder and the microwave sensor is included as Appendix A to the application. The routine described provides for operator determination of the various sensor inputs and direction for bit depth calculation. Alternate embodiments of the software routine incorporate automatic testing of the encoder and microwave sensor inputs to eliminate the need for operator monitoring of the system.
The invention has been described in an exemplary and preferred embodiment, but it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will recognize that additional modifications and improvements can be made to the invention without departure from its essential spirit and scope.
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A motion detector is incorporated on a drilling rig for detection of drill string motion. An output of the motion detector provides an enabling signal for conversion of block height data to bit depth drill string velocity or penetration rate without errors associated with block motion during static drill string conditions.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 10/633,694, filed on Aug. 5, 2003, and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/588,798, filed on Jul. 19, 2004, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to building materials, and more particularly to a metal framing member for structural and non-structural building applications.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The use of light gauge metal framing members for structural and non structural applications has grown in the residential and light commercial building industry due, in part, to volatile lumber costs and the inconsistent and unpredictable quality of wood studs. Although the use of metal in framing applications has increased over the last few years, a few issues have resulted in the rate of growth being inhibited. Exemplary issued include the relatively high cost of manufacturing the metal members and the high of the thermal conductivity. For example, metal members transmit cold and heat at a rate significantly higher than wood counterparts. While composite materials of wood and metal can help resolve the thermal conductivity issues, increased cost can result.
SUMMARY
[0004] A framing member including a series of slots along a portion of the member can be expanded during manufacture. The expansion of the slots creates an expanded region that includes voids and metal web elements in the framing member. The voids created during the expansion process can be used for running wiring, plumbing and heating ducts. The expanded slots can be designed to minimize thermal transmission from the exterior to the interior of the wall of the finished structure and can provide adequate structural properties for the application. The expanded slots can allow the dimensions of the part to enlarge without increasing the amount of raw material, which can substantially reduce the cost to manufacture the member. For example, the expanded slots can create a condition where the cost of raw material to produce the member is reduced by as much as 30 to 50%, for example, 40%, as compared to metal member technology that does not include the expanded slots, such as punching or pressing to form voids.
[0005] In one aspect, a metal framing member includes a formed sheet of metal with a series of slots created in a region of the member. The region can be expanded in the manufacturing process to create voids and web elements in the region of the member. The member can exhibit desired dimensional and structural and thermal performance based on customer requirements at a more affordable price. Framing members include both structural and non-structural member designs.
[0006] In one aspect, a metal framing member includes a formed metal sheet including a plurality of expanded web slots in a region of the formed sheet metal.
[0007] The expanded web slots can include voids and metal web elements in the region of the framing member. The formed metal sheet can include a web region and a first flange extending from the web region. The formed metal sheet can include a second flange extending from the web region in a direction substantially parallel to the first flange. In some embodiments, the formed metal sheet can includes a closing region extending the first flange to the second flange to form a substantially tubular structure. In certain embodiments, one or more of the web region, the closing region, the first flange and the second flange includes the expanded web slots.
[0008] In another aspect, a preexpanded metal framing member includes a formed metal sheet having a length and including a web region and two flanges, each flange extending from the web region, and a plurality of web slots extending along a portion of the length in the web region or at least one of the flanges. The flanges can extend from the web region in a direction substantially parallel relationship. The formed metal sheet can include a closing region extending between the flanges. The web region, each flange, the closing region, or combinations thereof, can includes the web slots.
[0009] In another aspect, a method of manufacturing a framing member includes providing a formed metal sheet having a length and a web region, and placing a plurality of slots along a portion of the length in the web region. The formed metal sheet can be provided by roll forming a metal sheet. The plurality of slots can be placed by piercing or stamping slots into the region. The method can include expanding the slots of the web region to form expanded slots having a web element and a web void, for example, by passing the formed metal sheet over a tapered block or mechanically moving sides of the region apart. The method can also include reinforcing the expanded formed metal sheet, for example, by placing a flange or dart in the web element. The method can include placing a plurality of slots along the length in each of a first flange and a second flange of the formed metal sheet, which can be expanded. The plurality of slots can be placed by arranging the slots in offset columns substantially parallel to a length of the member. The method can include heat-treating the member after expanding the slots, heat-treating the member prior to expanding the slots, or heat-treating the member while expanding the slots.
[0010] In another aspect, a method of building a structure includes placing an expanded framing member in a portion of the structure. The expanded framing structure can include a plurality of expanded web slots forming a plurality of voids in a region of the framing member. The method can include installing wiring, plumbing or a heating duct through at least one void of the member.
[0011] Each slot can extend along a portion of a length of the member. For example, the plurality of slots can be arranged in offset columns substantially parallel to a length of the member, to form, e.g., three or more (e.g., 5 or more) columns of slots along the length of the member. The member can include reinforcements in the web elements, which can include flanges or darts.
[0012] Advantageously, the expanded framing member provides a design that can reduce the production costs of the of light gauge metal framing members used today in residential and commercial construction by cutting slots in the web area of the metal member and expanding the web-area through a manufacturing process. The expansion creates and openings web elements that connect the flanges of the member without forming voids or holes by cutting and scrapping the material at a substantial cost penalty. Thus, this concept substantially eliminates manufacturing scrap, creating structurally and dimensionally stable members at significantly reduced cost as compared to manufacture of nonexpanded framing members. The structure of the expanded web can be enhanced by creating dimples and flanges at strategic locations during the manufacturing process.
[0013] The expanded framing member also can have a design that can reduce the rate of heat transfer through the member by, for example, controlling the quantity, width and length of web elements of the members. For example, a thin and long web element can reduce the rate of heat transfer from one flange to the other resulting in improvement in the overall R-Value of the wall incorporating the expanded framing member. For example, a recent study performed on several alternative designs showed that large voids produced in the web area decrease of the stud can decrease the thermal transfer rate by a much as 50% when compared to a standard available metal stud.
[0014] In another advantage, the voids created during expansion in the web area can facilitate the installation of wiring and plumbing through the wall in a manner that tradespersons are accustomed to dealing with. This can be achieved by developing the shape and size of the openings created by the configuration of the web slots and web elements.
[0015] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
[0016] DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the member with forming complete and web created but prior to expansion into final configuration.
[0017] FIG. 1 a is a perspective view of the member of FIG. 1 with forming complete, web slots created and expanded into its expanded configuration.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a member with insulation strips shown attached to the flanges.
[0019] FIG. 2 a is a section view of the member of FIG. 2 with insulation strips shown attached to the flanges.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a member with darts and flanges shown in locations of the member.
[0021] FIG. 3 a is a section view of the member of FIG. 3 through a darted area showing a typical configuration.
[0022] FIG. 3 b is a section view of the member of FIG. 3 through a flanged area showing a typical configuration.
[0023] FIG. 4 a -4 e are section views showing alternative flange configurations that could be used in conjunction with the expanded web.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective of a portion of a member with expanded web in the flange area.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the member in a tubular configuration with forming complete, web slots created but prior to expansion.
[0026] FIG. 6 a is a perspective of the member of FIG. 6 with forming complete, web slots created and expanded.
[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective of a portion of a tubular section with expanded web design on both the web area and flange area.
[0028] FIG. 8 is a perspective of a portion of a member with an alternative web slot and web element configuration.
[0029] FIG. 9 is a perspective of a portion of a member with an alternative web slot and web element configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] A framing member can be manufactured by expanding metal in a web region, a flange region, or both, during the manufacturing process. Slots can be formed in a pattern such that the region can be expanded during the manufacturing process. The expansion creates the voids and web elements that extend at least one dimension of the framing member. The voids can create thermal resistance which reduces the thermal conductivity of the member and improves R-value of the ultimate structure. Because the metal is expanded, there is little or no scrap metal produced during manufacture.
[0031] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion a framing member 100 prior to expansion into the final configuration but with the web slots 103 pierced into the web area. The placement, shape and length of the web slots 103 in a region having dimension a 1 determine the width and length of the web elements 102 as well as the shape and size of the web voids. Flanges 101 extend away from the web region. The member can be manufactured in part or in whole through a roll forming process. Alternatively, a stamping process can be used to manufacture the member. The member can be manufactured from steel or aluminum, or any other suitable metal in sheet form. The sheet can have a thickness of, for example, 24 to 10 gauge.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 1 a , which depicts an expanded framing member, the typical dimension c of flange 101 can be approximately 1.5 inches, although it can be adjusted for different applications. Web area dimension a 1 in the region increases during the manufacturing process by expanding the slots to become significantly wider until the web area reaches the final dimension a 2 is shown on FIG. 1 a . The final quantity, shape and width and length of the web slots determine the size of web voids 104 and web elements 102 are selected to optimize all of the objectives and limitations of the material to be formed into the final shape. Optimization will depend upon specific customer needs. Dimension b can be 2.5 inches to 11.5 inches but can be higher if required. The final member length d can be 92 to 120 inches for wall studs and 2 feet to 20 feet for structural elements such as floor joists, although, generally, dimension d can be any length.
[0033] The framing member can be manufactured by a process, for example, that includes passing a sheet of metal from a coil through a series of form rolls that create the structural shape of the framing member. During the roll forming process, the web slots are pierced into the region to be expanded, such as center web area b. The piercing can be performed with a stamping die, a configured roll, laser or any other suitable method of creating the web slot. The web slot configuration can be adjusted to accommodate any desired shape or length in order to create a web void or web element that enhances the thermal performance, cost reduction, tradesperson access, structural enhancement or any other desired objective not currently realized.
[0034] After the web slots have been incorporated into the region of the member, the member can be expanded by moving the flanges perpendicularly opposed to one another until the desired width a 2 is obtained. The expansion process can be performed in several ways including passing the member over a tapered forming block during the roll forming process. For example, the unexpanded member can be forced over a tapered forming block that fits between the two flanges. As the flanges move down forming line and over the tapered forming block, the flanges move progressively apart until reaching the desired width a 2 shown in FIG. 1 a . An alternative to a tapered forming block can be rolls or a block including rolls attached to the forming block. An alternative method of expansion by rolling can include expanding using a mechanical or hydraulic mechanism that locks onto the flanges on the member and move them apart to the desired width a 2 . The expansion can extend a dimension by a factor of 10% to 300%, 20% to 250%, or 50% to 100%.
[0035] The final width determines the overall width of the member as well as the final configuration and dimension of the of the web voids. After expanding, the member can be heat treated to strengthen a portion of the member, for example, by heating the portion of the member for a period of time, or the entire member, and quenching the member. The member can have a yield strength of between 10 and 100 ksi, or 30 to 60 ksi, for example, 33 ksi or 50 ksi.
[0036] An alternative method of manufacturing the expanded web is to apply heat to change the mechanical properties of the metal prior to or during expansion. The heat can be used in to anneal the material according to acceptable practices. This can be accomplished by heating and cooling to remove residual stress and work hardening that has taken place during the rolling process of steel manufacture. Annealing can maximize the ability to cold form and expand the web. In another example, the heat can be applied to heat the material to a temperature that can allow the web to be formed, or expanded, while in the elevated temperature state. After forming, the material can be cooled in whatever method or at whatever speed is desired to obtain the final desired mechanical properties. The second process allows the ability to create a higher strength steel product and significantly improve the mechanical properties of the stud if desired. In each method, the heat can be applied locally or globally to the material as desired.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 2 a an insulated strip 201 can be attached to the flange 203 by adhesive, staples, nails or other similar fasteners. The insulated strip can be made of wood, plastic, or other materials that can function as both a thermal insulated barrier fire resistant and exhibit characteristics that would allow conventional nailing. This can allow the use of nail guns and other automated tools normally used for attaching the structural members together and sheathing to flanges. This configuration can have insulated strips on either one or both flanges of the member.
[0038] FIG. 3 is perspective showing an expanded web framing member made with optional flanges 302 and darts or dimples 301 that can enhance the structural properties of the web elements, and the member. The expanded slots form regions of stress in the member, which can enhance or degrade the structural properties of the member. The darts or dimples, or flanges, can reduce stress in the member introduced during expanding, thereby strengthening the member. The flanges and darts can be incorporated, for example, during the roll forming operation of manufacture, or by stamping or rolling in to the sheet prior, to or after the shaping operation. The shape and configuration of the darts and flanges can be adjusted to any length, shape or depth in order to achieve the desired objectives. FIG. 3 a shows a cross section of the member of FIG. 3 through the flanged area of the web element and depicts flanges 302 . FIG. 3 b shows a cross section of the members of FIG. 3 through the dimpled or darted area 301 .
[0039] FIG. 4 a -4 e show a cross section of various members with alternative flange configurations 402 that can be applied to the expanded framing member. The effectiveness and benefits of the expanded web design can be enhanced by the different configurations of the flanges, however, any alternative flange configuration can generally be used.
[0040] FIG. 5 is a perspective of a framing member 500 that includes web slots 503 and web elements 502 within the flange 501 of the member.
[0041] FIG. 6 and FIG. 6 a depict an alternative framing member 600 made of a tubular section 610 having web region 601 , flanges 602 , and closing region 608 . FIG. 6 is the member 600 shown prior to expansion and FIG. 6 a is the member 600 shown in the final expanded form. The tubular section can exhibit improved torsional rigidity as compared to an open “C” section (see, for example, the member of FIG. 1 ). The improved torsional rigidity can be desirable in some structural applications.
[0042] FIG. 7 is a perspective of another member 700 similar to the one shown in FIG. 6 a , which includes web slots and web elements within the flange of the member.
[0043] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict perspective views of members 800 and 900 , respectively, that include varied web element 802 and 902 and web void 902 and 903 configurations. It is important to state that the configuration of the web slots and web elements are determined on a case-by-case basis. These alternatives shown are only examples and are not meant to be limiting.
[0044] A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the concepts described above. For example, the expanded framing member concept can apply to other structural members such as floor joists, in which the web slots can be designed to create web elements capable of withstanding a structural load. If required, the web slot and web elements can have darts and flanges added to create strength. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
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A framing member incorporates a series of web slots along a portion of the member that are expanded through the process of manufacture. The expansion of the web slots creates voids and metal web elements in the webbed portion of the member, which can be a stud. The voids created during the expansion process can become the voids for running wiring, plumbing and heating ducts. The web elements can be designed to minimize thermal transmission from the exterior to the interior of a wall including the member, as well as provide adequate structure properties required from the structural member. The expanded slots allow the part to enlarge without increasing the amount of raw material and therefore substantially reducing the cost to manufacture.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to vehicles having lift arms such as skid-steer loaders, and more particularly to a quick attach device for releasably connecting a variety of working implements with a carrier mounted to the lift arms of such vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Working vehicles such as skid-steer loaders or other small utility loaders have lift arms that can be used with various work implements such as buckets, blades, and lift forks. Various mechanisms have been proposed to provide quick interchange of the work implements so the same loader can be used for different work functions.
[0003] Working vehicles frequently have tool carriers supported at the end of their lift arms. These carriers are adapted to be attached to a variety of implements. To simplify and expedite the mounting and removal of various implements, the carriers are equipped with quick-attach devices. The carrier and/or quick-attach devices typically include positioning structures to orient and locate one part of the carrier relative to the implement as well as a latching structure to secure the implement to the carrier.
[0004] Some quick-attach mechanisms rely on pins which must be inserted into aligned holes in the implement. This type of mechanism can require careful and time consuming alignment of the pins and holes. Additionally, dirt or other obstructions may make insertion and removal of the pins somewhat difficult. It would be desirable to visually inform the operator of the existence of a misalignment or non-engagement of the pin with the implement. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide some mechanical advantage to assist in engaging the pin with the implement, such as during a misalignment condition.
[0005] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a coupling assembly which avoids deficiencies in the prior art and is easy to use and provides for efficient releasable coupling of an implement to a working vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a coupling assembly which avoids deficiencies in the prior art and is easy to use and provides for efficient releasable coupling of an implement to a working vehicle.
[0007] Toward these ends, there is broadly provided a coupling assembly including a tool carrier attached to the work vehicle and supporting a pin guide. A pin is supported upon the carrier by the pin guide and interacts with one or more cam surfaces supported by the carrier. During rotation of the pins, the cam surfaces transfer an axial force to the pin to assist in the extraction or insertion of the pins into the implement. In one embodiment, the pin has a graspable handle which may be rotated and axially moved by an operator. As a result, the pin and cam surfaces cooperate to convert a rotational motion of the pin handle into a linear motion assisting in the extension of the pin into its engaged position within an implement aperture or in the retraction of the pin into its disengaged position so that implement may be removed.
[0008] The cam surface which engages the pin may be provided upon a small insert or upon the guide block or both. In one embodiment, two cam surfaces are provided so that axially forces may be transferred to the pin to assist in both the extraction and insert of the pin relative to the implement.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the improved coupling assembly includes a carrier supporting a pair of similar pin assemblies, each as described above.
[0010] One object of the present invention is the provision of a visual indication that the pin is not fully engaged with the implement. An operator may visually reference the pin assembly to determine that the pin is properly engaged with the implement.
[0011] Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a locking mechanism which prevents a pin from disengagement under axial-only force. As described herein, to disengage the pin from the implement an axial and rotation force must be applied.
[0012] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a working vehicle having an implement carrier according to the present invention and positioned relative to an implement.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an implement and carrier according to the present invention, wherein the pin assembly is illustrated in an engaged orientation.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3 is a detailed exploded view of a pin assembly and carrier according to the present invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a pin assembly and carrier of FIG. 1, illustrating the engaged orientation of the elements.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a pin assembly and carrier of FIG. 1, illustrating an intermediate orientation of the elements.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a pin assembly and carrier of FIG. 1, illustrating the disengaged orientation of the elements.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the pin assembly and carrier taken along lines 7 - 7 of FIG. 4.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the pin assembly and carrier taken along lines 8 - 8 of FIG. 5.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the pin assembly and carrier taken along lines 9 - 9 of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] While this invention can be embodied in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention. The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.
[0023] For ease of description, the coupling assembly embodying this invention will be described in a normal upright operating position and such terms as upper, lower, upwardly, downwardly, will be used with reference to this position. It will be understood, however, that the coupler assembly embodying this invention can be used in an orientation other than the position described.
[0024] Referring to the FIGURES, a tractor or utility loader 10 having a lift arm assembly 12 and dump cylinder 14 , and commonly referred to as a skid steer loader, is shown in association with a work implement 16 , a bucket. The illustrated tractor 10 is a DINGO brand compact utility loader manufactured by The Toro Company. As described in more detail herein, a carrier 18 engages implement 16 . Alternative tractors 10 or utility loaders may utilize a coupling assembly according to the present invention.
[0025] The present invention, a coupling assembly, can be used with other mechanized equipment having a lift arm assembly and can be used to couple a variety of implement such as a bucket, blade, or fork assembly, etc. to a carrier of a machine. The term “carrier” is meant to broadly cover an intermediate structure between a loader 10 and an implement 16 . Typical carriers 18 are movably connected to lift arms 12 of loader 10 so that implement 16 may be raised or lowered by lift cylinders 13 attached between lift arms 12 and a frame of loader 10 . A variety of carriers 18 could be utilized to practice the present invention. Alternative carriers 18 may not have a “plate-like” structure 32 for engaging implement 16 , but instead may have a plurality of contact points between carrier 18 and implement 16 .
[0026] Implement 16 is provided with an attachment structure 20 which includes a downwardly facing recess 22 and an upwardly facing member 24 having a pair of apertures 26 for engaging tractor 10 . Attachment structure 20 is designed to cooperate with carrier 18 as further described herein to facilitate alignment and connection between the elements. Various implements, such as a bucket, auger, loading forks and the like having associated attachment structure 20 can be connected to carrier 18 .
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, carrier 18 is attached to lift arm assembly 12 with 3 pins 30 , (2 pins are shown in FIG. 1). Carrier 18 includes a plate surface 32 for engaging a generally flat surface 34 of implement 16 . Pins 30 pass through appropriately sized apertures 34 , 36 upon carrier 18 . Dump cylinder 14 is connected at an upper aperture 36 , allowing carrier 18 to pivot in operation relative to lower pins 30 . Carrier 18 further includes a plurality of guide block structures 38 for slidably receiving a pair of pins 40 of the coupling structure of the present invention. Guide block structures 38 include a pair of upper guides 38 A and a pair of lower guides 38 B.
[0028] Carrier 18 is selectively connected to attachment structure 20 of implement 16 through the coupling assembly of the present invention. As described herein, the coupling assembly of the present invention provides a selective connection between attachment structure 20 of implement 16 and carrier 18 of loader 10 .
[0029] In overview, a preferred embodiment of the coupling assembly of the present invention includes a pair of pins 40 , upper and lower inserts 42 , 44 , a spring 46 , and upper and lower guide blocks 38 A, 38 B.
[0030] Referring particularly to FIG. 3, pin 40 has a handle 50 adapted to be grasped by an operator during a coupling method as described herein. Pin 40 is slidably received within bores 52 of both upper guide 38 A and lower guide 38 B of mounting frame 18 so that pin 40 may both rotate and translate relative to its longitudinal axis. Lower guide 38 B includes a grease fitting 54 permitting lubrication of the coupling assembly.
[0031] Lower guide 38 B further includes a cam surface 56 . A shoulder 58 is positioned at a top portion of cam surface 56 . As described hereinafter, cam surface 56 may be engaged by lower insert 44 causing pin 40 to rotate during a coupling operation. In this embodiment, cam surface 56 is an inclined surface which is generally planar. Alternative cam surfaces 56 may include curves or more complex surfaces. As used herein the term “cam surface” means a surface which is at least partially oblique relative to an axis passing through bore 52 centers.
[0032] Upper insert 42 , spring 46 , and lower insert 44 are positioned relative pin 40 between upper guide 38 A and lower guide 38 B. Inserts 42 , 44 and spring 46 are sized to slidably receive pin 40 . Lower insert 44 is connected to pin 40 by a small pin 60 passing through an aperture 62 in insert 44 and an aperture 64 in pin 40 . As a result, lower insert 44 and pin 40 rotate and move together. Upper insert 42 includes a second cam surface 70 . As described herein, second cam surface 70 may be engaged by lower insert 44 causing pin 40 to extend into its engaged position. Upper insert 42 includes a birfucated end 72 which engages a protrusion 74 of carrier 18 . Bifurcated end 72 prevents upper insert 42 from rotating relative to pin 40 . Spring 46 is compressed during assembly so that spring 46 biases apart inserts 42 , 44 .
[0033] Operation of the coupling assembly may be described with reference to the figures. In overview, attachment and detachment of the implement 16 is made by manually grasping pin handle 50 to engage and retract pin 40 relative to apertures 26 of implement 16 .
[0034] As depicted in FIG. 1, loader 10 may engage implement 16 by retracting pins 40 , tilting carrier 18 relative to implement 16 , moving the loader 10 forward, and inserting the upper lip of carrier 18 into the downwardly facing recess 22 of implement 16 . FIGS. 1, 6 and 9 illustrate pins 40 in their retracted position. With the upper lip of carrier 18 retained within downwardly facing recess 22 , carrier 18 may be rotated by action of cylinder 14 so that the plate surface 32 engages flat surface 34 of implement 16 . At this point, pin 40 handles 50 may be rotated to engage pins 40 into apertures 26 of implement 16 . FIGS. 2, 4 and 7 illustrate pins 40 in their extended position (implement engaged position).
[0035] To remove the implement 16 , pin 40 handles 50 are rotated and lifted to retract pins 40 from apertures 26 of implement 16 . The implement 16 may then be lowered to the ground and carrier 18 rotated so that the upper lip of carrier 18 is removed downwardly facing recess 22 . Additional features of the coupling assembly of the present invention are revealed by closer examination of FIGS. 2 through 7.
[0036] FIGS. 2 - 7 illustrate three orientations of pin 40 relative to mounting plate 18 . FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 7 illustrate the coupling assembly in its engaged position, wherein pins 40 are extended from the bottom of carrier 18 and may be engaged with apertures 26 of implement 16 to connect implement 16 to loader 10 . FIGS. 5 and 8 illustrate the coupling assembly in an intermediate position with handle 50 partially rotated from an engaged position. Pin 40 in intermediate orientation is not engaged with implement 16 . When handle 50 is in the intermediate position of FIGS. 5 and 8, handle 50 provides a visual indication to the operator that pin 40 is not engaged with implement 16 . FIGS. 6 and 9 illustrate the coupling assembly in its detached position, wherein pins 40 are retracted within carrier 18 allowing the implement 16 to be detached from loader 10 .
[0037] To couple implement 16 to carrier 18 , pins 40 are each placed into respective retracted positions as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9 and carrier 18 is inserted into attachment structure 20 of implement 16 , typically by moving loader 10 into engagement with implement 16 . In the retracted position, a flat 78 of lower insert 44 fully engages shoulder 58 of lower guide 38 B as spring 46 biases upper insert 342 and lower insert 44 apart. Next an operator grasps pin handle 50 and rotates pin 40 toward its engaged orientation. As pin 40 and lower insert 44 are rotated into the intermediate position of FIGS. 5 and 8, a portion of flat 78 engages shoulder 58 .
[0038] As pins 40 are further rotated past an intermediate position toward an engaged (extended) position, flat 58 may engage cam surface 56 as spring 46 biases inserts 42 , 44 apart. Alternatively, if pin assembly is dirty or a lower aperture is partially blocked or misaligned with aperture 26 of implement 16 an upper portion 80 of lower insert 44 may engage second cam surface 70 so that as pin 40 is rotated, a downward force is transferred through second cam surface 70 to insert 44 forcing pin 40 to align with implement aperture 26 and extend thereinto.
[0039] In this manner, a positive alignment and engagement between pin 40 and implement aperture 26 is provided when pin 40 is rotated from its disengaged position into its engaged position. In the absence of second cam surface 70 , pin handle 50 could be rotated into its engaged position without pin 40 extending into position within implement aperture 26 . The pin 40 , lower insert 44 , and second cam surface 70 cooperate to convert a rotational motion of handle 50 into a linear motion assisting in the extension of pin 40 into its engaged position within implement aperture 26 .
[0040] If pin 40 is blocked or misaligned relative to apertures 26 , the operator will be prevented from further rotating pin handle 50 toward the engaged orientation of FIGS. 2 , 3 , 4 and 7 as upper surface 80 of lower insert 44 engages and is blocked by cam surface 70 of upper insert 42 . In this regard, a visual indication may be presented to the operator that a misalignment and non-engagement situation exists. In some situations, upon subsequent alignment of pin 40 with aperture 26 (such as upon rocking the implement, etc.), spring 46 may bias insert 44 causing pin 40 to rotate into its engaged orientation. An operator may visually monitor the pin 40 transition from an intermediate non-engaged position to the engaged position, and may facilitate the transition by manipulating the implement 16 (manually or through operation of dump cylinder 14 and/or lift cylinder 13 ) so that pin 40 aligns with aperture 26 .
[0041] Regarding the engaged position, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 7 , an inclined surface 82 of lower insert 44 fully engages cam surface 56 . Pin 40 is prevented from substantially displacing in an axial direction, e.g., upwardly, as an upper surface 80 of the lower insert 44 engages and is blocked by a lower surface 84 of the upper insert 42 upon slight axial movement. This provides a positive lock mechanism which prevents pin 40 from axially displacing when in its engaged position. As a result, forces transferred in an upward axial direction at the pin 40 bottom or upward axial forces alone at the handle 50 will not disengaged pin 40 from its engaged position. As described hereinafter, handle 50 must be both axially lifted and rotated to retract pin 40 into carrier 18 .
[0042] To disengage implement 16 from carrier 18 , pin handle 50 is grasped and rotated. Pin 40 may be upwardly lifted by the operator as pin handle 50 is rotated. Alternatively, in the absence of an upward force by the operator, lower insert 44 positively engages cam surface 56 as the pin handle 50 is rotated to cause an upward force retracting pin 40 . In this manner, as pin handle 50 is rotated, cam surface 56 may provide an upward force to assist in the retraction of pin 40 from implement aperture 26 . The pin 40 , lower insert 44 , and cam surface 56 cooperate to convert a rotational motion of the handle 50 into a linear motion assisting in the retraction of pin 40 into its disengaged position.
[0043] Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that a variety of connections may be utilized to connect carrier 18 to lift arm assembly 12 . Additionally, a variety of differently configured attachment structures 20 and carrier 18 may be utilized in conjunction with the coupling assembly of the present invention. For example, a different attachment structure may include a pair of flange structures, each for separately engaging one of a pair of upper lips of a carrier.
[0044] Other alternatives to the illustrated embodiment may include forming the second cam surface 70 not on a separate upper insert 42 , but instead as a portion of carrier 18 , e.g. a machined second cam surface being integral with carrier 18 . Lower insert 44 may be formed as an integrated part of pin 40 . The lower insert 44 features of an upper surface 80 to engage the second cam surface 70 and a lower surface 82 to engage the first cam surface 56 may be formed into a single pin, rather than a two-piece pin and insert 42 , 44 of the illustrated embodiment. For example, a pin 40 may have one or more weldment or other protrusion which engage cam surfaces 56 , 70 causing the pin to extend or retract as the pin is rotated. Yet other pins (not shown) for engaging cam surfaces 56 , 70 and converting a rotation motion into a linear motion would be practicable.
[0045] In another embodiment, handle 50 may be eliminated and a hydraulic or other actuator may be used to provide a rotation motion to a pin 40 . The term actuator as used herein means any type of power actuator that provides for extension or retraction under control of an operator. Appropriate linkages between an actuator and a pin 40 would be within the scope of those of ordinary skill in the art. In this regard a positive lock and release mechanism may be provided as the linear motion of the actuator causes pin 40 to rotate and extend or retract in response to engagement with cam surfaces 56 , 70 .
[0046] Various other modifications can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
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An improved coupling assembly and method of use are disclosed herein to include a tool carrier attached to a utility loader or other work vehicle and supporting a pin guide. A pin is supported upon the carrier by the pin guide and interacts with one or more cam surfaces supported by the carrier. During axial rotation of the pin, the cam surface transfers a force to the pin to assist in the extraction and/or retraction of the pin into the implement. In one embodiment, the pin has a user graspable handle which may be rotated and axially moved by an operator. A visual indication that the pin is not fully engaged with the implement is also provided. Additionally, a locking mechanism is provided which prevents a pin from disengagement with the implement.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a large enclosure constructed of plastic structural panels. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular construction system utilizing injection molded plastic structural panels having integrated connectors to construct various sized enclosures using the same components.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Utility sheds are a necessity for lawn and garden care, as well as general all-around home storage space. Typically, items such as garden tractors, snow blowers, tillers, ATVs, motorcycles and the like consume a great deal of the garage floor space available, forcing the homeowner to park his automobile outside.
The prior art has proposed a number of different panel systems, or kits, comprising blow molded or extruded panels and connector members for forming a wide variety of smaller sized storage structures. These structures are generally suitable to store hand tools and smaller lawn equipment. Typically, such systems require extruded metal or plastic connector members having a specific cross-sectional geometry that facilitate an engagement between such members and one or more blow molded plastic panels having a complimentary edge configuration. Due to the nature of the manufacturing process, blow molded plastic components cannot be formed with the intricate shapes and/or sharp corners required for integrated connectors. In addition, blow molded plastic components are hollow and cannot be formed with the integral strengthening ribs and gussets possible with injection molding.
A particularly common structure for the connector members is the I-beam cross section. The I-beam defines free edge portions of the connector member which fit within appropriately dimensioned and located slots in the panel members. U.S. Pat. No. D-371,208, teaches a corner extrusion for a building sidewall that is representative of the state of the art I-beam connector members. The I-beam sides of the connector engage with the peripheral edge channels of a respective wall panel and thereby serve to join such panels together at right angles. Straight or in-line versions of the connector members are also included in the kits to join panels in a coplanar relationship to create walls of varying length.
Extruded components generally require hollow longitudinal conduits for strength. Due to the nature of the manufacturing process the conduits are difficult to extrude in long sections for structural panels. Thus, they require connectors to achieve adequate height for utility shed walls. A common structure for connecting extruded members has a center I-beam with upper and lower protrusions for engaging the conduits. However, wall panels utilizing connectors are vulnerable to buckling under loads and may have an aesthetically unpleasing appearance. Moreover, roof loads from snow and the like may cause such walls to bow outwardly due to the clearances required between the connectors and the internal bores of the conduits. U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,022 discloses an extendable shed utilizing side wall connector members representing the state of the art. The connectors have a center strip with hollow protrusions extending from its upper and lower surfaces along its length; the protrusions being situated to slidably engage the conduits located in the side panel sections to create the height needed for utility shed walls.
The aforementioned systems can also incorporate roof and floor panels to form a freestanding enclosed structure such as a small utility shed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,381; 5,036,634; and 4,557,091 disclose various systems having inter-fitting panel and connector components. Such prior art systems, while working well, have not met all of the needs of consumers to provide the structural integrity required to construct larger sized structures. Larger structures must perform differently than small structures. Larger structures require constant ventilation in order to control moisture within the building. Large structures must also withstand increased wind and snow loads when compared to smaller structures. Paramount to achieving these needs is a panel system which eliminates the need for extruded connectors to create enclosure walls which resist panel separation, buckling, racking; and a roof system which allows ventilation while preventing weather infiltration. A further problem is that the wall formed by the panels must tie into the roof and floor in such a way as to unify the entire enclosure. Also, from a structural standpoint, the enclosure should include components capable of withstanding the increased wind, snow, and storage loads required by larger structures. From a convenience standpoint, a door must be present which can be easily installed after assembly of the wall and roof components, is compatible with the sidewalls, and which provides dependable pivoting door access to the enclosure. Also from a convenience standpoint, the structure should allow natural as well as artificial lighting. The structure should be aesthetically pleasing in appearance to blend in with surrounding structures.
The assignee of the instant invention is also the assignee of various other plastic enclosure systems, U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,497 entitled Plastic Panel Enclosure System, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/674,103 Plastic Expandable Utility Shed, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
There are also commercial considerations that must be satisfied by any viable enclosure system or kit; considerations which are not entirely satisfied by state of the art products. The enclosure must be formed of relatively few component parts that are inexpensive to manufacture by conventional techniques. The enclosure must also be capable of being packaged and shipped in a knocked-down state. In addition, the system must be modular and facilitate the creation of a family of enclosures that vary in size but which share common, interchangeable components.
Finally, there are ergonomic needs that an enclosure system must satisfy in order to achieve acceptance by the end user. The system must be easily and quickly assembled using minimal hardware and requiring a minimal number of tools. Further, the system must not require excessive strength to assemble or include heavy component parts. Moreover, the system must assemble together in such a way so as not to detract from the internal storage volume of the resulting enclosure, or otherwise detract from the internal storage volume of the resulting enclosure, or otherwise negatively affect the utility of the structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a system, or kit, of injection molded panels having integrated connectors which combine to form an enclosure, commonly in the form of a large utility shed. The corner sections, roof, wall and floor panels are formed of injection molded plastic to interlock with one another without the need for separate I-beam connectors. The ends of the wall panels have receptacles to accept both roof and floor bosses for interlocking cooperative engagement to rigidly connect the components together.
The system incorporates a minimum number of components to construct a large heavy duty enclosure by integrally forming connectors into injection molded panels. This minimizes the need for separate extruded or molded connectors to assemble the enclosure. The symmetry of the corner sections, wall, roof, floor and door components also minimizes component shapes and simplifies enclosure construction. The heavy duty interlocking construction of the corner sections and the roof headers create a structural frame that allows construction of larger enclosures. Injection molding the wall panels allow them to be formed with adequate height for a large walk-in enclosure, eliminating the need for stacking panels to achieve such adequate height. Injection molding also allows the panels to be formed with integral cross-bracing, ribs, and gussets for increased rigidity when compared to blow molded or extruded panels.
In one embodiment, the enclosure system utilizes interlocking corner sections, roof headers, and floor panels to create a structural frame. Three types of panel constructions are integrated into the structural frame: the first being utilized for the side walls, the second being used for the door assembly, and the third being used for the roof. The wall panels are constructed to cooperate, via integrally formed connectors, with various members which allow the wall panels to be utilized for door frames as well as corner sections. The wall panels are also constructed to accept windows for natural lighting, and may include provisions for standard electrical current hookup. The internal surfaces of the wall panels include integrally formed connectors for easy assembly of added components such as shelving, baskets, slat wall storage and the like. The embodiment also incorporates a vented gabled roof assembly with anti-lift wind strapping and steel reinforcement. The system further includes a door assembly which may be locked in an open or closed position. The floor of the system is primarily constructed of a single type of floor panel in combination with front and rear edge assemblies to permit construction of sheds having various predetermined lengths and widths. The same wall, floor and roof components are used to create an entire family of utility enclosures of varying size, and the assembly of the system requires minimal hardware and a minimum number of hand tools.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a utility enclosure system which utilizes plastic structural frame and panel members having integrated connectors for creating larger enclosures of varying dimension using common components.
A further objective is to provide a utility enclosure system wherein the structural panel members include integrated connectors which accommodate injection molding plastic formation of the panel components for increased structural integrity.
Yet a further objective is to provide a utility enclosure system which utilizes structural corner assemblies for increased enclosure rigidity.
Another objective is to provide a utility enclosure system constructed with panels having interlocking bosses and pockets as well as ridge and groove edges to increase rigidity and prevent panel bowing or separation.
Yet another objective is to provide a utility enclosure system which reduces the number of components required to assemble an enclosure and simplifies construction.
Still yet another objective is to provide a utility enclosure system constructed and arranged with panels that allow wood and/or steel supports to be easily incorporated therein for increased snow and/or wind load resistance.
An even further objective is to provide a utility enclosure system constructed and arranged to allow airflow through the enclosure while preventing weather related moisture from entering the enclosure.
Yet a further objective is to provide a utility enclosure system which may be optionally configured with clear windows thereby allowing natural light to enter the enclosure.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an enclosure constructed using the instant utility enclosure system;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an enclosure constructed using the instant utility enclosure system;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the enclosure shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the floor assembly utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the floor assembly shown in FIG. 4 ;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the floor assembly illustrating the integrally formed cross-bracing;
FIG. 7 is a partial section view taken along line 1 - 1 of FIG. 4 , illustrating the connection between a floor panel and a locking boss;
FIG. 8 is a partial section view taken along line 2 - 2 of FIG. 4 , illustrating the connection between a floor panel and a locking boss;
FIG. 9 is a partial section view taken along line 3 - 3 of FIG. 4 , illustrating the connection between a floor panel and a front end assembly;
FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 4 , illustrating the lower hinge pin, door catch feature, a portion of the roof support structure, door gap seal, and wall key as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating one of the corner posts utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating one of the corner posts utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of first and second corner post members;
FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view illustrating a wall panel;
FIG. 15 is a partial section view illustrating assembly of adjacently positioned wall panels;
FIG. 16 is a partial section view illustrating the assembly of adjacently positioned wall panels;
FIG. 17 is a partial view illustrating the assembled wall panels;
FIG. 18A is a perspective view illustrating the inner surface of a reinforcement channel as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 18B is a partial perspective view illustrating the reinforcement channel in engagement with a wall assembly;
FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating the outer surface of a reinforcement channel as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the door frame member to a wall panel;
FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a wall panel to the floor assembly;
FIG. 22 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the corner post assembly to the wall panels and floor assembly;
FIG. 23 is a perspective view illustrating the assembled wall and floor panels;
FIG. 24 is a perspective view illustrating one of the door panels utilized in the instant invention as well as assembly of a sliding door latch;
FIG. 25 is a perspective view illustrating one of the door panels utilized in the instant invention as well as assembly of a sliding door latch;
FIG. 26 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a door panel to the assembled wall panels;
FIG. 27 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a second door panel to the assembled wall panels;
FIG. 28 is an exploded view of the roof assembly as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 29 is a front perspective exploded view of a header assembly as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 30 is a rear perspective exploded view of a header assembly as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view of a header assembly as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 32 is a front perspective view of a header assembly secured to the front wall assembly and corner posts;
FIG. 33 is a perspective view illustrating the assembly of the roof header and roof support beams;
FIG. 34 is a perspective view illustrating a roof panel as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 35A is a partial perspective view illustrating the connection between the roof and wall panels;
FIG. 35B is a partial perspective view illustrating assembly of a connector boss to a roof panel;
FIG. 36A is a partial perspective view illustrating the assembled connection of a wall panel and a pair of roof panels;
FIG. 36B is a partial perspective view illustrating the assembled connection of a wall panel and a pair of roof panels;
FIG. 37A is a partial perspective view illustrating assembly of a connector boss to a roof support;
FIG. 37B is a partial perspective view illustrating a connected roof panel and roof support;
FIG. 38A is a partial perspective view illustrating a roof panel connected to the front header assembly and the ridge cap;
FIG. 38B is a partial perspective view illustrating a ramp-lock as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 39A is a partial top view of roof panels assembled to a header member;
FIG. 39B is a section view taken along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 39A ;
FIG. 39C is a rear view of the partial view shown in FIG. 39A ;
FIG. 40 is a section view taken along line 6 - 6 of FIG. 39A illustrating the overlapping connection between the roof panels;
FIG. 41 is a partial perspective view illustrating assembly of roof panels to the assembled ridge cap, headers and roof supports;
FIG. 42 is a partial exploded view illustrating assembly of the cupola walls;
FIG. 43 is a partially exploded view illustrating assembly of the cupola top member;
FIG. 44 is an assembled view of the cupola as utilized in the instant invention;
FIG. 45 is a partial perspective illustrating installation of a cantilever shelf embodiment securable to the inner surface of the wall panels;
FIG. 46 is a partial perspective view illustrating an assembled cantilever shelf embodiment secured to the inner surface of the wall assemblies;
FIG. 47 is a partial perspective view illustrating assembly of a stackable shelf arrangement securable to the inner surface of a wall assembly;
FIG. 48 is a partial perspective view illustrating assembly of a stackable shelf arrangement securable to the inner surface of a wall assembly;
FIG. 49 is a partial perspective view illustrating assembly of a stackable shelf arrangement securable to the inner surface of a wall assembly;
FIG. 50 is a partial perspective view illustrating an assembled stackable shelf arrangement secured to the inner surface of a wall assembly;
FIG. 51 is a front perspective view illustrating a larger utility enclosure constructed with the teachings of the instant invention;
FIG. 52 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 51 ;
FIG. 53 is a front perspective view illustrating a larger utility enclosure constructed with the teachings of the instant invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
FIGS. 1-3 which are now referenced show isometric and exploded views of a heavy duty utility enclosure, generally referenced as 10 , constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The enclosure is made up of a floor assembly 100 , left and right side wall assemblies 200 , corner post assemblies 300 , roof assembly 400 , rear wall assembly 500 , front wall assembly 600 and door assemblies 700 . In the preferred embodiment, the panels comprising the assemblies are formed of but not limited to a suitable plastic such as polystyrene, polypropylene or polyethylene, through the process of injection molding. The result is that the panels comprising the floor assembly 100 , post assemblies 300 , side wall assemblies 200 , roof assembly 400 , rear wall assembly 500 and front wall assembly 600 of the enclosure 10 are formed as unitary panels with integral connectors and cross bracing. Strengthening ribs and gussets 206 are formed within the inner surfaces of the various panels and components in order to enhance rigidity of the panels while leaving the external surface in a generally smooth condition for aesthetic purposes, as shown in FIG. 1 . The injection molded construction is utilized for the floor assembly 100 , left and right wall assemblies 200 , the corner posts 300 , roof assembly 400 , rear wall assembly 500 , and front wall assembly 600 using a minimal number of components.
Referring to FIGS. 1-10 , the enclosure includes a plurality of like-constructed floor panels 102 . Each panel has a top surface 104 , bottom surface 106 , a closed first edge 108 , a second edge 110 opposite said first edge, said second edge including a first means for connecting to juxtapositioned panel members, a third edge 112 substantially perpendicular to and extending between said first and said second edges, the third edge including the first means for connecting to juxtapositioned panel members, and a fourth edge 114 opposite to and substantially parallel to said third edge, the fourth edge including the first means for connecting to juxtapositioned panel members. Adjacent to the closed edge 108 is a second means of attaching the floor assembly to the wall assemblies illustrated herein as a plurality of bosses 116 extending upwardly from the top surface 104 . The bosses 116 are constructed and arranged to cooperate with pockets 210 located at each longitudinal end of the structural wall panels 202 and the structural L-shaped post assemblies 300 for connecting and maintaining a substantially perpendicular relationship between the wall panel members and the top surface of the floor panel members. Within the preferred embodiment, the locking bosses 116 are removeable and replaceable, wherein each locking boss includes a first lower end 130 and a second upper end 132 . The first end includes a flange 134 constructed and arranged to cooperate with a floor panel to provide a secure connection between the panels and to prevent lifting or tipping of wall panels secured thereto. The locking boss is inserted through a conjugately shaped aperture 136 integrally formed within the floor panels until the integrally formed spring clips 138 engage surface 140 for a secure connection, wherein the locking boss extends upwardly above the top surface of the floor panel.
Along the edges 110 , 112 , and 114 of each floor panel 102 is the first means of connection illustrated herein as a series of spaced apart fingers 122 and recesses 124 for attaching the panels together into a floor assembly 100 , a portion of the fingers being provided with at least one countersank aperture 123 for receiving a fastener 113 . The fingers 122 and recesses 124 are constructed and arranged so that the fingers 122 of one panel overlap and mateably engage the recesses 124 of an adjacently positioned panel. The fasteners secure the panels together in an inter-fitting engagement with their respective top surfaces 104 in a co-planar arrangement. In a most preferred embodiment a portion of the fingers include an alignment boss 115 ( FIG. 9 ) projecting outwardly from a lower surface thereof. The alignment boss 115 mateably engages an alignment socket 117 positioned within an upper surface of an aligned recess 124 . In one embodiment the alignment boss may include an integrally formed spring clip (not shown) for interlocking engagement with the alignment socket 117 .
The floor panels 102 are interconnected to each other to form a utility shed floor assembly 100 having a width determined by the width of the panels and length determined by the number of panels assembled. The panels are assembled by juxtapositioning the edges of respective floor panels and sliding the fingers of one panel into the respective recesses of the adjacent panel while simultaneously engaging the alignment bosses into their respective sockets. The fingers 122 and recesses 124 along the second, third, and fourth edges of the floor panels 102 correspond in shape and size to that of the fingers and recesses integrally formed into the adjacently positioned panels. The result is a positive mechanical connection between the floor panels to create the floor assembly 100 . In this manner the length of the shed may be increased or decreased to suit the users needs by adding or subtracting the number of panels assembled.
Referring to FIG. 6 , the bottom surface of the floor assembly 100 is illustrated. The bottom surface 106 illustrates the cross-bracing 128 facilitated by injection molding of panels. Injection molding offers significant strength and stability advantages over blow-molding as utilized in the prior art. In this manner, the enclosure of the instant invention is capable of handling a significant amount of weight as compared to blow molded or extruded enclosures.
Referring to FIGS. 1-10 , in addition to the floor panels, the floor assembly includes a front end assembly 142 . The front end assembly preferably includes two front end members 144 . Each front end member includes a top surface 146 , a bottom surface 156 , a first ramp edge 148 , a second edge 150 opposite the first edge, an outer edge 152 , a an inner edge 154 . The second edge includes the first means of connection whereby the front end members may be juxtapositioned in interlocking engagement with assembled floor panel members 102 to finish the front portion of the floor assembly 100 . The inner edges 154 include a third means of connection for connecting to the inner edge of an adjacently positioned front end member, illustrated herein as an overlapping arrangement which includes fasteners to facilitate mechanical connection. It will be appreciated that the purpose of the overlapping arrangement is to align two panels in an interlocking co-planar relationship and to facilitate their mechanical connection. The result is a mechanically secure connection between the two panels that resists separation when traversed with heavy loads. Adjacent to each of the ramp edges 148 is a pair of generally cylindrical hinge pins 176 extending upwardly. The hinge pins 176 cooperate with the door panels 702 to allow pivotal movement. Adjacent to each of the hinge pins is a cylindrical boss 178 constructed and arranged to cooperate with a roof support pillar 602 . The roof support is generally tubular and sized to encircle the cylindrical boss 178 as well as a like constructed cylindrical boss positioned on the bottom surface of the header assembly 450 ( FIG. 28 ) to provide increased wind and snow load capacity to the enclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 1-10 , in addition to the floor panels, the floor assembly includes a rear end assembly 160 . The rear end assembly preferably includes two rear end members 162 . Each rear end member includes a top surface 164 , a bottom surface 166 , a rear closed edge 168 , a second edge 170 opposite the first edge, an outer edge 172 , and an inner edge 174 . The second edge includes the first means of connection whereby the front end members may be juxtapositioned in interlocking engagement with assembled floor panel members 102 to finish the rear portion of the floor assembly 100 . The inner edges 174 include the third means of connection for connecting to the inner edge of an adjacently positioned rear end member, illustrated herein as an overlapping arrangement which includes fasteners to facilitate mechanical connection. It will be appreciated that the purpose of the overlapping arrangement is to align two panels in an interlocking co-planar relationship and to facilitate their mechanical connection. The result is a mechanically secure connection between the two panels that resists separation.
Referring to FIG. 11 , a structural corner post assembly 300 is shown. The corner post assembly 300 constitutes one of a plurality of like-configured structural corner post assemblies in the system used to add significant strength and rigidity to the enclosure 10 . The corner post assemblies 300 are generally L-shaped having a first member 302 extending at least partially along the front or rear wall of the enclosure and a second member 304 extending at least partially along a side wall of the enclosure. The first corner post members 302 are each configured having a first longitudinal end 306 and a second longitudinal end 308 each including an integrally formed fourth means of attachment illustrated herein as an inwardly extending socket 210 . The socket is generally constructed and arranged to cooperate with either a floor assembly 100 or a roof assembly 400 boss in a generally perpendicular relationship. To facilitate mechanical connection with other structural panel members 202 in a co-planar relationship the first post member is provided a first horizontal edge 314 including a fifth means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of inwardly extending sockets 330 . The sockets include an inner wall 316 , an outer wall 318 , and a bottom wall 320 . The bottom wall includes an aperture 321 or notch therethrough for cooperative engagement with a hook-lock 322 included on an adjacently positioned wall panel or second corner post member 304 . In the preferred embodiment the horizontal edge 314 also includes a groove 324 extending from about the first longitudinal end 306 to about the second longitudinal end 308 of the edge 314 . The groove 324 is arranged to cooperate with a wall panel member 202 having a complimentary ridge in an interlocking coplanar relationship. The second member 304 includes a first end 330 and a second end 332 . Extending outward along the length of the second member is a plurality of bosses constructed and arranged to cooperate with sockets 330 integrally formed into the side of the first member 302 . A portion of the bosses include integrally formed hook-locks 322 for cooperation with the apertures or notches 321 provided in the first member or wall panels. The first and second members are attached together by sliding the bosses of the second member into the sockets of the first member and thereafter sliding the second member downward to engage the hook-locks ( FIG. 13 ). The result is a positive mechanical connection between the first member of the post 302 and the second member of the post 304 . The outer surface 326 of the corner post assemblies 300 are constructed generally smooth for aesthetic appearance, while the internal portion of the assembly includes a plurality of box structures 328 for added strength, rigidity and weight carrying capacity. The construction of the corner post assemblies increase the structural integrity of the enclosure 10 by preventing the corner posts 300 from bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly, and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 .
The L-shaped corner post assemblies 300 are attached to the interconnected floor assembly 100 by sliding the first longitudinal end of the corner post assembly over a plurality of the bosses 116 extending outwardly from the floor assembly 100 . The pockets 210 in each end of the panels 302 correspond in shape and size to that of the bosses 116 and spring tabs 126 ( FIG. 9 ) integrally formed into the bosses 116 align with apertures 336 in the pockets 210 to engage the corner post assembly 300 . The result is a positive mechanical connection between the corner post assemblies 300 and the floor assembly 100 .
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 14 , a structural wall panel 202 is shown. The wall panel 202 constitutes one of a plurality of like-configured panels in the system used to construct the left, right, front and rear wall assemblies 200 , 500 , 600 . The structural wall panels 202 are each configured having a first longitudinal end 208 including an integrally formed fourth means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 210 . A second longitudinal end 212 also including an integrally formed fourth means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 210 . The sockets 210 are generally constructed and arranged to cooperate with either a floor assembly 100 or a roof assembly 400 to facilitate mechanical connection in a generally perpendicular relationship. The outer surface 256 and inner surface 258 of the panels 202 are constructed generally smooth having a plurality of ribs 260 , extending from the first edge 214 across the panel 202 to the second edge 222 , for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The ribs 260 increase the structural integrity of the enclosure 10 by preventing the panels 202 from bowing or bending, inwardly or outwardly and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 .
To facilitate mechanical connection with other structural wall panel members 202 in a co-planar relationship the panels are provided a first horizontal edge 214 constructed with a fifth means of attachment illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 330 . The sockets include an inner wall 316 , an outer wall 318 , and a bottom wall 320 . The bottom wall includes an aperture 321 ( FIG. 12 ) or notch therethrough for cooperative engagement with a hook-lock 322 included on an adjacently positioned wall panel or corner post. For additional structural rigidity between the side wall panels or between the side wall panels and the floor assembly, the wall panels may also include a groove 216 . The groove extends along first and second longitudinal ends as well as along the first horizontal edge of the panels. The groove 216 is arranged to cooperate with a corner post assembly 300 , wall panel member 202 , or floor assembly 100 having a complimentary ridge 180 in an interlocking coplanar relationship. The ridge 180 extends from about the first longitudinal end 208 of each panel to about the second longitudinal end 212 of each panel along the second edge 222 of the panels. An additional ridge 180 ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) extends around the perimeter of the floor assembly. The cooperation between the floor assembly ridge and wall panel groove provides a weather and insect resistant seal around the lower perimeter of the enclosure.
The second horizontal edge 222 of each wall panel is constructed generally flat having a plurality of outwardly extending bosses 334 . The bosses are constructed and arranged to cooperate with sockets 330 integrally formed into the second edge of the wall panel 202 . A portion of the bosses include integrally formed hook-locks 322 for cooperation with the apertures or notches 321 provided in the first member of the corner post assembly or first edge of the wall panels. In addition, the side surfaces of the bosses may include a ramp-lock 250 ( FIG. 17 ) having a ramping surface 254 constructed to cooperate with apertures 252 positioned along the inner wall 316 .
Referring to FIGS. 14-17 , engagement of the bosses 334 and sockets 330 is illustrated. The wall panels 202 are attached together by sliding the bosses of one panel into the sockets of an adjacently positioned wall panel ( FIG. 15 ) and thereafter sliding the wall panel downward to engage the hook-locks ( FIG. 16 ). In addition to engagement of the hook-locks, the downward motion preferably causes the ramping surface 254 to flex the inner wall 316 until the ramp-lock 250 slips through aperture 252 allowing the inner wall to return to its normal position, locking the wall panels in an engaged position. The result is a positive mechanical connection between the wall panels. The overlapping connection between the panels resists weather infiltration and prevents lifting of the panels under high wind loads.
Referring to FIGS. 15-17 , and 20 , a door frame 750 member is attached to a wall panel 202 . The door frame member includes at least one hinge pin conduit 718 and a pair of hinge pin clearance pockets 728 integrally formed thereto. The door frame member also includes a door seal 752 integrally formed thereto to provide a weather resistant seal to the door assembly 700 . The wall panel 202 and the door frame member 750 are attached together by sliding the bosses of the panel into the sockets of the adjacently positioned door frame member, as shown in FIG. 15 , and thereafter sliding the wall panel downward to engage the hook-locks, as shown in FIG. 16 . In addition to engagement of the hook-locks, the downward motion preferably causes the ramping surface 254 to flex the inner wall 316 until the ramp-lock 250 slips through aperture 252 allowing the inner wall to return to its normal position locking the wall panels in an engaged position. The result is a positive mechanical connection between the wall panel and the door frame member 750 .
Referring to FIGS. 21-23 , the wall panels 202 are attached to the interconnected floor-panels 102 and corner post assemblies 300 by sliding the first longitudinal end of a wall panel 208 over a plurality of the bosses 116 . The pockets 210 in each end of the panels 202 correspond in shape and size to that of the bosses 116 and spring tabs 126 ( FIG. 8 ) integrally formed into the bosses 116 align with apertures 234 in the pockets 210 to engage the wall panel 202 . The result is a positive mechanical connection between the wall-panels 200 and the floor assembly 100 . The first wall panel being attached to the floor assembly 100 and the corner post assembly 300 with the first longitudinal end 208 downward interlocking the two panels via the ridge, groove and boss arrangement extending along the sides of the wall panels. The second wall panel is thereafter attached in a coplanar relationship to the first panel interlocking the two panels via the ridge, groove, and boss arrangement extending along the sides of the wall panels. It will be appreciated that the purpose of the ridge 180 and the groove 216 arrangement is to align two panels in an interlocking co-planar relationship and to facilitate their mechanical connection. The ridge 180 and the groove 216 are brought into an interlocking relationship wherein the ridge 180 enters the corresponding groove 216 ( FIG. 17 ). The result is a mechanically secure connection between the two panels. The interlocking edges between the panels as described above provides a secure connection and offers several advantages. First, the design allows the panels to be connected without the need for I-beam connectors. Second, the design allows the panels to be formed at sufficient height for a walk-in enclosure by creating a positive lock that prevents separation of the panels. Third, the design maintains alignment of the panels in the same plane and prevents bowing or bending of either panel relative to one another. Fourth, the design provides a sealed connection between the panels preventing weather infiltration. The resultant wall created by the combination of the interlocking wall panels benefits from high structural integrity and reliable operation.
Referring to FIGS. 18-19 , a wall panel reinforcement channel 701 is illustrated. The side wall reinforcement channel is generally C-shaped and includes a first end 740 , a second end 742 , an inner surface 746 , and an outer surface 747 . The inner surface includes a plurality of formed flexible hooks 748 . Each flexible hook includes a barb 749 . In operation the reinforcement channel is attached to the inner socket wall 316 of a pair of assembled wall panels 202 by inserting the flexible hooks through apertures 254 until the barbs 710 engage the inner surface of the socket 330 . The reinforcement channels are preferably constructed of steel or other suitable metal and provide significant rigidity and weight carrying capacity to the wall assemblies. In addition, the reinforcement channels prevent the panels 202 from bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly, and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 . Still yet, the reinforced ribs provide support for optional cantilever shelves 800 ( FIG. 45-46 ) or stackable shelves 900 ( FIGS. 47-50 ) by distributing any load applied to the shelves across the length of the wall panels.
Referring to FIGS. 3 , 24 and 25 , the door assembly 700 is illustrated. The door assembly includes a pair of door panels 702 , a pair of door frame members 750 , a hinge means 720 , a door handle assembly 726 , 728 , and a latch assembly 724 . The door panel 702 constitutes one of a plurality of like-configured panels in the system used to construct the door assembly. The door panels 702 are configured each having a first longitudinal end 708 , a second longitudinal end 712 , an inner surface 704 , an outer surface 706 , a first edge 714 , and a second edge 716 . To facilitate mechanical connection with door frame members 750 in a pivoting, relationship the first edge of the panels are provided with a pair of circular hinge conduits 718 and a hinge pin 720 . The hinge conduits and hinge pin are constructed and arranged to cooperate with hinge pins and conduits integrally formed onto the door frame members 750 to allow pivoting movement of the door panel. The second horizontal edge 716 is constructed generally flat with the exception of an optional overlapping seal 722 ( FIG. 3 ) extending the full length of the panel. The optional overlapping seal 722 may be attached by any suitable fastening means well known in the art or may be integrally formed with the panel. The door panels 702 are also provided with an upper and lower sliding latch mechanism 724 ( FIGS. 24-25 ) as well as left and right door handles 726 , 728 ( FIG. 3 ).
Continuing with regard to FIGS. 3 , 24 and 25 , the outer surface 706 of the panels 702 are constructed generally smooth having a plurality of raised panels 726 for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The inside surface of the panel 704 is constructed with a plurality of raised panels 726 for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The raised panels 726 increase the structural integrity of the enclosure 10 by preventing the panels 702 from bowing or bending, inwardly or outwardly and thus, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the enclosure 10 .
Referring to FIGS. 26-27 , the door panels 702 are attached to the interconnected floor panels 100 , left and right corner post assemblies 300 , and front wall assembly 600 by sliding the respective hinge pin 720 into the corresponding hinge conduits 718 located along the edge of the door frame 750 and the front end member of the floor assembly. Either door panel 702 is aligned with the hinge pins by sliding it vertically into place over the respective pins. It should be appreciated that this construction provides economic advantage allowing hinge components to be integrally formed onto the door panels. The door panels are also provided with removable and replaceable door latching mechanisms including slide latches 724 , left door handle 726 and right door handle 728 ( FIG. 3 ).
Referring to FIGS. 24-25 , installation of the upper and lower slide latches 724 is illustrated. The slide latches are constructed and arranged to allow simple push-in installation. The latch housings 730 are merely pushed into apertures 732 located adjacent to edge 716 in the door panels 702 until the spring clips (not shown) engage an inner surface of the panel. Thereafter the one end of the door latch pin 734 is inserted through the housing 730 and downwardly until spring clip 736 is snapped into place. In this manner the door latches can be installed and removed as needed without the need for tools or screw type fasteners. By sliding the latch pin 734 to extend it outwardly to engage the roof assembly 400 or the floor assembly 100 , the contents contained within the enclosure 10 are secured. The door handles 726 , 728 are constructed and arranged to allow simple push-in installation. The handles are merely pushed into apertures 738 contained in door panels 702 until the spring clips (not shown) engage an inner surface of the panel 702 . In this manner the door handles can be installed and removed as need without the need for tools or screw type fasteners. The handles are also provided with lock apertures allowing the contents contained within the enclosure to be secured with a padlock or the like.
Referring to FIGS. 28-32 the roof assembly 400 includes a pair of like constructed header assemblies 450 . The header assembly is a truss like structure molded with an aesthetically pleasing generally smooth wall on its outer surface 452 and integrally formed box bracing 454 and a plurality of pockets 456 constructed and arranged to accept roof support beams on its inner surface 454 . In the preferred embodiment the header is constructed of a center member 472 and a pair of outer members 474 . This construction permits the center member to be exchanged for narrower or wider members to construct different sized enclosures while the outer members may remain the same. Each member of the header assembly includes an upper surface 458 and a lower surface 460 . The lower surface 460 includes a third means of connection illustrated herein as a plurality of inwardly extending engagement sockets 462 constructed and arranged to cooperate with removable and replaceable bosses 464 and/or door hinge pins 466 . The bosses 464 or hinge pins 466 are slid into their respective engagement sockets 462 until the integrally formed spring tabs 468 engage corresponding apertures 470 formed in the engagement sockets. The end surfaces 476 , 478 of the members include a ninth means of connection illustrated herein as a plurality of outwardly extending inter-fitting tubes 480 . The tubes are constructed and arranged to extend into an adjacently positioned header member until integrally formed spring locks engage. This construction provides a load distributing connection between the members that prevent separation and bowing of the assembly under load. In addition, the design provides a sealed connection between the panels preventing weather infiltration. The resultant header created by the combination of the interlocking members benefits from high structural integrity and reliable operation.
The front header is assembled to the floor and wall assemblies by sliding the hinge pins 466 into their respective hinge conduits 718 while simultaneously sliding the locking bosses 464 into the wall sockets 210 until the integrally formed spring clips engage the apertures 234 formed into the wall panels. The result is a positive lock that maintains alignment of the panels in the same plane and prevents bowing or bending of either panel relative to one another.
Referring to FIGS. 28 , 33 , at least three and up to five roof supports 482 are inserted into their respective pockets 456 in each of the headers and secured in place with suitable fasteners. The support beams 482 are preferably constructed of steel, but may be constructed of other materials well known in the art capable of providing structural support to the roof assembly; such materials may include but should not be limited to plastic and/or wood as well as suitable combinations thereof. FIG. 33 is shown with a portion of the enclosure omitted for clarity, illustrating the placement of the support beams 482 in the preferred embodiment. The roof assembly 400 also includes a plurality of like constructed ridge cap members 484 and a plurality of like-constructed roof panels 402 . Each ridge cap member 484 includes a tenth means of connection illustrated herein as at least one outwardly extending boss 486 and at least one socket 488 for securing the ridge cap members together. The ridge cap members 484 are slid together until the ramp-locks 490 integrally formed into the bosses 486 engage corresponding apertures (not shown) formed in the sockets 488 . The assembled ridge cap is slid into place over the headers and fastened in cooperative engagement with the support beams 482 and the headers 450 . Ramp-locks 490 ( FIG. 38B ) integrally formed into the front surface 452 of the headers 450 cooperates with apertures 492 formed into a front depending wall 494 ( FIG. 38A ) to secure the ridge cap assembly in place. As the ridge caps are pushed into place over the header the depending wall is deflected by the ramp-lock until the aperture 492 snaps over the ramp-lock to secure the ridge cap assembly in place.
Referring to FIGS. 28-41 , each roof panel has a top surface 404 , bottom surface 406 , a first locking edge 408 , a second locking edge 410 , a third locking edge 412 and a closed edge 414 . Along the bottom surface 406 adjacent to the closed edge 412 is a fifteenth means of connection illustrated herein as a plurality of sockets 416 constructed and arranged to receive roof connectors 418 . The roof connectors are constructed and arranged to cooperate with pockets 210 located at second longitudinal end 212 of the structural wall panels 202 as well as the sockets 416 located on the lower surface 406 of the roof panels 402 . A series of spaced apart structural ribs 420 extend across the lower surface of each roof panel 402 to provide increased weight carrying capacity to the roof assembly 400 . The first and second locking edges of the roof panel 402 include a thirteenth and fourteenth means of connection illustrated herein as a W-shaped overlapping connection 416 ( FIG. 40 ). The distal portion 418 of the first edge overlapping connection including a plurality of ramp-locks 490 arranged to cooperate with apertures 492 formed into the second edge overlapping connection. The W-shaped overlapping connection provides a water resistant seal between the panels and prevents the panels from bowing or separating under wind or snow loads. The third locking edge 408 of each roof panel 402 includes a twelfth means of connection illustrated herein as an interlocking tube 422 constructed and arranged to cooperate with a ridge cap 484 having a conjugately shaped receiver 424 ( FIG. 41 ) to create a weather resistant seal. The roof panels 402 are slid into the receiver 424 until the integrally formed ramp-locks 490 engage corresponding apertures formed in the ridge cap 484 . For interlocking cooperation between the roof panels 402 and the roof supports 482 a sixteenth means of connection is provided. The sixteenth means of connection is illustrated herein as a second roof connector 420 . The second roof connector includes a first boss end 423 constructed and arranged to cooperate with sockets 416 and a second end 424 constructed and arranged to cooperate with the roof supports 482 . For installation, the third edge of each roof panel is secured to the ridge cap and the closed edge is pivoted downward to engage the first and second roof connectors.
Referring to FIGS. 42-44 a cupola 800 is illustrated. The cupola includes a pair of side walls 802 and a front and rear wall 804 . The cupola is generally constructed and arranged for shipment in a disassembled state and may thereafter be assembled at a desired site. The edges of the side panels are preferably constructed to receive the edges of the front and rear panels in an interlocking relationship. Thereafter the top panel may be assembled to the side walls to finish assembly of the cupola. In one embodiment the lower portion of the cupola side walls are contoured to fit over the ridge cap of the instant embodiment. The cupola may be secured to the enclosure by any suitable means which may include fasteners, spring locks, ramp-locks or suitable combinations thereof.
Referring to FIGS. 45-46 installation and assembled views of cantilever type modular shelving 800 are illustrated. The cantilever shelving includes cantilever wall mounts 802 constructed and arranged to cooperate with wall panels 202 for snap-in engagement. The cantilever shelf 804 is constructed and arranged to snap into engagement with the wall mounts. This arrangement permits assembly without the need for fasteners. The plurality of apertures 254 formed into the inner surface of the wall panels permits the shelving to be mounted in various predetermined positions within the enclosure to suit a user's needs.
FIGS. 47-50 illustrate assembly of stackable shelving 850 . The stackable shelving includes at least two horizontal members 852 , at least two vertical members 854 , and a shelf member 856 . The horizontal members are constructed and arranged to cooperate with aperture 254 formed into the inner surface of the wall panels at a first end and the vertical members 854 at a second end. The bottom portion of the vertical members include an integrally formed projection for interlocking cooperation with an indentation 856 ( FIG. 47 ) formed into the upper surface of the floor panels 102 . Additional shelves may be added to the assembly in a vertical manner by engaging additional vertical members into sockets 858 formed into the upper surface of the horizontal member 852 and thereafter assembling additional horizontal members thereto.
Referring to FIGS. 51-53 , alternative embodiments of the present invention are shown wherein the enclosures are made larger by adding floor panels, roof panels, and adding additional side wall panels. The enlarged enclosures may also include additional door panels to facilitate entering the shed at more than one position. In this manner the same construction can be utilized to build structures of varying size utilizing substantially the same components.
All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
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The present invention provides a system, or kit, of injection molded panels having integrated connectors which combine to form an enclosure, commonly in the form of a utility shed. The panels are formed of injection molded plastic to interlock with one another without the need for separate I-beam connectors. The ends of the wall panels have cavities to accept both roof and floor outwardly projecting locking bosses for interlocking cooperative engagement which serve to rigidly connect the components together. The symmetry of the wall, roof, floor and door components also minimizes component shapes and simplifies enclosure construction.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/178,782, filed Feb. 12, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/769,456, filed Feb. 18, 2013, both of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to hydraulic fracturing, and in particular to systems and methods for controlling silica dust during the handling of frac sand.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Hydraulic fracturing (“fracing”) is a well known technique for releasing oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs within rock formations having a limited permeability. For example, fracing is often used to release oil and natural gas, such as natural gas or oil, from shale formations.
Fracing is a well completion technique performed after the drilling of the wellbore, which in the case of releasing natural gas from shale, is commonly a horizontal wellbore, although occasionally the wellbore is vertical. Fracing fluid, which is primarily water and chemicals that form a viscous gel, is pumped into the well to create fractures within the surrounding rock. The viscous gel carries a “proppant” into the fractures, such that when the pumping stops, the fractures remain substantially open and allow the oil and natural gas to escape into the wellbore.
One typical proppant is “frac sand.” Frac sand is normally high purity silica sand with grains having a size and shape capable of resisting the crushing forces applied during the closing of the fractures when the hydraulic force provided by the pumping is removed. However, given that frac sand contains a high proportion of silica, the loading, transportation, and unloading of frac sand presents significant safety challenges.
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) lists silica as a carcinogen. In particular, the exposure and inhalation of silica dust has been linked to silicosis, which is an irreversible lung disorder characterized by inflammation and scarring of the upper lobes of the lungs. The best, and perhaps only way, to reduce or eliminate the threat of silicosis is to carefully control worker exposure to silica dust.
OSHA lists a number of different ways to limit worker exposure to silica dust, including limiting worker time at a worksite, limiting the number of workers at a worksite, watering roads and other worksite areas, enclosing points where silica dust is released, and requiring workers to wear respirators. These techniques do not, at least on their own, provide a complete solution to the problem of controlling silica dust. Furthermore, these existing techniques, while commendable, are nonetheless burdensome, time-consuming, inefficient, and impractical.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
According to one representative embodiment of the principles of the present invention, a system is disclosed for controlling silica dust generated during the transfer of frac sand from a storage container through a conveyor system and includes a system of conduits having a plurality of inlets for collecting silica dust generated at selected points along the conveyor system. An air system pneumatically coupled to the system of conduits generates a negative pressure at each of the inlets to induce the collection of silica dust at the selected points along the conveyor, including container access ports, belt-to-belt drops, and belt-to-blender drops.
The present inventive principles advantageously provide for efficient and flexible systems and methods for collecting the silica dust generated during the offload of frac sand from one or more trailers or other storage facility at a fracing worksite. In particular, silica dust may be collected, as needed, at the base of the conveyor integral to each trailer (“trailer conveyor”), the point of discharge from each trailer conveyor to an associated portable conveyor system, at points along the portable conveyor system, and from within the trailer itself. The application of these principles improves the efficiency and flexibility of the frac sand offloading process by allowing increased worker time at the worksite and/or for more workers to be present at the worksite at one time, reducing the need for watering of worksite areas and the enclosure of points where silica dust is released, reducing the need for respirator wear, and decreasing the amount of silica dust intake by the engines of nearby vehicles and equipment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of a representative frac sand transportation and unloading system including a frac sand silica dust control system according to a preferred embodiment of the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view diagram of the frac sand transportation and unloading system of FIG. 1 , which emphasizes the airflow paths through the frac sand silica dust control system;
FIG. 3 is a plan view diagram of the frac sand transportation and unloading system of FIG. 1 , which generally indicates the locations of particular structures of the frac sand silica dust control subsystem shown in more detail in FIGS. 4-6 ;
FIG. 4A is a diagram showing in further detail the pneumatic connections between the inlets of the silica dust control unit and the manifolds of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4B is a diagram showing in further detail the direct airflow path between the silica dust control unit and the silica dust control conduit subsystem servicing one selected trailer of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4C is a diagram showing in further detail the pneumatic connection between a selected manifold and the silica dust control conduit subsystem serving another selected trailer of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4D is a diagram showing in further detail the pneumatic connections between a selected manifold and the silica dust capture hose controlling silica dust generated during the operation of a corresponding trailer discharge conveyor shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4E is a diagram showing in further detail the pneumatic connections between a selected manifold and the silica dust capture hoses controlling silica dust generated by the system discharge conveyor of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 5A is a diagram showing in further detail a selected silica dust capture hose controlling silica dust generated by the discharge of frac sand from the tank of representative trailer to the base of the corresponding trailer discharge conveyor shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 5B is a diagram showing in further detail a selected silica dust capture hose controlling silica dust generated by the discharge of frac sand from the outlet of a corresponding representative trailer conveyor to the lateral transfer conveyor section of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 5C is a diagram showing the hoses controlling silica dust generated during the movement of sand by the upwardly angled conveyor section of FIG. 1 to a point above the bin of the blender of FIG. 1 , along with the silica dust capture hose controlling silica dust generated during the discharge of sand into the blender bin from the conveyor section spout;
FIG. 6A is a diagram showing in further detail the pneumatic connections of the silica dust control conduit subsystem of a representative one of the trailers of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 6B is a diagram showing in further detail one of the T-fittings interconnecting the air conduits of the silica dust control conduit subsystem shown in FIG. 6A ;
FIG. 6C is a diagram showing a one of the end fittings terminating the air conduits of the silica dust control conduit subsystem shown in FIG. 6A ;
FIG. 6D is a diagram showing the four-way fitting interconnecting the air conduits of the silica dust control subsystem of one particular trailer with the silica dust control unit, as shown in FIG. 4B ;
FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an alternate embodiment of the principles of the present invention in which a cover is provided over portions of the representative frac sand transportation and unloading system of FIG. 1 for containing silica dust generated during movement of sand through the system;
FIG. 7B is a conceptual diagram providing a first detailed view of a representative embodiment of the cover shown in FIG. 7A ; and
FIG. 7C is a conceptual diagram providing a second detailed view of the representative embodiment of the cover shown in FIG. 7A .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The principles of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the illustrated embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-7 of the drawings, in which like numbers designate like parts.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary frac sand transportation, storage, and unloading system 100 including a frac sand silica dust control system according to a preferred embodiment of the principles of the present invention. System 100 is also shown in the plan views of FIGS. 2 and 3 , with FIG. 2 emphasizing the air flow paths of the silica dust control system and FIG. 3 generally showing the locations of particular features of the silica dust control system shown in further detail in FIGS. 4-6 .
Generally, system 100 is assembled at a hydraulic fracturing worksite and is used to offload frac sand transported to the worksite from a frac sand supplier via trailers and offloaded into a blender. The blender mixes the sand with the water and chemicals to form the fracing fluid. Given the significantly large amounts of frac sand that are typically required during typical hydraulic fracturing operations, a substantial amount of potentially hazardous silica dust is commonly generated during conventional trailer offloading operations. The principles of the present invention advantageously provide for the control of frac sand produced silica dust, which consequently improves personnel safety, helps reduce the need for respirators and other burdensome safety equipment, and allows personnel to work longer and more efficiently at the worksite.
In the illustrated embodiment of system 100 shown in FIGS. 1 , 2 , and 3 , four (4) conventional sand storage trailers 101 a - 101 d are shown at a fracing worksite. While four (4) trailers 101 are shown as an example, the actual number of sand storage trailers 101 utilized in any particular embodiment or configuration of system 100 may vary based on the needs and restrictions at the worksite. The size and configuration of system 100 in any given worksite application will depend on such factors as the amount of sand that must be offloaded, the speed at which sand must be offloaded, and the size and capabilities of the offloading conveyor system. In the illustrated embodiment of system 100 , each trailer 101 includes a retractable trailer discharge conveyor (transfer belt) 102 a - 102 d , which receives sand from the compartments of the trailer internal tank via a lateral transfer belt running underneath the trailer tank (not shown). Trailers 101 are, for example, Sand King 3000 / 4000 frac sand trailers from Convey-All Industries, Inc., although there are a number of other commercially available sand storage trailers known in the art. It should also be recognized that the principles of the present invention are also applicable to embodiments of system 100 in which sand is stored and discharged from other types of fixed and transportable storage systems, such as tanks, silos, compartmented vehicles, and so on.
Each trailer discharge conveyor 102 a - 102 d discharges sand to a conventional transportable conveyor system, for example, Unibelt conveyor system from Convey-All Industries, Inc., which includes a continuous transfer belt running through a lateral conveyor section 103 and a upwardly angled discharge conveyor section 105 . During typical offloading operations, one or more randomly selected trailers 101 discharge sand to the lateral conveyor section 103 at a given time.
Sand being discharged by each trailer discharge conveyor 102 a - 102 d falls through slots 104 and onto lateral conveyor section 103 . Lateral conveyor section 103 then carries the sand to upwardly angled discharge conveyor section 105 , which discharges the sand to a bin of a blender truck 119 ( FIGS. 3 and 5C ), which mixes the sand with water and chemicals in quantities needed for the formulation of the particular fracing fluid being used.
The amount of sand being transferred at any one time in system 100 can be substantial. For example, a Convey-All Unibelt conveyor can nominally transfer and discharge 22,000 pounds per minute of sand from trailers 101 a - 101 d . The generation of a corresponding substantial amount of fine silica dust is a natural consequence of this transfer and discharge process.
According to the principles of the present invention, silica dust generated during the offloading of trailers 101 a - 101 d is collected by suction at selected points around system 100 most susceptible to the generation and discharge of silica dust. In the preferred embodiment, silica dust is collected: (1) within the compartments of the tanks of trailers 101 a - 101 d , (2) at the base of each trailer discharge conveyor 102 a - 102 d , near the point at which sand is received from the trailer lateral conveyor and the trailer tanks; (3) at the point sand is discharged from trailer discharge conveyors 102 a - 102 d through slots 104 and onto lateral conveyor section 103 ; (4) at multiple points along upwardly-angled discharge conveyor section 105 ; and (5) near the point sand is discharged from the spout of discharge conveyor 105 in to the bin of blender 119 . It should be noted that in alternate embodiments, silica dust may be collected at additional points, or even fewer points, within system 100 , as required.
The silica dust control function of system 100 is driven by a silica dust control unit 106 , which draws silica dust-bearing air collected at points across the system though a pair of large manifolds 107 and 108 . In the illustrated embodiment of system 100 , silica dust control unit 106 also draws silica dust-bearing air directly from trailer 101 d through flexible hosing 109 , although this is not a strict requirement of the principles of the present invention. Silica dust control unit 106 , which may include a baghouse and/or cyclone, separates the silica dust from the air and discharges substantially silica dust-free air into the surrounding environment. One exemplary silica dust control unit, suitable for use as silica dust control unit 106 of system 100 , is an ETI Cyclone 20 DC system, available from Entech Industries, which includes multiple twenty-inch (20″) inlets and produces a nominal airflow of 20000 cubic feet per minute (cfm).
Silica dust control unit 106 establishes airflow in the direction shown by arrows in FIG. 2 . In the preferred embodiment, two intake ports of silica dust control unit 106 are pneumatically connected with manifolds 107 and 108 , which run along corresponding sides of lateral conveyor section 103 , and one intake port of silica dust control unit 106 is directly pneumatically connected to trailer 101 d through flexible hosing 109 .
Silica dust generated in each of the compartments of trailers 101 a - 101 d is collected through a corresponding set of fittings 110 a - 110 f and hoses 111 a - 111 e . In the illustrated embodiment of system 100 , the compartments of trailers 101 a - 101 c are pneumatically coupled to manifold 107 through flexible hosing 113 a - 113 c . For trailer 101 d , one fitting 110 is replaced with a four-way fitting 112 , which directly pneumatically couples the compartments of trailer 101 d with silica dust control unit 106 .
Flexible hoses 114 a - 114 c , which tap manifold 107 , and the flexible hose 114 d , which taps manifold 108 , collect silica dust at the bases of each trailer discharge conveyor 102 a - 102 d . Flexible hoses 115 a - 115 d , which tap manifold 108 , collect silica dust at the discharge points of trailer discharge conveyor 102 a - 102 d into slots 104 a - 104 c of lateral conveyor section 103 . Flexible hoses 116 a - 116 d , which tap manifold 108 , collect silica dust moving up upwardly angled discharge conveyor section 105 . It should be noted that the pneumatic paths between silica dust collection hoses 113 , 114 , 115 , and 116 and silica dust control unit 106 may vary between embodiments of system 100 . In the preferred embodiment of system 100 shown in FIG. 1 , the tapping point, as well as the manifold 107 or 108 being tapped, minimizes the lengths of manifolds 107 and 108 and silica dust collection hoses 113 , 114 , 115 , and 116 . Generally, so long as sufficient suction is available at a given silica dust collection point, the manifold 107 or 108 tapped, the point on the manifold 107 or 108 tapped the corresponding flexible hose, or both, may be varied.
A flexible hose 117 , which taps manifold 107 , captures silica dust generated by the discharge of sand from upwardly angled discharge conveyor 105 into the bin of blender 119 . (While flexible hose 117 taps manifold 107 , in alternate embodiments flexible hose 117 may tap manifold 108 ).
Manifolds 107 and 108 include a number of straight sections 120 and bent or curved sections 121 and are preferably constructed as tubes or pipes of rigid metal, such as aluminum. Rigid metal embodiments provide durability, particularly when manifolds 107 and 108 sit on or close to the ground and/or are exposed to contact by personnel or to other structures within system 100 . However, in alternate embodiments, manifolds 107 and 108 may be constructed, either in whole or in part, from sections of semi-rigid conduit or flexible (corrugated) hose. For example, semi-rigid conduit or flexible hose may be used in sections 121 of manifolds 107 and 108 that must be bent to provide a path around, over, or under, other structures in system 100 .
Preferably, manifolds 107 and 108 are each constructed in multiple straight sections 120 and multiple bent or curved sections 121 , which are clamped together using conventional clamps. This preferred construction allows manifolds 107 and 108 to be efficiently assembled and disassembled at the worksite, allows the most direct paths to be taken to silica dust control unit 106 , and allows the overall system of conduits to be adapted to different configurations of system 100 (e.g., different types and number of trailers 101 , different transportable conveyor systems, different surface conditions).
Additionally, the diameters of the various sections of manifolds 107 and 108 may increase or decrease, depending on the airflow provided by the given silica dust control unit 106 . The diameters of manifolds 107 and 108 are determined by a number of factors, including the intake diameters of silica dust control unit 106 , the airflow produced by silica dust control unit 106 , and the amount of suction needed at the silica dust collection points. Similarly, the diameters of silica dust collection hoses 113 , 114 , 115 , and 116 will depend on factors such as the airflow available from silica dust control unit 106 , the diameters of manifolds 107 and 108 , and the amount of suction required at a given hose inlet. In one typical embodiment of system 100 , manifolds 107 and 108 have a nominal diameter of twenty inches (20″) and silica dust collection hoses 113 , 114 , 115 , and 116 are nominally within the range of six to sixteen inches (6″-16″) in diameter. In other words, the principals of the present invention advantageously allow for variations in the components and configuration of system 100 .
It should be recognized that the transportable conveyor system, including lateral conveyor section 103 and discharge conveyor section 105 , is not always required. In this case, one or more trailer discharge conveyors 102 discharge sand directly from the corresponding trailers 101 into the bin of blender 119 . In embodiments of system 100 that do not utilize the transportable conveyor system, only a corresponding number of flexible hoses 114 and 115 are required for collecting silica dust at the base and outlet of each trailer discharge conveyor 102 discharging to blender 119 . (Along with the desired connections for removing dust within the trailers 101 themselves.) Advantageously, only single manifold 107 or 108 may be required in these embodiments.
FIG. 4A is a more detailed diagram showing the pneumatic connections between manifolds 107 and 108 and silica dust control unit 106 . FIG. 4B shows the direct pneumatic connection between trailer 101 d and silica dust control unit 106 through flexible hose 109 in further detail.
FIGS. 4C-4E illustrate representative tapping points between the heavier rigid sections 120 of manifolds 107 and 108 and selected flexible hoses utilized in system 100 . In particular, FIG. 4C shows a representative pneumatic connection between manifold 107 and hose 113 c collecting silica dust from the tank compartments of trailer 101 c . FIG. 4D shows representative pneumatic connections between manifold 108 and hose 114 d , which collects silica dust generated at the base of trailer discharge conveyor 102 d , and hoses 115 c and 115 d , which collect silica dust generated at corresponding outlets of trailer discharge conveyors 102 c and 102 d . FIG. 4E shows representative pneumatic connections between manifold 108 and hoses 116 a - 116 d collecting silica dust generated by discharge conveyor section 105 .
As well known in the art, numerous techniques are commonly utilized for connecting flexible hose with a rigid conduit or pipe, many of which are suitable for use in system 100 . In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 4C-4D , an aperture is tapped through the wall of the given manifold 107 or 108 and the lower periphery of a fitting (e.g., aluminum or steel pipe) 401 is attached, for example, by welding or brazing. The lower section of a coupling 402 is attached to the upper periphery of fitting 401 , for example by welding or brazing. The tubular upper section 403 of coupling 402 is received with the periphery of the corresponding hose, which is then clamped in place by one or more conventional clamps 404 . When necessary, an extension or elbow (not shown) may be provided between upper section 403 of coupling 402 and the corresponding hose. Similarly, a reduction coupling (see FIG. 5A , designator 501 ) may be provided between upper section 403 and coupling 402 , as required to transition to the selected hose diameter.
In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 4C-4E , each coupling 402 includes a slide gate, which provides for air flow control between the given silica dust capture hose 113 , 114 , 115 , and 116 and the corresponding manifold 107 or 108 . In addition to allowing control of the amount of suction produced at the capture hose inlet, these slide gates also allow any unused taps to manifolds 107 and 108 to be completely shut off, particularly when a hose is not connected to coupling 402 .
FIG. 5A depicts in further detail representative silica dust collection hose 114 b collecting silica dust generated at the base of trailer discharge conveyor 102 b . Hose 114 b pneumatically couples with manifold 107 through a reduction coupling 501 . The inlet end of hose 114 b , which includes an optional nozzle or shroud 502 , is disposed in a space adjacent the point where the lateral conveyor of trailer 101 b discharges sand to the base of trailer discharge conveyor 102 b . Silica dust generated during sand transfer is captured by the suction created by silica dust control unit 106 at the discharge end of hose 114 b and carried through manifold 107 to silica dust control unit 106 to be filtered from the air. Silica dust collection hoses 114 a , 114 b , 114 c , and 114 d , which respectively collect silica dust generated at the bases of trailer discharge conveyors 102 a , 102 b , 102 c and 102 d , are similar in configuration and operation.
FIG. 5B depicts in further detail representative silica dust collection hose 115 b collecting silica dust generated during the discharge of sand from trailer discharge conveyor 102 b into lateral conveyor section 103 . In the illustrated embodiment, trailer discharge conveyor 102 b discharges through a section of flexible hose (conduit) 503 into the corresponding slot 104 of lateral conveyor section 103 . The inlet 504 of silica dust collection hose 115 b is disposed in a space adjacent the outlet of flexible hose 503 . The suction produced by silica dust control unit 106 gathers silica dust generated during the transfer of sand, which in turns moves to silica dust control unit 106 for filtering through manifold 108 . The configuration and operation of silica dust collection hoses 115 a , 115 b , 115 c , and 115 d , which respectively collect silica dust from the discharge points of trailer conveyors 102 a , 102 b , 102 c , and 102 d into lateral conveyor section 103 are similar.
Silica dust collection hoses 116 a - 116 d , and the suction generated by silica dust control unit 106 , collect silica dust generated by the lifting and discharge of sand by discharge conveyor section 105 . As shown in FIG. 5C , silica dust collection hoses 116 a - 116 d extend from apertures through the body of discharge conveyor section 105 at selected spaced-apart points. During operation, silica dust generated as sand moves upwards towards the outlet spout is removed through silica dust collection hoses 116 a - 116 d and manifold 108 for filtering by silica dust control unit 106 .
FIG. 5C also one possible configuration for flexible 117 with respect to the spout of upwardly angled conveyor 105 . Generally, the intake end of flexible hose 117 is located near the discharge point of the spout of conveyor 105 and creates an updraft, which captures silica dust generated as sand falls into the bin of blender 119 . The actual attachment point of flexible hose 117 to the spout of conveyor 105 , as well as the proximity of the intake end of hose 117 to the blender bin, may vary in actual practice of system 100 .
As discussed above, silica dust generated in the compartments of the tanks of trailers 101 a - 101 d is collected by a set of fittings 110 and hoses 111 . FIGS. 6A-6C depict this subsystem in further detail, using trailer 101 a as an example.
Each trailer 101 includes a set of inspection hatches 601 through the trailer roof. In the illustrated embodiment, trailers 101 include two rows of hatches 601 that run along opposing sides of the trailer roof. (In other embodiments of trailers 101 , the number and location of inspection hatches 601 may differ. For example, some commercially available sand storage trailers utilize a single row of inspection hatches that run along the centerline of the trailer roof.)
In addition, FIG. 6A shows optional skirts 610 , which run along each side of the depicted trailer 101 . Skirts 610 , which are preferably constructed from a durable flexible material, such as heavy plastic or canvas, contain silica dust generated by the movement of sand through the lateral conveyor that runs underneath the trailer tank.
In the preferred embodiment of system 100 , silica dust collection is performed using the hatches 601 running along one side of the trailer tank, although in alternate embodiments silica dust collection could be performed using the hatches running down both sides of the trailer tank. For a given compartment, the regular hatch 602 is pulled back and replaced with corresponding cover 603 attached an associated fitting 110 ( FIGS. 6B-6D ).
FIG. 6B shows in further detail an example of a T-shaped (three-way) fitting 110 e interfacing with corresponding hoses 111 d and 111 e . FIG. 6C shows an example of a elbow (two-way) fitting 110 a and the final section of hose 111 a in the trailer silica dust subsystem. The remaining connections between the given trailer 101 and fittings 110 and 111 are similar. The four-way fitting 112 used to connect trailer 101 d and silica dust control unit 106 through hose 109 is shown in detail in FIG. 6D . In each case, fittings 110 include well-known transitions and clamps to connect to hoses 111 . Similar to the taps shown in FIGS. 4C-4E , each fitting, such as T-shaped (three-way) fitting 110 e , elbow fitting 110 a , and four-way fitting 112 , includes a slide gate for controlling airflow between the space within the given trailer 101 and manifold 107 .
FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate an enhancement to system 100 , which includes a flexible cover system 700 for containing the silica dust generated during the movement of sand through the system. Preferably, flexible cover system 700 extends over the discharge ends of trailer discharge conveyors 102 a - 102 d , the length of lateral conveyor section 103 , and the length of upwardly angled discharge conveyor section 105 . (In alternate embodiments, flexible cover system 700 may only cover portions of system 100 , as necessary to effectively control silica dust.)
In the preferred embodiment, flexible cover system 700 is constructed as separate sections 701 a - 701 c and 702 , as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C . Sections 701 a - 701 c cover corresponding portions of lateral conveyor section 103 and section 702 covers upwardly angled discharge conveyor section 105 . Boots 703 are provided to allow insertion of corresponding flexible capture hoses 115 and 116 into the underlying silica dust containment spaces when cover system 700 is deployed. Boots 704 extend over the ends of trailer discharge conveyors 102 a - 102 d.
Section 702 also includes a lateral extension 705 for covering the spout of upwardly angled discharge conveyor section 105 . A boot 707 provides for the insertion of flexible hose 117 into extension 702 for fastening on or near the outlet of the discharge spout of conveyor 105 .
Flexible cover system 700 is preferably constructed of canvas, heavy plastic, or other flexible material that is durable, relatively easy to deploy and remove, and transportable. Preferably, the surfaces of the selected material are impervious to frac sand, as well as able to withstand the normal wear and tear expected at a fracing worksite. When deployed, sections 701 and 702 are attached to each other with areas of Velcro 706 or similar attachment system, which minimizes the escape of silica dust at the seams between the sections.
In sum, the principles of the present invention provide for the efficient capture and removal of silica dust generated during the offloading of frac sand at a worksite. Silica dust removal is performed near, but not limited to, substantial sources of hazardous silica dust, including at trailer to trailer conveyor sand transfer point, each point of transfer from the trailer discharge conveyors and the lateral site conveyor, and points along the lifting/discharge conveyor. The embodiments of the inventive principles are scalable, and can be applied to any discharging system serving single or multiple frac sand storage trailers and can be implemented with various commercially available cyclone/baghouse silica dust removal systems. Moreover, the configuration and construction of these embodiments are also variable, allowing silica dust control to be effectively implemented under widely varying worksite conditions.
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, these descriptions are not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed might be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
It is therefore contemplated that the claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.
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A method for capturing dust generated during movement of sand through a sand delivery system includes positioning an inlet at a first end of each of a plurality of conduits for collecting dust in a corresponding space surrounding a corresponding point along a conveyor. A second end of each of the plurality of conduits is coupled in fluid communication with a manifold system including at least one manifold extending generally parallel to the ground. Substantially an entire length of the conveyor, including the space corresponding to the inlet of each of the plurality of conduits, is covered with a cover for containing dust generated during movement of sand along the conveyor. Air is drawn through the manifold system and the plurality of conduits to capture dust generated during the movement of sand along the conveyor through the inlet of each of the plurality of conduits.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND
The invention relates generally to a magnetic lock and key assembly. More particularly, the invention relates to a magnetic lock assembly configured to operate in cooperation with a corresponding magnetic key assembly.
Many conventional locks include internal lock components that are mechanically engaged by a key inserted into an opening in the lock. This general lock configuration incorporates a number of precision elements that must work in concert to ensure proper operation of the lock. In addition, the opening in the lock hampers the operational life and ultimate security afforded by the lock. For instance, debris, such as dust, water, and other contaminants can enter the lock through the opening and foul the internal lock components. Furthermore, nefarious characters exploit the key opening in efforts to tamper with and defeat the security aspects of the lock.
Magnetic lock and key assemblies are generally described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/561,785 filed on Jul. 30, 2012, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/400,428 filed on Feb. 20, 2012, and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/034,499 filed on Feb. 24, 2011. The entire disclosures of the above-listed applications are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
In light of at least the above considerations, a need exists for a lock assembly having improved construction and operation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention provides a magnetic lock and key system including a magnetic lock that includes: a body, a lock element arranged at least partially within the body and moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, a cap coupled to the body and defining a dome, and an arc magnet arranged within the body between the cap and the lock element, the arc magnet defining a chamfered edge and moveable between a first position corresponding with the locked position of the lock element and a second position corresponding to the unlocked position of the lock element; and a magnetic key arranged to engage the cap of the magnetic lock and including a key magnet moveable between a first position spaced apart from the dome of the cap, and a second position adjacent the dome of the cap, the key magnet defining a countersink corresponding to the chamfered edge.
In another aspect, the invention provides a magnetic lock for use with a magnetic key, the magnetic lock including a body, a lock element arranged at least partially within the body and moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, a cap coupled to the body and defining a dome, and an arc magnet arranged within the body between the cap and the lock element, the arc magnet defining a chamfered edge and moveable between a first position corresponding with the locked position of the lock element and a second position corresponding to the unlocked position of the lock element.
In another aspect, the invention provides a magnetic key for use with a magnetic lock, the magnetic key including a handle, a trigger coupled to the handle and rotatable relative thereto between a first position and a second position, a collet coupled to the handle, configured to engage the magnetic lock, and defining a magnet aperture, and a key magnet received in the magnet aperture and defining a countersink, the key magnet is free to rotate within the collet and is actuatable by the trigger between an on position and an off position.
The foregoing and other aspects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claims and herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and features, aspects, and advantages other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such detailed description makes reference to the following drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a magnetic lock.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a magnetic key.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the magnetic lock of FIG. 1 and the magnetic key of FIG. 2 coupled together in a first position.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the magnetic lock of FIG. 1 and the magnetic key of FIG. 2 coupled together in a second position.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the magnetic lock of FIG. 1 and the magnetic key of FIG. 2 coupled together in a third position.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the magnetic lock of FIG. 1 and the magnetic key of FIG. 2 decoupled from one another.
FIG. 7 is an exploded pictorial view of an arc magnet.
FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of the arc magnet of FIG. 7 and a key magnet.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the arc magnet of FIG. 7 and the key magnet of FIG. 8 arranged in two different positions.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a magnetic key engaging a magnetic lock according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a pictorial view of a key magnet according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of the key magnet of FIG. 11 .
FIG. 13 is a sectional plan view of the key magnet of FIG. 11 taken along line 13 - 13 of FIG. 12 .
FIG. 14 is a pictorial view of an arc magnet according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 15 is a plan view of the arc magnet of FIG. 14 .
FIG. 16 is a pictorial view of a key magnet according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 17 is a plan view of the key magnet of FIG. 16 .
FIG. 18 is a sectional plan view of the key magnet of FIG. 16 taken along line 18 - 18 of FIG. 17 .
FIG. 19 is a sectional view of a magnetic lock similar to FIG. 1 and a magnetic key similar to FIG. 2 compared to the magnetic lock and magnetic key of FIG. 10 .
FIG. 20 is a sectional view of a magnetic lock similar to FIG. 1 compared to the magnetic lock of FIG. 10 , each receiving a generic magnet.
FIG. 21 is a sectional view of a magnetic lock similar to FIG. 1 compared to the magnetic lock of FIG. 10 , each receiving another generic magnet.
FIG. 22 is a sectional view of a magnetic lock similar to FIG. 1 compared to the magnetic lock of FIG. 10 , each receiving a further generic magnet.
FIG. 23 is a sectional view of a magnetic lock similar to FIG. 1 compared to the magnetic lock of FIG. 10 , each receiving yet another generic magnet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a magnetic lock 10 that includes a lock element in the form of two steel balls 14 received in a lock body 18 , a plunger 22 received in the lock body 18 , a compression spring 26 , a keyed cap 30 , and an arc magnet 34 . The lock body 18 defines a plunger aperture 38 extending along a longitudinal axis of the lock body 18 and sized to receive the plunger 22 , and locking apertures 42 formed in the lock body 18 transverse to the plunger aperture 38 and sized to receive the steel balls 14 . In other embodiments, the locking element may be a lever, or a different locking mechanism, as desired. Additionally, any suitable material may be used for the locking element.
The plunger 22 defines a countersink 46 arranged to receive (e.g., rotatably, fixably, or otherwise) the arc magnet 34 , a spring aperture 50 recessed into the countersink 46 and sized to receive the compression spring 26 , an unlocking diameter 54 , and a locking diameter 58 .
The keyed cap 30 is rigidly coupled to the lock body 18 to capture the plunger 22 , the compression spring 26 , and the arc magnet 34 therebetween. The plunger 22 and/or the arc magnet 34 may be rotatable within the lock body 18 . The keyed cap 30 defines a key receiving feature 62 .
The arc magnet 34 will be described with respect to FIG. 7 . The arc magnet 34 includes a first magnet half 66 and a second magnet half 70 coupled together. In one embodiment, the first half 66 is bonded to the second half 70 with adhesive. The first half 66 and the second half 70 are each axially magnetized permanent magnets and define a central aperture such that when the arc magnet 34 is assembled a central aperture sized to receive the compression spring 26 is formed. The first half 66 and the second half 70 are arranged so that the arc magnet 34 has a north pole on one of the first half 66 and the second half 70 (e.g., a top surface of the first half 66 as shown in FIG. 7 ) and a south pole on the other half (e.g., a top surface of the second half 70 as shown in FIG. 7 ).
Turning back to FIG. 1 , the magnetic lock 10 is assembled by, in one example, bonding the arc magnet 34 into the countersink 46 of the plunger 22 . The two steel balls 14 are installed in the locking apertures 42 of the lock body 18 , and the plunger is inserted into the plunger aperture 38 of the lock body 18 . The compression spring 26 is then placed in the spring aperture 50 , and the keyed cap 30 is coupled to the lock body 18 .
In operation, the magnetic lock 10 is movable between a first or locked position (shown in FIG. 1 ) and a second or unlocked position (see FIG. 4 ). The illustrated magnetic lock 10 is normally arranged in the locked position with the compression spring 26 biasing the plunger 22 toward and into a locked position with the steel balls 14 forced outward by the locking diameter 58 of the plunger 22 . When a suitable magnetic field is enacted on the arc magnet 34 , the magnetic attraction draws the arc magnet 34 toward an unlocked position against the bias of the compression spring 26 . As shown in FIG. 4 , when the arc magnet 34 is drawn to the unlocked position toward the keyed cap 30 , the two balls 14 move inward with respect to the lock body 18 and into contact with the unlocking diameter 54 of the plunger 22 .
FIG. 2 shows a magnetic key 74 that includes a collet 78 , a magnet cup 82 , a key magnet 86 , a pusher rod 90 , a return spring 94 , an end cap 98 , a handle 102 , and a trigger 106 . The collet 78 includes fingers 110 arranged to engage the key receiving feature 62 of the magnetic lock 10 . A magnet aperture 114 is defined in an end of the collet 78 adjacent the fingers 110 and is sized to receive the magnet cup 82 . A coupling feature in the form of threads 118 couple the collet 78 to the handle 102 .
The magnet cup 82 defines an open end 122 arranged to receive the key magnet 86 and a closed lock engaging end 126 that is produced with features corresponding to the features of the key receiving feature 62 of the magnetic lock 10 . The magnet cup 82 is sized to be slidingly received in the magnet aperture 114 of the collet 78 .
The key magnet 86 will be described with respect to FIG. 8 . The key magnet 86 includes a first magnet half 130 and a second magnet half 134 coupled together. In one embodiment, the first half 130 is bonded to the second half 134 with adhesive. The first half 130 and the second half 134 are each axially magnetized permanent magnets and define a central aperture such that when the key magnet 86 is assembled a central aperture is formed. The first half 130 and the second half 134 are arranged so that the key magnet 86 has a north pole on one of the first half 130 and the second half 134 (e.g., a top surface of the first half 130 as shown in FIG. 8 ) and a south pole on the other half (e.g., a top surface of the second half 134 as shown in FIG. 8 ).
Turning back to FIG. 2 , the pusher rod 90 includes a head 138 sized to be press fit into the open end 122 of the magnet cup 82 , a shaft 142 extending from the head 138 , and a coupling portion 146 located opposite the head 138 and arranged to engage the end cap 98 .
The handle 102 defines a key mechanism aperture 150 and a collet engaging portion 154 arranged to engage the threads 118 of the collet 78 . The trigger 106 includes a pivot point 158 and a lever 162 .
The magnetic key 74 is assembled by inserting the key magnet 86 into the magnet cup 82 , and then press fitting the head 138 of the pusher rod 90 . The spring 94 is then installed over the shaft 142 of the pusher rod 90 as it extends through the collet 78 , and the end cap 98 is coupled to the coupling portion 146 of the pusher rod 90 . The collet 78 is then threadingly coupled to the handle 102 with the end cap 98 , the spring 94 , and a portion of the pusher rod 90 received within the key mechanism aperture 150 . The trigger 106 is coupled to the handle 102 via the pivot point 158 with the lever 162 arranged to engage the end cap 98 as shown in FIG. 2 .
In operation, the magnetic key 74 is actuatable between an off position (shown in FIG. 2 ) and an on position (generally shown in FIG. 3 ), via manipulation of the trigger 106 . The return spring 94 biases the magnetic key 74 toward the off position by biasing the end cap 98 away from the collet 78 . To force the magnetic key 74 toward the on position, the trigger 106 is pulled such that the lever 162 urges the end cap 98 toward the collet 78 against the bias of the return spring 94 . In turn, the pusher rod 90 moves and forces the magnet cup 82 toward the fingers 110 of the collet 78 . The key magnet 86 is trapped by the magnet cup 82 and is moved therewith. Upon releasing the trigger 106 , the return spring 94 returns the magnetic key 74 to the off position. Additionally, the key magnet 86 is arranged and received within the magnet cup 82 such that the key magnet 86 can, in some embodiments, rotate freely.
Coordinated operation of the magnetic lock 10 and the magnetic key 74 will be discussed below with respect to FIGS. 3-6 . FIG. 3 shows the magnetic lock 10 arranged in the locked position, the magnetic key 74 engaged with the magnetic lock 10 such that the fingers 110 of the collet 78 are engaged with the key receiving feature 62 of the keyed cap 30 , and the magnetic key 74 in the on position. The fingers 110 may be tapered radially inward or otherwise configured such that the fingers 110 flex radially outward due to interaction with the magnet cup 82 and/or the key magnet 86 when the magnetic key 74 is in the on position. FIG. 3 shows the initial condition when the magnetic key 74 is inserted into the magnetic lock 10 and the trigger 106 is pulled. As shown, the key magnet 86 is not necessarily initially magnetically aligned with the arc magnet 34 . With the key magnet 86 in sufficiently close proximity to the arc magnet 34 , the key magnet 86 rotates within the magnet cup 82 to align with the poles of the arc magnet 34 . Alternatively, the arc magnet 34 may be rotatable alone or in addition to the key magnet 86 .
Turning to FIG. 4 , once the key magnet 86 and the arc magnet 34 are sufficiently aligned, the attractive force between the key magnet 86 and the arc magnet 34 will overcome the bias of the compression spring 26 and the plunger 22 will be pulled toward the keyed cap 30 and the magnetic lock 10 is moved to the unlocked position.
After the magnetic lock 10 is unlocked, the trigger 106 is released and the magnetic key 74 moves back to the off position (as shown in FIG. 5 ). With the key magnet 86 moved away from the arc magnet 34 , the compression spring 26 forces the plunger 22 away from the keyed cap 30 and the magnetic lock 10 returns to the locked position.
FIG. 6 shows how the magnetic key 74 is removed from the magnetic lock 10 by pulling and rotating the magnetic key 74 relative to the magnetic lock 10 such that the fingers 110 flex and disengage from the key receiving feature 62 of the keyed cap 30 .
A more detailed discussion of the interaction between the arc magnet 34 and the key magnet 86 will be discussed with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9 . As discussed above, the key magnet 86 is free to rotate (and/or the arc magnet 34 may also be free to rotate in some embodiments). As shown in FIG. 8 , the key magnet 86 will tend to rotate into magnetic alignment with the arc magnet 34 when the key magnet 86 is within sufficient proximity to the arc magnet 34 . In other words, when the magnets 34 , 86 are placed within proximity to one another, the magnetic fields exert a rotational force between the magnets 34 , 86 that tends to align the magnets 34 , 86 so that the north pole at the top of the arc magnet 34 aligns with the south pole at the bottom of the key magnet 86 and vice versa. As long as one or both magnets 34 , 86 are allowed to rotate freely, the magnets 34 , 86 will always assume this orientation because this is the lowest energy state for the system.
When the magnets 34 , 86 are aligned as above there is an attractive force parallel to the center axis that acts to pull the magnets 34 , 86 closer together. The magnitude of this force is generally inversely proportional to the square of the distance or air gap between the magnets 34 , 86 . Therefore, doubling the air gap will decrease the attractive force between the magnet assemblies by a factor of four. In other words, the arrangement shown at the left in FIG. 9 experiences an attractive force four times larger than the arrangement shown at the right.
Turning to FIG. 10 , a new magnetic lock 510 and a new magnetic key 574 arrangement will be discussed. Many portions of the magnetic lock 510 and the magnetic key 574 are similar to the magnetic lock 10 and the magnetic key 74 discussed above and are numbered similarly in the 500 and 600 series accordingly.
An arc magnet 700 is received in the countersink 546 of the plunger 522 similar to how the arc magnet 34 is received in the countersink 46 of the plunger 22 discussed with respect to FIG. 1 . The arc magnet 700 defines a chamfered top edge 704 that is chamfered at an angle A of about thirty degrees (30°) with respect to horizontal (as shown in FIG. 15 ). The angle A may be different according to the desired characteristics of the magnetic lock 510 . In other embodiments, the chamfered edge may be a curved surface, spherically shaped, arranged at different angles, or include another profile shape, as desired.
The arc magnet 700 includes a first magnet half 708 (see FIG. 14 ) and a second magnet half 712 (see FIG. 15 ) coupled together. In one embodiment, the first half 708 is bonded to the second half 712 with adhesive. The first half 708 and the second half 712 are each axially magnetized permanent magnets and define a central aperture such that when the arc magnet 700 is assembled a central aperture is formed. The first half 708 and the second half 712 are arranged so that the arc magnet 700 has a north pole on one of the first half 708 and the second half 712 (e.g., the chamfered surface 704 of the first half 708 as shown in FIG. 14 ) and a south pole on the other half (e.g., the chamfered surface 704 of the second half 712 as shown in FIG. 15 ).
A keyed cap 716 includes a body engaging portion 720 arranged to rigidly couple with the lock body 518 , an interior cavity 724 sized to receive the plunger 522 , the arc magnet 700 , and the compression spring 526 , an annular shoulder 728 , and a dome 732 . The dome 732 defines an annular and angled side wall 736 arranged at about the same angle as the angle A of the chamfered surface 704 on the arc magnet 700 . In the illustrated embodiment, the angled side wall 736 is arranged at about thirty degrees (30°) with respect to horizontal (as shown in FIG. 10 ). A flat top surface 740 is defined at the top of the angled side wall 736 .
The magnetic key 574 includes a magnet cup 744 that defines a closed lock engaging end 748 shaped to correspond to the shape and profile of the dome 732 . That is to say, the closed lock engaging end 748 defines an inverted dome shape that is arranged to substantially mate with or receive the dome 732 of the keyed cap 716 .
A key magnet 752 is received within the magnet cup 744 and shaped to match the profile of the dome 732 . In other words, the key magnet 752 defines a countersunk angled wall 756 shaped or angled to match the chamfered top edge 704 of the arc magnet 700 . That is to say that in the illustrated embodiment, the angle of the countersink 756 is about thirty degrees (30°), but may be a different angle or a different shape, as desired. The key magnet 752 includes a central aperture 762 that extends along a longitudinal axis of the key magnet 752 (see FIGS. 16-18 ). FIGS. 11-13 show an alternative key magnet 764 that does not include a central aperture.
FIG. 19 shows a comparison of the general magnetic lock 10 (without a central protrusion extending from the keyed cap 30 ) and the general magnetic key 74 (without a mating recess in the magnet cup 82 ) to the magnetic lock 510 and the magnetic key 574 . As is shown, the effective gap between the magnets remains significantly consistent between the two designs. This allows both designs to function effectively using the principals outlined above. In the illustrated embodiment, the air gap is about 0.160 inches. In other embodiments, the size of the locks and the air gaps may be different, as desired.
FIG. 20 shows a similar comparison of the general magnetic lock 10 and the magnetic lock 510 when a non-key magnet 800 is inserted into the magnetic locks 10 , 510 . The magnetic lock 10 allows the non-key magnet 800 to achieve a proximity to the arc magnet 34 that is sufficient to actuate the magnetic lock 10 to the unlocked position. The dome 732 of the magnetic lock 510 inhibits the non-key magnet 800 from achieving a sufficient proximity. In other words, the non-key lock 800 cannot achieve a large enough attractive force with the arc magnet 700 to actuate the magnetic lock 510 to the unlocked position.
Similarly, FIGS. 21-23 show examples of non-key magnets 801 , 802 , 803 engaged with the general magnetic lock 10 and the magnetic lock 510 . In each scenario, the dome 732 is effective in increasing the proximity achieved by the non-key magnet 801 , 802 , 803 to the arc magnet 700 . As discussed above, the attractive force is generally affected by the square of the distance between the magnets. In turn, the dome 732 is effective for greatly reducing the ability of non-key magnets to actuate the magnetic lock 510 .
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein.
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A magnetic lock and key system including a magnetic lock that includes: a body, a lock element arranged at least partially within the body and moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, a cap coupled to the body and defining a dome, and an arc magnet arranged within the body between the cap and the lock element, the arc magnet defining a chamfered edge and moveable between a first position corresponding with the locked position of the lock element and a second position corresponding to the unlocked position of the lock element; and a magnetic key arranged to engage the cap of the magnetic lock and including a key magnet moveable between a first position spaced apart from the dome of the cap, and a second position adjacent the dome of the cap, the key magnet defining a countersink corresponding to chamfered edge.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/343,439, filed on Jan. 4, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/822,686, filed on Jul. 9, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,112,891, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/708,314, filed on Feb. 24, 2004, now abandoned, which claims the benefit of Swedish Patent Application No. SE 0300479-3, filed in Sweden on Feb. 24, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/456,957, filed in the United States on Mar. 25, 2003. The contents of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/343,439, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/822,686, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/708,314, SE 0300479-3 and U.S. 60/456,957 are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to the technical field of floorboards. The invention concerns floorboards with a sound-absorbing surface of fibers which can be joined mechanically in different patterns. The invention also concerns methods for manufacturing such floorboards. The invention is particularly suited for use in floating floors.
FIELD OF APPLICATION
The present invention is particularly suited for use in floating floors with mechanical joint systems. Such floors often consist of a surface layer of laminate or wood, a core and a balancing layer and are formed as rectangular floorboards intended to be joined mechanically, i.e. without glue, along both long sides and short sides in the vertical and horizontal direction.
The following description of known technique, problems of known systems, as well as the object and features of the invention will therefore as non-limiting examples be aimed mainly at this field of application. However, it should be emphasized that the invention can be used in optional floorboards which have a surface layer and a core. The invention may thus also be applicable to floors that are nailed or glued to a base.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Floating floors with mechanical joint systems and with a surface of laminate or wood have in recent years taken large shares of the market from, for instance, carpets and plastic flooring but also from wooden flooring that is glued to the base. One reason is that these floors can be laid quickly and easily on a subfloor that does not have to be perfectly smooth or flat. They can move freely from the subfloor. Shrinkage and swelling occur under the baseboards and the joints between the floorboards are tight. A floating floor with a mechanical joint system can easily be taken up and laid once more. Individual floorboards can be replaced, the subfloor is accessible for renovation and the entire floor can be moved to a different room.
Plastic floors and textile floor coverings that are glued to the subfloor require a perfectly flat subfloor. Laying is complicated and the flooring cannot be removed without being damaged. Such floorings are advantageous since they can be supplied in widths of for instance 4 m. There are few joints. Plastic floorings are impermeable to water, and both plastic flooring and textile flooring are soft and produce a lower sound level than laminates and wooden floors.
Thus, floating floors have many advantages over floors that are glued to the subfloor. A great drawback of such floating floors with a hard surface of wood or laminate is, however, that they produce a high sound level with people walking on the floor. The sound level can be annoying especially in public places, such as offices, hotels and business premises where there are many people walking around. It would be possible to use floating floors to a greater extent if the sound level could be reduced.
DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS
In the following text, the visible surface of the installed floorboard is called “front side”, while the opposite side of the floorboard, facing the subfloor, is called “rear side”. The sheet-shaped starting material that is used in manufacture is called “core”. When the core is coated with a surface layer closest to the front side and preferably also a balancing layer closest to the rear side, it forms a semi-manufacture which is called “floor panel” or “floor element” in the case where the semi-manufacture, in a subsequent operation, is divided into a plurality of floor panels mentioned above. When the floor panels are machined along their edges so as to obtain their final shape with the joint system, they are called “floorboards”. By “surface layers” are meant all layers applied to the core closest to the front side and covering preferably the entire front side of the floorboard. By “decorative surface layer” is meant a layer which is essentially intended to give the floor its decorative appearance. “Wear layer” relates to a layer which is mainly adapted to improve the durability of the front side. By “laminate flooring” is meant flooring that is available on the market under this designation. The wear layer of the laminate flooring consists as a rule of a transparent sheet of paper which is impregnated with melamine resin, with aluminum oxide added. The decorative layer consists of a melamine impregnated decorative sheet of paper. The core is as a rule a wood-fiber-based sheet. By “HDF” is meant sheet material that is known on the market under the designation high density fiberboard, HDF, consisting of ground wood fibers joined by a binder. When a HDF sheet is manufactured with a lower density, it is called MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard).
The outer parts of the floorboard at the edge of the floorboard between the front side and the rear side are called “joint edge”. As a rule, the joint edge has several “joint surfaces” which can be vertical, horizontal, angled, rounded, beveled etc. These joint surfaces exist on different materials, for instance laminate, fiberboard, wood, plastic, metal (especially aluminum) or sealing material. By “joint” or “locking system” are meant coacting connecting means which connect the floorboards vertically and/or horizontally. By “mechanical locking system” is meant that joining can take place without glue horizontally parallel to the surface and vertically perpendicular to the surface. Mechanical joint systems can in many cases also be joined by means of glue. By “floating floor” is meant flooring with floorboards which are only joined with their respective joint edges and thus not glued to the subfloor. In case of movement due to moisture, the joint remains tight. Movement due to moisture takes place in the outer areas of the floor along the walls hidden under the baseboards. By “textile floor” is meant soft flooring which consists of oil-based synthetic fibers or natural fibers joined to form a carpet or felt. The flooring is usually produced in a width of about 4 m and a length that can be several hundred meters. The flooring is delivered from the factory usually in rolls and is usually installed by gluing to a subfloor. By “needle felt” is meant a fiber-based felt which is sold on the market under the designation needle felt carpet. This floor consists of oil-based fibers of e.g. polypropylene (PP), nylon (PA) or polyester (PES) which are joined to form a felt. Joining takes place by a fiber mat being punched by means of hooked needles. The rear side is usually coated with foam which may consist of latex and chalk.
Known Technique And Problems Thereof
To facilitate the understanding and the description of the present invention as well as the knowledge of the problems behind the invention, a description of known technique now follows. Floorboards which in the following are referred to as rectangular with long sides and short sides can also be square.
Hard floorings with a surface of laminate or wood cause a high sound level. The high sound level arises mainly as people walk on the hard laminate or wood surface. The sound that is produced at the surface causes a high sound level in the room. The sound also penetrates the floor and into the beams and joists. To solve this problem, floating floors have been installed on a base of cardboard, felt, foam or like materials. The reduction of sound thus occurs on the rear side of the floorboard by means of special underlay materials that are applied between the floating flooring and the subfloor. This can cause a considerable dampening of the sound level between two floor levels. The reduction of sound that can be achieved in the room is of a limited extent.
Another method of reducing the sound level is to glue the floorboards to the subfloor. This results in a certain reduction of sound in the room, and the sound frequency is felt to be more pleasant. The costs are high and the laying quality is poor, with many and large joint gaps. A third method is to provide the surface of the floorboard with a surface layer of e.g. cork. This material is softer than wood and laminate and reduces the sound level. A cork floor, however, suffers from a number of drawbacks. Durability and impression strength are relatively low, cost is high and sound reduction may be insufficient.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide floorboards which can be joined mechanically to form a floating flooring with a low sound level. Such a flooring should at the same time have an attractive appearance and allow manufacture with great accuracy.
The invention is based on a first understanding that a low sound level should above all be provided using a surface layer which does not produce a high sound level when being hit with hard materials on its surface.
The invention is based on a second understanding that floorboards with a soft surface layer having a low density have a lower sound level than floorboards with surface layers that are hard and have a high density.
The invention is based on a third understanding that it is possible to provide a surface layer at a low cost, which is sound absorbing and has high durability and impact strength. Such a surface layer should consist of fibers that are flexible and which can be compressed when the floor is subjected to a load, for instance with people walking on its surface. These fibers can be made of materials having a relatively high density and being very strong, for instance synthetic fibers or natural fibers such as wool. When the fibers are thin and joined to form a felt or a carpet with air between the flexible fibers, a surface layer is produced with is soft and has low density. The thickness of the fibers may be, for instance, 0.05-0.10 mm. The volume density of the surface layer can be below 400 kg/m 3 , and it can preferably have a density of 150-300 kg/m2. This is considerably lower than wood, laminate and cork and the sound level is significantly lower than for all these materials.
The invention is based on a fourth and highly surprising understanding that a fiber-based surface layer with low density, for instance in the form of a needle felt mat, can be applied by, for instance, gluing to a core of e.g. fiberboard. The core can be, for instance, a particle board, MDF or HDF. This floor element can, for instance, by sawing be divided into floor panels which are machined using, for instance, a combination of rotary knives and diamond tools so that they form floorboards in a floating floor. The upper joint edges can be formed in such a manner that, at the surface, they consist mainly of free fibers and closest to the core, fibers joined to the core. The surface layer can then be manufactured with great accuracy and without loose fibers. The fibers closest to the core can be joined by mixing with a flexible material, such as latex. This gives the surface layer better stability and facilitates cleaning since dirt cannot penetrate into the lower parts of the surface layer. Thin surface layer will be easier to handle if they are integrated with a core.
The invention is based on a fifth understanding that these floorboards can be joined by means of a mechanical joint system which on the one hand positions the floorboards with great accuracy relative to each other and which at the same time holds upper joint edges in close contact. The joints between the floorboards will be very tight and they can be made essentially invisible to the eye.
The invention is based on a sixth understanding that a floating floor with a fiber surface can be installed quickly and rationally and at a cost that does not have to exceed the cost of putty-coating of subfloors and gluing and cutting of a textile floor covering. Attractive patterns can be provided, for instance, by floorboards with different formats and different colors of the surface layer being joined to each other with an exact fit. Attractive patterns can be created, for instance with a surface of needle felt which normally does not allow very great variation in pattern. Thin fiber layers, for instance 1-2 mm, which are integrated with a smooth core, can provide a perfectly smooth floor. For instance, when a needle felt carpet is glued to a fiberboard, the surface will be highly stable as to shape. This facilitates, for example, printing of advanced patterns on the fiber surface. Durability increases if the surface is flat without rises.
The invention is based on a seventh understanding that a floating floor with a sound-absorbing fiber surface and a mechanical joint system is easy to take up. Such a floor is particularly convenient for temporary exhibitions, business premises and the like, in which the floor is changed frequently, and in premises subjected to great wear. Floorboards in connection with, for example, entrance portions, in which wear and soiling is great, can easily be exchanged.
Finally, the invention is based on an eighth understanding that floors with different surface layers can be provided with mechanical joint systems so as to be joinable to each other. In this way, combination floors can be provided which, for instance, consist of laminate floor and needle felt floor. If the floorboards have a similar thickness, the floor will be smooth. In walking areas, such a floor can have a surface of needle felt in order to dampen the sound level. The other surfaces may consist of, for instance, floorboards with a surface of laminate, linoleum, wood or plastic. These surfaces are easy to clean, and suitable combinations of materials can provide an attractive design.
The above thus means that according to the invention it is possible to provide a floor having all the advantages of a floating laminate or wooden floor while at the same time one of the major drawbacks can be eliminated by means of a surface layer of fibers that does not generate a high sound level.
This object is achieved wholly or partly by floorboards and a method for manufacturing that are evident from the independent claims. The dependent claims define particularly preferred embodiments of the invention.
According to a first aspect, in one embodiment, the present invention comprises rectangular or square floorboards for making a floating flooring, which floorboards are mechanically lockable and which along their edge portions have pairs of opposing connecting means for locking of adjoining floorboards to each other both vertically and horizontally (D 1 and D 2 respectively), wherein the surface layer of the floorboards consists of flexible and resilient fibers.
In this context, the term “consists of” should be interpreted as “consisting substantially of”, taking into account that the surface layer, in addition to the fibers, may also comprise e.g. fiber binders, backing layers, fiber treatment agents (for repelling dirt, flame retardants etc.) or matter resulting from printing of the surface.
According to a preferred embodiment of this first aspect, the floorboards can be provided with a surface layer which consists of needle felt with a density below 400 kg/m 3 .
Several variants of the invention are feasible. The floorboards can be provided with any known mechanical joint system. Examples of known mechanical joint systems are provided in WO 94/26999, WO 97/47834, WO 99/66151, WO 99/66152, FR-2 810 060, WO 02/055809, WO 02/055810 and WO 03/083234. Such floorboards can be laid by different combinations of angling, horizontal snapping-in, vertical snapping-in or folding and insertion along the joint edge. The floorboards can also have mirror-inverted joint systems that allow joining of long side to short side or optional sides if the boards are square.
According to a second aspect, in one embodiment, the present invention comprises a method for rational manufacture of floorboards as described above. According to this method, a surface layer consisting of flexible fibers are joined to a core in order to form a floor element. Joining can occur, for example, by gluing, and the core may consist of a wood-fiber-based material such as HDF, MDF, particle board, plywood etc. This floor element is then sawn up and machined to a floorboard using a rotary tool. This means that the manufacturing technique is characterized in that the surface layer is formed by machining in connection with the finishing of the joint edges of the floor panel.
The embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings which by way of example illustrate currently preferred embodiments of the invention according to its various aspects.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 a - d illustrate manufacture of a floorboard according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 2 a - d show examples of mechanical joint systems which can be used in embodiments of the invention.
FIGS. 3 a - c show an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 4 a - f illustrate the manufacture of the joint edge portion according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 5 a - c show a flow consisting of floorboards with different surface layers according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 6 a - d show embodiments of floors according to the invention.
FIGS. 7 a - e show embodiments off floors and locking systems according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 a - d illustrate the manufacture of a floorboard according to an embodiment of the invention. A layer 31 , which in this embodiment consists of needle felt, is joined, for instance, by gluing to a core 30 . This core may consist of, for example, particle board, fiberboard, such as MDF, HDF, plywood or the like. A lower layer, for instance a balancing layer 32 , can be applied to the rear side to prevent cupping. This rear layer can also be a soft material, such as foam, needle felt, cardboard or the like, which levels irregularities in the subfloor and which improves the reduction of sound. This lower layer is in some applications not necessary. The floor element 3 , which may have a thickness of e.g. 5-20 mm, is then divided into a plurality of floor panels 2 . These panels are then machined and joint edge portions are formed so as to constitute a mechanical joint system 7 , 7 ′. An example of such a joint system on the long sides 4 a and 4 b is shown in FIG. 1 d . The floorboards could be produced in several alternative ways. For example the surface layer 31 and/or the balancing layer 32 could be applied on the core of the floor panels and not on the core of the floor elements.
FIGS. 2 a - d show examples of mechanical joint systems which can be used in the invention. The joint system according to FIG. 2 a can be joined by vertical snapping-in. In the joint system according to FIGS. 2 b and 2 c , a groove 36 and a tongue 38 form the vertical joint D 1 . A strip 6 , a locking element 8 and a locking groove 14 form the horizontal joint D 2 . These locking systems can be joined by angling and horizontal snapping-in. If upper joint edges 41 , 42 are compressible, the joint system in FIG. 2 c can be locked by vertical snapping-in. If the tongue 32 is removed, the locking could be accomplished with vertical folding without any snapping. A surface layer 31 , which consists of e.g. needle felt, can be pressed together, and this facilitates vertical snapping-in. FIG. 2 d shows a different embodiment which can be joined by angling and snapping-in. Upper joint edges 41 , 42 have in this embodiment a beveled portion.
In one embodiment, the floorboard, on a first pair of opposing joint edges, is provided with a mechanical locking system adapted for locking the floorboard to an adjoining floorboard both vertically D 1 and horizontally D 2 . This first pair of opposing joint edges may be the floorboard's long edges. A second pair of opposing joint edges may be provided with a mechanical locking adapted for locking the floorboard to an adjoining floorboard vertically and/or horizontally. This second pair of opposing joint edges may be the floorboard's short edges.
In one embodiment, the second pair of opposing joint edges is provided with a mechanical locking system which only provides locking in the vertical direction, such as is the case with a known tongue-and-groove system.
In another embodiment, the second pair of opposing joint edges are provided with a mechanical locking system which only provides locking in the horizontal direction, such as would be the case if the tongue 38 of any one of the embodiments of FIG. 2 b or 2 c was to be removed, while leaving the locking strip 6 with its locking element 8 and the locking groove 14 . In FIG. 2 d such a case would be accomplished if the tongue 38 or the lower lip 39 will be removed.
FIGS. 3 a - c illustrate a floorboard which in this embodiment has a core 30 of a relatively soft material, such as MDF or particle board. The locking system has been adjusted to the soft core by the locking element 8 having a horizontal extent which is about 0.5 times the thickness of the core 30 . The surface layer 31 has outer joint edges 40 , 41 which in this embodiment project beyond the outer parts of the core 30 . This projection can be some tenths of a millimeter. The outer parts of the surface layer are pressed together in connection with laying, and the floorboards will have very tight joints. The mechanical locking system guides the floorboards in exact positions and ensures a high quality of laying. In one embodiment the locking system may have a geometry where a play may exist, between the locking surface 9 of the locking element 8 and the locking groove 14 , when the floorboards 1 and 1 ′ are pressed together. The core 31 can have a thickness of e.g. 6-7 mm, and the surface layer 31 can have a thickness of 1-2 mm. In this embodiment, the total thickness of the floorboard can thus be about 7-9 mm, and the floor can then be joined to ordinary laminate floors having a thickness of about 7-8 mm. Other thicknesses can also be used in this invention.
FIGS. 4 a -4 f illustrate how joint edge portions can be machined. We have discovered that a soft surface layer of fibers cannot be machined accurately by means of cutting rotary tools which are normally used in manufacture of laminates and wooden floors and the wood-based core materials that are the most common ones in these cases. Loose fibers, especially in corner portions, cause a frayed joint edge. Plastics that are used in manufacture of synthetic fibers have as a rule a melting point round 120-160 degrees C. The fibers melt at high machining speeds. These problems can be solved by the surface layer being cut using, for instance, knives. These knives TP 1 A and TP 1 B can be rotary. The angle of action of the knives is indicated by the arrows R 1 a and R 1 b in FIGS. 4 a , 4 b . The knives, which can have other angles than the 90 degrees as shown, cut against the core 30 , and in this embodiment the cut is placed outside the upper and outer part of the core in the completed floorboard. FIGS. 4 c - f show that the entire joint system can be formed using merely 4 milling tools TP 2 A, TP 2 B, TP 3 A and TP 3 B which machine the core. The joint system in the shown embodiment is made in one piece with the core. It is also possible to make the whole, or parts of, the joint system of a material other than that of the core of the floorboard. For instance the strip 6 can be made of aluminum or of a sheet-formed blank which is machined to a strip and mechanically attached to the joint edge.
FIGS. 5 a - c show floorboards with two surface layers. The floorboards 1 , 1 ′ can, for instance, have a surface layer of laminate or wood, and the floorboards 2 , 2 ′ can have a surface layer of e.g. needle felt, linoleum, plastic of some other suitable material. Also other combinations of materials may be used. FIGS. 5 b and 5 c show that joining to outer upper parts can take place, which are essentially positioned in the same plane. No transition strips are required.
In an alternative design, the fibers of the surface layer 31 may extend vertically such that the floorboard having the fiber surface layer appears slightly higher than the adjacent, “normal” floorboard. Hence, the vertical extension of the fiber surface layer may be used to provide a desired surface structure of the flooring, e.g. in order to provide the appearance of a rug being placed on a hard floor.
FIGS. 6 a -6 d show examples of floors that can be provided according to the invention. In FIG. 6 a , the floorboards 2 , 2 ′ have a surface of needle felt. They can be square, for instance 40×40 cm. The floorboards 1 , 1 ′ can have a surface of laminate, wood, cork, linoleum, plastic etc. For example they can have a width of 10 cm and a length of 40 cm. In FIG. 6 b , the squares are offset. If the harder floorboards 1 , 1 ′ are positioned at a somewhat lower level than the softer floorboards, the hard floorboards will not cause a high sound level since they will, to a limited extent, be in contact with shoes generating sound. Thus, the invention also concerns a set of floorboard with at least two different surface layers to provide a floor.
FIGS. 6 c and 6 d illustrate floors consisting of two different floorboards with surface layers of flexible fibers which differ from each other with respect to color, surface structure etc. In FIG. 6 c , the floorboards are joined to form a herringbone pattern. They have mirror-inverted mechanical locking systems that allow joining of long side to short side by angling and/or snapping-in. The long sides can also be joined by angling and/or snapping-in. If the short sides of the floorboards in FIG. 6 c have a locking system which only locks horizontally, the whole floor could be installed with angling only.
FIG. 7 a shows a combination floor in which one floorboard 1 has a harder surface, such as laminate, wood, linoleum, plastic etc. than another floorboard 2 ′. One floorboard 2 ′ has in this embodiment a softer surface layer which is positioned higher than the harder surface layer of the other 1 ′ floorboard. It is preferable to position the softer surface layer on the same or higher level than the harder surface layer. The advantage is the softer and more flexible layer protects the edges of the hard surface.
FIG. 7 b shows a floorboard with a soft fibre layer 32 on the rear side which may be used as a balancing layer.
FIG. 7 c shows a locking system which only locks horizontally and FIG. 7 d shows a locking system which only locks vertically.
FIG. 7 e shows a floorboard where the thickness T 1 of the soft surface layer 31 is equal or larger than 0.5 times the thickness T 2 of the core. Such a thin core gives several advantages related to production cost, transport, installation etc. It is possible to produce a mechanical locking system by machining in a sheet material which has a thickness of 3-5 mm only. Generally diamond tools are used and in order to reach the best cost and quality levels, the tools should be as thick and compact as possible. A difficult part to produce is the groove 36 . In this embodiment the grove 36 and the tongue 38 has a vertical thickness T 3 which is larger or equal than 0.5 times the thickness T 2 of the core 30 .
It is obvious that all known parquet and tile patterns can be made by means of floorboards according to the invention. The sides of the floorboards need not be perpendicular. The soft surface allows that also the thickness may be varied between different floorboards. If the core is made of a moisture-proof material, such as plastic or compact laminate, floorboards with a fiber surface resembling synthetic grass can be provided. Such floorboards can be laid immediately on the ground or on concrete, and they may, for instance, constitute tees on golf courses, balcony floors etc. During the winter, the boards can be taken up and stored under a roof.
Although only preferred embodiments are specifically illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.
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Floorboards with a surface of flexible fibers for laying a mechanically joined floating floor, and methods for manufacturing and providing floorings containing such floorboards. For example, floorboards including a surface layer and a core, for making a floating flooring, which floorboards are mechanically lockable and which along their edge portions have pairs of opposing connectors for locking similar, adjoining floorboards to each other both vertically and horizontally, wherein the surface layer comprises flexible resilient fibers.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conveyor systems, and more particularly, is directed to a discharge method and apparatus for a self-propelled articulated conveyor system adapted to be driven along a mine surface by an elongated crawler chain and which conveyor system is capable of traversing curvilinear paths.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In mining operations, especially underground mining operations, such as, coal mining or the like, conveyors or series of conveyors are used to transport the mined ore from the mine. Normally, there is a main conveyor that moves the mined material along a fixed path. The main conveyor has a terminal end at a fixed location for receiving the material being mined. In the past, shuttle cars or other short distance haulage vehicles have been used to transport the mined material from the mining machine to the fixed terminal end of the main conveyor. The use of shuttle cars and other such haulage vehicles is intermittent, time consuming, and inefficient in not providing for the continuous transport of the mined materials from the mining machine to the fixed conveyor. Thus, in more recent years there have been several developments directed toward a mobile articulated conveyor that provides for continuous transport of the discharge of a continuous miner to the main conveyor as the miner advances into the mine face and changes the direction of its forward movement. Such mobile articulated conveyors are particularly adaptable to "room and pillar" type coal mining operations wherein the mobile conveyor follows the continuous miner and changes in direction as the machine penetrates into the mine face in one room and then is backed out and set to work in the mine face of another room while roof bolts are installed in the recently mined room. The mining machine is then backed out of this second room and set to work in either the recently roof-bolted room or it may go on to still another room.
One of these more recently developed mobile articulated conveyors is shown in the Payne et al patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,218, and sold under the trade designation "Serpentix". The Serpentix conveyor has an endless trough shaped, accordion-pleated belt supported on a vertebrae-like member which, in turn, is supported on the mine floor by stanchions. The stanchion supported conveyor was cumbersome and did not lend itself to frequent shifting of the conveyor path from room to room. Thus, Craggs, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,115, suspended the Serpentix conveyor from an overhead monorail and thereby provided a flexible frame conveyor which could be attached to the surge car behind a mining machine. The conveyor could now follow the mining machine as it moved from one room to another in performing its mining operation.
Another development of such mobile articulated conveyors is disclosed in McGinnis U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,411 which shows a conveyor comprised of an endless belt supported on a train of pivotally interconnected portable cars or carriages. Each of the carriages are supported on ground engaging wheels thereby providing mobility to the conveyor. A self-propelled tractor is connected to the conveyor train to move it from one location to another. Another development along the same lines can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,752.
A later McGinnis patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,223, discloses a mobile articulated conveyor suspended from an overhead monorail. Shown is a U-shaped conveyor belt carried by a plurality of individual carriage units suspended from the overhead monorail. The carriage units are fastened to one another by a resilient, flexible spline member which provides for positioning of the carriage units around vertical and horizontal curves. The conveyor belt is driven by a separate power belt and guided by guide rollers.
The Assignee of Applicant's invention has obtained U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,031 which discloses a mobile monorail suspended conveyor system. While this conveying system has shown promise in higher seams of coal and other mineral mining, there is a limit to the seam height in which one can utilize a conveyor system suspended from an overhead monorail.
United Kingdom Pat. No. 1,373,170 discloses a self-propelled conveying system which can convey minerals and can move itself from one place to another after the conveying function is no longer required. As can be seen, an obvious draw back to this system is that the conveyor is not capable of continuously conveying material from the input end to the discharge end while the conveying system is being moved to another site.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 832,188 discloses a self-propelled conveying system which includes an endless elastomeric orbitally movable conveyor belt for conveying coal from the input end to the discharge end of the conveyor disclosed. Various discharge methods are shown in applicant's co-pending application, however, these arrangements all require relatively high mine passageways and have been discovered to be unacceptable on most applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiment of the conveyor system, as disclosed herein, includes various unique features for facilitating the transport of materials from a first location, such as an area where a continuous miner is working, to a second location, such as where the receiving end of a second conveyor is positioned, wherein the travel path defined between the first and second locations includes horizontal and/or vertical curves.
While these unique features are particularly adapted for conveying materials along a curvilinear path, such as experienced in underground mining operations, it will be readily apparent that some of such features may be incorporated, either singularly or together, into above-ground conveying systems for conveying materials either along linear or curvilinear paths, as well as for conventional above and below ground flexible conveyors and thereby improve the same.
It is, accordingly, the principal object of the present invention to provide a conveyor system with an articulated conveyor in which the aforementioned problems of the prior art have been overcome which is simple and inexpensive in structure, reliable in operation, and is so constructed to present a low-profile enabling the same to maneuver around pillars and through low-clearance passageways.
More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved articulated conveyor which is supported by the floor of a mine adjacent a fixed conveyor system and which is capable of traversing a curvilinear path while maintaining the conveyor run portion of an orbital conveying belt in an operative mode.
More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide an articulated conveyor which includes a train of framework members which support a crawler chain or crawler track in engagement with the mine surface and which cooperate with adjacent framework members to maintain the entire conveyor train in a predetermined disposition relative to an elongated path along a mine floor.
Yet another object of the present invention is to support an orbitally moveable elastomeric conveyor belt within a relatively short distance of the mine floor to permit conveyance and discharge of mined material either while the entire conveying system is in motion or is stationary with respect to the mine floor.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor with an improved traction drive system for moving the mobile articulated conveying system along the mine floor either straight or along curvilinear paths while substantially eliminating any binding or other deleterious forces normally associated with or resulting from moving a rigid member through horizontal or vertical curved paths.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor system having a flexible track drive system capable of bending around horizontally and/or vertical curves while delineating a fixed elongated path within a mine and while maintaining the discharge end in close side by side relationship with a stationary conveyor as the conveying system advances.
Pursuant to these and other objects, the present invention sets forth a conveying system comprised of a plurality of tandemly disposed framework members that are connected to one another by an articulated joint so as to permit each framework member to move universally relative to adjacent framework members and to permit the train of framework members to be moved in unison along a curvilinear path. Each of the framework members defines an open extent extending longitudinally therethrough which includes a means for supporting an orbital conveyor belt which extends longitudinally within the open extent of the conveyor train and is located above a track or crawler chain system also mounted on the framework members. Initially the bulk of the moveable conveying system is located in close side by side proximity to the fixed system. As the moveable system advances the discharge end also advances but always in side by side relationship to the fixed conveyor. A hopper and a transfer device continually transfer the material conveyed by the moveable conveyor system to the fixed conveyor system.
Mounted on the respective ends of adjacent framework members are portions that form the articulated joint which thereby connects adjacent framework members and permits universal movement of one framework member relative to its tandemly disposed adjacent framework member. In the preferred embodiment, the conveyor train is supported on the lower run of the crawler chain or track assembly which is capable of driving the conveyor train along the mine surface.
Mounted on the ends of adjacent framework members are structures which cooperate with one another so as to selectively limit the longitudinal movement of adjacent framework members relative to one another during a longitudinal movement thereof. Other structures are utilized to limit horizontal, vertical and twisting movement of the framework members so as to maintain both the conveyor belt and the crawler chain assemblies in proper alignment.
The articulated conveyor system is moved along the mine surface by traction drive means located in at least one of the framework members and capable of driving the track or crawler chain assembly.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following detailed specification and drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the course of the following detailed description, reference will be frequently made to the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is diagramatic plan view of the conveyor system embodying the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a fragmentary side elevational view of the discharge end of the conveyor system.
FIG. 2B is a fragmentary side elevational view of the input end of the conveyor system.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a framework member.
FIG. 3A is a plan view of the coupling system between adjacent framework members.
FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the connection system as shown in FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the conveyor train of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the conveyor system of the present invention with the conveyor belt cut away.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lower chain driven system of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the advancing end of the conveyor system as it moves through a mine passageway.
FIG. 8 shows the interaction between the drive sprocket and the crawler chain of the present invention.
FIG. 9 shows an end sectional view of a discharge scheme of the present invention taken along the lines 9--9 of FIG. 2A.
FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the discharge scheme for the conveyor train of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as "forward", "rearward", "left", "right", "upward" and "downward", etc., are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
IN GENERAL
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 7, there is shown a conveying system having a mobile articulated conveyor which is adapted to be mounted above an endless crawler chain and which conveyor and crawler chain are capable of traversing curvilinear paths. This conveyor system is indicated generally by the numeral 10 and comprises the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the conveyor system 10 generally includes an articulated conveyor, generally denoted as 11, having an orbitally moveable conveying belt 12 supported by a train of framework members 14 interconnected in series which support the conveying belt 12 throughout the longitudinal extent of the train. In the preferred embodiment the train has a discharge end 16 and a material receiving end 18 at an end opposite the discharge end.
In the preferred embodiment, the receiving end 18 includes steering means for directing the advancing conveyor train along an elongated path within the mine. Steering means may also be included at the discharge end 16 to steer the conveyor system 10 during retreat from the mine face.
Each framework member 14 further supports an orbitally moveable crawler chain assembly 20 FIGS. 3 and 4 located generally vertically below the conveyor belt 12.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, there is normally a stationary panel belt 22 located within the mine for receiving material discharged by the discharge 16 end of the conveying system. Various methods and arrangements of the actual discharge of material from the conveyor belt 12 onto the panel belt 22 will be discussed in detail hereinafter.
For purposes of illustration only in the preferred embodiment the orbital conveying belt 12 is of the type originally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,801 to Merle Hoover entitled "Conveyor Belt". The Hoover belt is a pre-controlled stretchable belt formed of a stretchable elastic material having the ability to be pre-stretched or elongated by up to 10% as to maintain tension within the belt when going around curves. It is necessary to control and limit the elongation of the belt and various methods have been proposed to limit the stretch of the belt. Such methods are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,971 to Harry R. Becker entitled, "Conveyor Belt Chain and Method for its Use" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,289 to Neal W. Densmore entitled, "Control Member for an Elongatible Conveyor Belt". The teachings of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.
FRAMEWORK MEMBERS
As discussed above, a plurality of framework members 14 are connected in series to form the elongated conveyor system 10. As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, each framework member 14 includes a bottom portion 30 which supports the crawler chain assembly 20 and, at predetermined intervals, the various drive components therefor. In addition, the bottom portion 30 of the framework member 14 supports an upper portion 32 which contains the support elements for the orbitally moveable conveyor belt 12.
In the preferred embodiment, the bottom portion 30 is composed of three sections. The two outer sections 34 and 36 serve to support the upper portion 32. A central portion 38 is utilized to support and guide the upper and lower crawler pads 40 and the drive chain 44. The combination of the upper and lower crawler pads 40 and drive chain 44 make up the crawler chain assembly 20.
In the preferred embodiment, the crawler drive chain 44 is formed in an endless loop with each crawler pad 40, attached to the chain in series along the entire length of the conveyor train. In the preferred embodiment, each crawler pad 40 is attached to the chain 44 by means of a U-shaped member 43 welded to the under side of each pad. The links of chain 44 interact with the U-shaped member 43 when chain 44 is in tension to thereby move each crawler pad 40 along at the same speed as the drive chain 44.
Each bottom portion 30 supports a pair of top runners 46 and a pair of bottom runners 48. As can be best seen in FIGS. 3, 3B, 4 and 5, the runners 46 and 48 extend beyond the end portions 50 and 52 of the bottom portion 30. The runners 46 and 48 are supported by two pairs of stop plates 54 and 56. Each pair of stop plates 54 is welded to the end 50 of the bottom portion 30 on opposite sides of the central portion 38. Each support plate 56 is fixedly attached to the end 52 of bottom portion 30 adjacent the central portion 38 thereof. In the preferred embodiment, the runners 46 and 48 which are associated with end portions 50 and 52 are offset so that the upper and lower runners on adjacent framework members intermesh, thereby providing continuous support for the upper and lower crawler pads 40.
In addition, in the preferred embodiment, the stop plates 54 and 56 are adapted to interact with the adjacent stop plate 54 or 56 of the adjacent framework member to limit the side-to-side motion therebetween. The limitation of horizontal angular movement between adjacent framework members 14 is provided by a pin-and-slot arrangement which can be best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. A pin 60 is fixed to stop plate 54 and is positioned to engage a slot 62 in stop plate 56. In the preferred embodiment, the pin and slot are arranged approximately equal distance from the top and bottom of stop plates 54 and 56.
In the preferred embodiment, when the framework members are aligned in a straight line, the pin 60 is centered within slot 62. When the conveyor train 10 negotiates a horizontal curve, the angular displacement in the horizontal plane between adjacent framework members 14 is limited, in either direction, by the pin 60 impinging on an end 64 of the slot 62. In the preferred embodiment, the permitted articulation between framework members 14 is approximately 5 degrees in either direction.
The above described pin-and-slot arrangement also limits the roll (about a longitudinal axis) allowed between adjacent framework members 14. This limiting function is controlled by the width of slot 62 versus the diameter of pin 60. The difference between the width of slot 62 and the diameter of pin 60 permits approximately 21/2 degrees of roll between adjacent framework members. In the preferred embodiment, this means that the difference between the width of the slot and the diameter of the slot is approximately one inch. This roll limitation is necessitated by the normal condition of the mine floor which is generally very uneven.
In the preferred embodiment, the central portion 38 of the bottom portion 30 is provided with chain guides generally denoted as 70 for the upper chain guide and 72 for the lower chain guide. Each chain guide 70, 72 is composed of a pair of identical guide members 74 and 76. In the preferred embodiment, each chain guide member 74 76 extends beyond the end plates 50, 52 of the bottom portion 30 a sufficient distance to support the chain in the space between two adjacent framework members 14 and to act as a stop as described below. The preferred chain guides are of a cruciform shape so that alternate links of the chain 44 are maintained in parallel, but at right angles to the intermediately adjacent link. This structure positively entraps the chain keeping the links from either going upwards or sideways or twisting.
The central portion 38 additionally supports a longitudinally extending force transmission member 78. In the preferred embodiment, the force transmission member 78 is a tube which passes through end-plate members 50 and 52 and is fixedly supported thereby. As seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, each end of tube 78 is provided with the necessary connection to form a universal type connection with each adjacent tubular member associated with a adjacent framework member 14. In the preferred embodiment, the tube 78 has a first end with a clevis-type arrangement 79 and a second end with a spherical ball joint arrangement 81. When the adjacent framework members 14 are interconnected as by pin 83, the opposite ends of the adjacent tube 78 are mated such that the clevis and ball joint are interconnected thereby forming a universal connection. This universal connection, of course, allows universal movement between adjacent framework members 14 and also transmits longitudinal forces (push and pull) between framework members.
The tubular member 78 may be made of telescoping parts (not shown) which may be extended to take up slack in both the belt 12 and the chain 44 as wear of these parts occurs. A pin arrangement would be used to lock the telescoping parts of member 78 in an extended position.
This movement is limited in the vertical direction by the chain guides 70 and 72. In the preferred embodiment, the chain guides extend within a predetermined distance of one another to limit the vertical angular displacement between adjacent framework members 14 to approximately 6 degrees. The 6-degree limit would determine the maximum angular displacement between framework members as the conveyor train moves up or down an inclined surface. As can easily be seen, the upper chain guide 70 would determine the limit when the conveyor is progressing along an upwardly sloped incline and the lower chain guide 72 would provide the limit when the conveyor is progressing downwardly along an incline.
In the preferred embodiment, the point of universal connection between ends 80 and 82 of tube FIG. 3A are in line both vertically and longitudinally with the pins 60 located on each of plates 56. This arrangement allows the limits on both the twisting and horizontal movement of the conveyor, as discussed above, to be independent of the vertical inclination between adjacent framework members (i.e. as the leading framework member 14 starts going up an incline).
In the preferred embodiment, the crawler chain is driven by a series of interspersed framework members 14a containing drive means, the spacing of which is determined by mine conditions. Generally, the drive framework members 14a are spaced about 40 feet apart.
While there may be 10 or 12 drives in a 400 foot train, only one such drive containing framework member 14a will be described here.
As was discussed above, the crawler chain 20 is made up of a plurality of crawler pads 40 attached to the chain 44. In a typical 400 ft. . long conveyor, the chain would be approximately 800 ft. . long. In the preferred embodiment, the spacings between the centers of adjacent crawler pads 40 is approximately 12 inches with each crawler pad being a steel plate approximately 51/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. The framework member 14a containing the chain drive is structurally very similar to the framework members 14 described above so only the differences will be discussed. The main difference is that it contains a drive sprocket and the drive means necessary to drive the sprocket.
As can be seen in FIG. 6, the bottom portion 30 of the framework member 14a which contains a drive sprocket includes a motor 150 and a planetary gear assembly 152 interconnected by an input shaft 154. The planetary gear box 152 includes an output shaft 156 which drives a sprocket 158. While in the preferred embodiment, the gear box 152 is a planetary drive assembly any well-known gear speed-reducing assembly can be utilized to drive the sprocket.
In the preferred embodiment, the motor 150 is an alternating current electric motor having a power output of approximately 10 horsepower, however, it can be seen that any convenient power source such as hydraulic or pneumatic can be utilized.
As indicated above, the framework members 14a containing a drive unit are, in most respects, identical to the framework member 14 described above. It should be noted that the force transmission member 78 is removed and replaced by two plates 160 and 162. Plates 160 and 162 not only act as a force transmission member through the longitudinal axis extent of the framework member 14a, but also serve to mount both the motor and gear reducer 150 and 152 respectively.
The universal connection points 79 and 81, on the framework members 14a are welded directly on end plates 50 and 52 rather than being attached to the ends 80, 82 of the force transmission member 78 as is the case in the other framework members 14. It should be noted, that in the preferred embodiment, the drive elements described above fit within the standard 2 ft . length utilized in the preferred framework members 14. However, the framework member 14a can be lengthened somewhat to accommodate different or larger drive elements.
In the preferred embodiment as seen in FIG. 8, the chain 44 is an alternating pitch chain. This means that longer links 166 are interconnected with short links 168. Normally, the horizontally oriented links are the long links and the vertically oriented links are the short links. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, the drive sprocket 158 fits in between the long links 166, but pushes against the edges of the vertical short links 168. As can be seen in FIG. 6, looking down on the sprocket 158, each tooth of the sprocket contains a concave indentation 159 which matches the convex outer surface of the vertical chain link 168. In the preferred embodiment, the sprocket 158 has five upstanding teeth and simultaneously drives both the upper and lower runs of chain 44 in a tangential manner. By this it is meant that there is no significant wrap of the chain around the circumference of the sprocket 158. It should be noted that the teeth 170 of sprocket 158 are in constant engagement with both the top and bottom run of chain 44 in that before one tooth disengages from the chain, the adjacent tooth is beginning its engagement with the links 168 of chain 44. In order to insure proper mating of each tooth 170 with each link 168 throughout the period of engagement therebetween, it is necessary to generate the profile of the tooth 170 from the incremental movement of the chain 44.
As can be seen in FIGS. 3-5, each framework member 14 has an upper portion 32 constructed as to define an opening extending generally longitudinally throughout the conveyor train. Within this opening, each framework member 14 upper portion 32 includes mounting means for supporting an orbital belt within the open extent of the conveyor train. Since, as indicated above, all of the framework members 14 are identical, with the exception of the framework members which contain the drives for chain 44 only one will be discussed in detail. The belt training system will be discussed in detail below.
As can be seen in FIG. 3, the upper portion 32 of each framework member 14 includes left and right conveyor belt support members 100 and 102. Support members 100 and 102 are bolted to the side portions 34 and 36 of the bottom portion 30. There exists a generally open area between member 100 and 102 directly above bottom portion 30.
A plurality of rollers comprise the means mounted on each framework member 14 for moveably supporting the orbital conveying belt 12 within the open area of the carriage train. An upper series of roller are provided for supporting the upper conveying run portion 12a of the belt 12 and a lower series of rollers are provided for supporting the lower run portion 12b of the belt 12.
Edge rollers 104 and 106 are mounted on brackets 108 and 109 respectively which are mounted across the bottom portion 30, thereby supporting edge rollers 104 and 106. The brackets 108, 109 are attached in any convenient manner to the end portions 34, 36 of bottom portion 30. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of belt support rollers 112 and 114 are also supported by and within brackets 108, 109.
In the preferred embodiment, the upper conveying run portion 12a of the belt 12 is supported by respective left and right troughing idlers 116 and 118 and a centrally-disposed dumbbell idler 120. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the troughing idlers 116 and 118 are disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to dumbbell idler 120 to give and maintain the upper conveying run 12a in a trough-shaped configuration. The troughing idlers 116 and 118 are maintained at this predetermined angle by a pair of support brackets 122 and 124.
For maintaining the upper conveying run portion 12a of the orbital belt 12 in an operative position on the troughing idlers 116 and 118 and the dumbbell idler 120, each framework member 14 is provided with a respective left and right upper edge idler 126 and 128. The edge idler 126 is supported on bracket 122 and the edge idler 128 is supported by bracket 124. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the left and right edge idlers 126, 128 rotate about an axis oriented generally perpendicular to the axis rotation of troughing rollers 116 and 118. This orientation of the edge rollers provides rolling support for the edge of the belt and minimizes scuffing.
The dumbbell roller 120 is so formed to allow space for the stretch limiters (described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,289) that control the elongation of the belt. The edge rollers 104 and 106 perform the same function for the lower run of the belt 12b as do the edge rollers 126, 128.
In the preferred embodiment, the belt 12 is driven at each end of the elongated conveyor train by an electric motor and speed reducer (not shown). The details of this drive are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,031 in FIGS. 21-23, and are incorporated herein by reference. It can be seen that there are any number of well-known methods for driving an orbital conveyor belt which could also be utilized in the present conveyor train.
In the preferred embodiment, the conveyor train is normally between 200 and 500 feet long, although any convenient length can be utilized as long as there is sufficient power to drive both the crawler chain and the conveyor belt. In the preferred embodiment, each framework member 14 has a length of approximately two feet, the length being in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the conveyor train and being measured between the centers of adjacent U-joint connections.
It should be noted that not every framework member 14 need have support structures for the belt 12 and the crawler system chain assembly 20 as long as sufficient support is provided by the framework members 14 which do have these structures. For simplicity, every framework member of the preferred embodiment has such support members.
It should also be noted that a take up system (as shown in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,031) may be utilized at each end 16 and 18 of the conveyor system 10 to maintain proper tension in the elongatable belt 12. A similar tensioning system can be used to maintain proper tension in the chain 44 as wear occurs between the links thereof.
OPERATION
FIG. 7 discloses a typical application of the conveying system 10 as taught herein. In the preferred embodiment, the input end 18 is capable of advancing around curvilinear paths within a room-and-pillar type coal mine. In the preferred embodiment, the curvilinear paths have radii of curvature of approximately 25 feet. This allows the use of 60 degree cross cuts which are typical in many mines. It is, of course, advantageous to minimize the radius of curvature of the articulated conveyor system 10 to permit tighter turns.
It is envisioned that the conveying system 10 as taught herein will provide a mobile conveying system which can simultaneously convey material from the input end 18 to the discharge ends 16 while advancing on the crawler system as described above, through an elongated path in an underground mine. In general, it is envisioned that the input end 18 would be steerable in some fashion as by wheels, 19, shown in FIG. 1, to follow the output of a continuous mining machine for example, or a mobile mineral feeder crusher car or even a mineral loading machine.
In order to facilitate loading the end 18 may be equipped with a hopper-like framework member 21 which would include the conveyor belt 12 drive system. As can be seen from the above description, the conveying system can continuously convey the material received from any of these mining machines while at the same time advancing or retreating.
For purposes of explanation only, the operation of the conveying system as it would occur following a continuous mining machine shall be described.
A typical continuous mining machine has a discharge conveyor which is articulated and can be swung from side to side as it discharges material. In the preferred embodiment, the conveying system 10 would utilize a hopper 21 on the receiving end 18 of the conveyor. The continuous conveyor belt 12 would extend a predetermined distance within the hopper to insure gathering and transporting together all the material deposited by the continuous mining machine.
In a typical mining situation, the conveyor system 10 would, as indicated above, extend for approximately 200-500 ft. . with, at least initially, the majority of the conveying system positioned alongside the panel belt 22. As the continuous mining machine advances into the mine face, the crawler chain drive system would propel or advance the conveyor 10 along with the advance of the continuous mining machine so that the hopper 21 of input end 18 is always positioned to receive the discharge from the rear discharge conveyor of the mining machine. The path that the conveyor system 10 follows is that path delineated by the steerable input end 18. Should the continuous mining machine cut a corner to form a cross-cut, the conveyor system 10 would turn in a like manner to follow the continuous mining machine. The crawler system inherently maintains the position of the entire conveying system along the path delineated by the input end 18 since only the upper pads of the crawler chain move with respect to the ground. The lower strand of crawler pads maintains the shape of the elongated path since these pads are substantially fixed as the conveying system 10 advances. As the conveying system 10 advances, the discharge end 16 approaches the input end point of the fixed conveyor 22. However, during normal function of the conveyor train, this point of advance would never occur since the panel belt 22 would then have to be extended in order to insure the conveying of mined materials discharged from the conveyor 10.
It can be seen, however, that if one were to tram the conveying system through the mine, such as when one would want to move the conveying system from one section of the mine to another, then the last framework member 14 would represent the point where the last crawler pad would be picked up off the ground and the first framework member 14 adjacent end 18 would always represent the point where the crawler pad 40 is first laid on the mine surface. All the intermediate crawler pads in contact with the mine floor would remain substantially stationary while the conveyor train advances until the trailing end of the conveyor system picks up the pad 40. Conversely, the conveyor pads 40 of the upper run are in continuous motion until they are laid down by the leading end of the conveyor. As can be seen, the path or track formed by the crawler chain is as fixed as if there were rails laid on the mine floor. The advantages of the mobile conveying system taught herein when compared to a mobile conveying system utilizing wheels should be obvious. When a conveyor system utilizing wheels is used, there is nothing to constrain the conveyor to a fixed path as it advances. This is especially so when a wheel conveying system goes around a curve.
DISCHARGE
In the preferred embodiment the conveying system 10 is initially located in close side by side proximity with the stationary conveyor system 22. As the conveyor input end 18 advances into the mine the discharge end moves towards the direction of advance but always in the same side by side relation to the fixed conveyor 22 as originally located. As described above the crawler pad arrangement ensures that the discharge end 16 is along the same path as initially laid out by the entire conveyor system regardless of the curvature of the path. Input end 18 follows as the mining machine and conveyor system advances.
In the preferred embodiment the discharge end 16 is equipped with a hopper 200 which receives the material discharged from the belt 12. A rotating feeder arm assembly 202 is utilized to transfer the material from the hopper onto the belt conveyor 22. In the preferred embodiment the hopper 200 is so shaped that the edge thereof 204 adjacent the belt 22 extends a predetermined distance over the belt 22 and has a guard device 206 which prevents material forced onto the conveyor by the rotating assembly 202 from spilling onto the mine floor. Similarly a rubber deflector 208 is utilized on the far edge of the hopper assembly 209 extending downwardly into engagement with the belt 22 to prevent material from spilling on the mine floor from the far edge of the conveyor belt.
In the preferred embodiment the rotating discharge device has a plurality of arms 210 which move the coal from the hopper 200 onto the conveyor 22. As can best be seen in FIG. 10 the direction of rotation of the discharge assembly 202 is in the clockwise direction.
In the preferred embodiment the discharge arm assembly 202 is driven by an electric motor 212. In the preferred embodiment the discharge assembly and the drive motor 212 are inclined with respect to the horizontal so that the material conveying systems 10 and 22 can be at approximately the same level with an unlimited height of a mine shaft or entry. The hopper 200 extends below the belt level 12 and the conveying system 10 and is inclined such that the materials moved upwardly over the belt 22 are discharged thereon.
As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10 as the input end of the conveying system 10 advances material is discharged continually on to the belt 22 until the end nearest the mine face thereof is reached. At this time the fixed or stationary belt 22 must be extended a distance approximately equal to the length of the conveying system 10 so that further advance may be initiated. Of course upon the initiation of the second advance the two conveying systems must be in close, parallel, side by side proximity.
It should be noted that the discharge scheme disclosed above and in FIGS. 9 and 10 could be utilized with any conveyor system in which an advancing conveyor system has its discharge in side-by-side proximity with a stationary conveyor system during said advance.
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A material transporting system is disclosed. The material transport system includes a self-propelled material conveying system which is capable of traversing a surface along an elongated path which has a curvillinear portion. This system also includes a plurality of framework members arranged in tandem on the surface which lies along a portion of the elongated path. Each of the plurality of framework members is connected by connector means on each framework member cooperable with connector means on each adjacent framework member. Each connector means permits universal-type movement between adjacent framework members. The framework members include means for supporting an orbitally movable crawler chain in engagement with the surface. The crawler chain is designed to extend throughout the longitudinal extent of the train. Each of the framework members has means for supporting an orbitally movable conveyor belt above the orbitaly movable crawler chain. The conveying run of this orbitally movable conveyor belt is operable to convey material throughout the longitudinal extent of the train. In order to discharge material from the movable conveyor train, there is positioned within a mine a fixed conveyor system in side-by-side relationship to the movable conveyor train. The movable conveyor train has a hopper and a discharge mechanism capable of transferring material from the self-propelled conveying system to the stationary conveying system. This side-by-side relationship between the discharge end of the movable conveyor and the fixed conveyor is positioned as the movable conveyor advances into the mine.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the art of earth boring and, more particularly, to a raise bit for enlarging a first hole into a second hole having a larger diameter.
A relatively large diameter hole may be provided between a first location and a second location in a mine or other location by an operation commonly referred to as raise drilling. A raise drilling operation begins by drilling a small diameter pilot hole through the earth from a first location to an opening at the second location using a small diameter pilot bit. After the pilot hole is completed, the pilot bit is removed from the drill string and a large diameter raise bit attached. The raise bit is rotated and drawn along the pilot hole, thereby enlarging the pilot hole to the desired size. The hole thus formed may be further enlarged to a larger diameter hole by drawing a larger raise bit along said hole.
On many occasions, the hole to be enlarged extends to an area accessible only through a small drift or passage, and very little headroom is available for the raise bit. This creates difficulties when attempting to connect the raise bit to the drill string. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a raise bit that can be expanded to encompass a variety of large diameters without increasing the overall height of the bit. It is also desirable to provide a single raise bit that can be utilized to bore large diameter holes of various sizes. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,659 to Carl L. Lichte, patented May 2, 1972, raise bits of the prior art generally include a bit body positioned about a central bit axis with rolling cutters mounted at various distances from the central bit axis for disintegrating the earth formations. The rolling cutters may be locked in place on the bit by various locking mechanisms. For example, locking mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,492 to C. L. Lichte, patented Aug. 31, 1965; in U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,635 to William M. Conn patented Dec. 12, 1972; and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,196 to Robert L. Dixon patented Oct. 12, 1971. The cutters may be positioned to cut the working face according to various geometries. For example, cutter locations are shown in U.S. Pat. Re. No. 27,597 to M. L. Talbert patented Mar. 13, 1973, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,901 to William D. Coski, patented Apr. 23, 1974, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,740 to Dan B. Justman, patented Feb. 1, 1972. A lubrication system may be provided to transmit lubricant to the bearings of the rolling cutters, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,729 to William J. Neilson, patented July 11, 1972.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,660 to William M. Conn, patented May 2, 1972, a large diameter bit for shallow angle holes is shown. The bit includes a plurality of drilling stages surrounding a central shaft. Integral stabilization sections are included after each drilling stage.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,029 to Douglas F. Winberg, patented Jan. 25, 1966, an articulated drilling shaft for raise drilling is shown. The raise drilling bit shown in this patent includes a follower having an effective diameter when rotating that is substantially equal to the diameter of the raise hole that is being drilled by the cutterhead.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,698 to John M. Stanley, patented Feb. 18, 1975, a raise drilling bit is shown for producing a raise bore about a pilot hole including a drill head having an upper surface for mounting cutter assemblies. A lower surface is spaced from said upper surface and has a drive stem attached thereto. The drive stem is adapted for a limited or floating movement with respect to said upper mounting surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a raise bit that is expandable and is useful for boring holes of various diameters. The raise bit of the present invention can be expanded to various diameters without increasing the overall height of the bit. The raise bit of the present invention may be used for enlarging a first hole into a larger second hole. The bit includes a bit body defining a bit axis of rotation. Primary cutter means are positioned on the bit body for disintegrating the formations out to a first radial distance from said bit axis of rotation. Secondary cutter means are adapted to be connected to the bit body and selectively located in a first position for disintegrating the formations between said first radial distance from said bit axis of rotation and a second radial distance from said bit axis of rotation greater than said first radial distance. Said secondary cutter means may be selectively located in a subsequent position for disintegrating the formations between said first radial distance from said bit axis of rotation and a subsequent radial distance greater than said second radial distance. Expansion means are provided and adapted to be located between said secondary cutter means and said bit body for locating said secondary cutter means in said subsequent position. The expansion means are added between said bit body and secondary cutter means to increase the radius of the bit in increments without increasing the overall height of the bit. The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a raise bit constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows the raise bit of FIG. 1 with means for expanding the raise bit positioned between the secondary cutters and the raise bit body.
FIG. 3 shows an expansion element adapted to be inserted between the secondary cutters and the raise bit body.
FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a raise bit constructed in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG. 1, a view of a portion of a raise bit 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown. A drive stem 12 projects from the main body of the raise bit 10. The upper portion of the drive stem 12 is threaded to allow the raise bit 10 to be easily connected to, and disconnected from, a rotary drill string (not shown). During the boring of a large diameter raise hole, a small diameter pilot hole is initially drilled from a first location to a second location. The small diameter pilot bit is disconnected from the drill string and a raise bit such as raise bit 10 is connected to the drill string. The drill string is rotated and an axial force is applied to the drill string. The raise bit such as raise bit 10 is rotated and drawn along the small diameter pilot hole to form the desired large diameter hole.
A first cutting stage for disintegrating the formations out to a first radius "A" from the central axis of bit 10 forms a portion of the body of raise bit 10. The first stage includes a series of cutter saddles 15, 16, 17 and 18 mounted on plates that form a portion of the body of the raise bit 10. Rolling cutters 19, 20, 21 and 22 are mounted in the cutter saddles 15, 16, 17 and 18, respectively. The plate 13 supports the first cutting stage. The first cutting stage includes other cutter saddles and cutters mounted around the stem 12. As the bit 10 is rotated, the first cutting stage will contact and disintegrate the formations out to a first radius "A" from the central axis of the raise bit 10.
A second cutting stage is located below the first cutting stage and is adapted to disintegrate the formations between the first radius "A" and a second radius "B" from the central axis of the raise bit 10. The second or lower cutting stage is connected to the upper or first cutting stage by a cylindrical support member 14. The second cutting stage includes rolling cutters 30, 31 and 32 mounted in cutter saddles 27, 28 and 29, respectively. The cutters and saddles are mounted on a supporting section 26. The supporting section 26 is connected to the body of the raise bit 10 by a series of bolts 25 that extend through holes in a flange 24 extending from the supporting section 26 and holes in a flange 23 extending from the main body of the bit 10.
Under many conditions, it is desirable to expand the drilling diameter of the raise bit 10. For example, should another hole of a larger diameter hole be desired, it would be better to be able to expand the existing raise bit 10 rather than purchase an entirely new bit. The expansion of the bit should be effected without increasing the overall height of the bit. The use of the raise bit is underground, and it is very desirable for the bit to be as compact as possible. This facilitates handling the bit underground. The raise bit 10 shown in FIG. 1 may be quickly and effectively expanded to bore a larger diameter hole. This expansion is accomplished without increasing the overall height of the bit 10.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the raise bit 10 is shown with the second cutting stage expanded to form a borehole having a radius "C" from the bit axis of rotation. An expander unit 34 is located between the supporting section 26 and the main body of the bit 10. The expander unit 34 is connected to the main body of the bit 10 by a multiplicity of bolts 38 that extend through holes in a flange 36 extending from the expander unit 34 and holes in a flange 23 extending from the main body of the bit 10. The supporting section 26 is connected to the expander unit 34 by a multiplicity of bolts 37 that extend through a corresponding multiplicity of holes in a flange 24 extending from the supporting section 26 and a corresponding multiplicity of holes in a flange 35 extending from the expander unit 34.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the expander unit 34 is shown in greater detail. The expander unit 34 is adapted to be positioned between the body of the raise bit 10 and the supporting section 26. Flanges 35 and 36 are located on each end of the expander unit 34. Holes in the flanges 35 and 36 allow the expander unit to be securely affixed to the body of the raise bit and securely affixed to the supporting section 26. It will be appreciated that the diameter of the raise bit may be selected by providing expander units of different sizes.
The structural details of a raise bit 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention having been described, a raise drilling operation will now be considered using the raise bit 10 showing in the drawings. The raise drilling operation begins by drilling a small diameter pilot hole through the earth from a first location to an opening at a second location using a small diameter pilot bit. After the pilot hole is completed, the pilot bit is removed from the drill string and the raise bit 10 is attached to the drill string. The raise bit 10 is rotated and drawn along the pilot hole, thereby enlarging the pilot hole to the desired size.
The raise bit 10 is adapted to drill holes of various diameters. For example, should it be desired to drill a hole having a radius "B", the supporting section 26 is connected directly to the main body of the raise bit 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The upper cutting stage including rolling cutters 19, 20, 21 and 22 will disintegrate the formations out to a radius "A". The second or lower cutting stage including rolling cutters 30, 31 and 32 will disintegrate the formations between the radius "A" and the radius "B".
Should it be desired to drill a hole of a larger size, the expander unit 34 is inserted between the supporting section 26 and the main body of the bit 10 as shown in FIG. 2. The upper or first cutting stage including cutters 19, 20, 21 and 22 will disintegrate the formations out to a radius "A" from the central axis of the bit. The second or lower cutting stage including rolling cutters 30, 31 and 32 will disintegrate the formations between the radius "A" and the radius "C". It will be apreciated that by selecting expander units of the appropriate size, it is possible to provide a raise bit that will drill a hole of the desired diameter. It will also be appreciated that, whereas only a portion of the raise bit 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entire raise bit includes a multiplicity of supporting sections 26 generally arranged symmetrically around the drive stem 12.
Referring now to FIG. 4, another embodiment of a raise bit 39 constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. A drive stem 41 projects from the main body of the raise bit 39. The upper portion 40 of the drive stem 41 is threaded to allow the raise bit 39 to be easily connected to, and disconnected from, a rotary drill string (not shown). A first cutting stage for disintegrating the formations out to a first radius A from the central axis of bit 39 forms a portion of the body of raise bit 39. The first stage includes a series of cutter saddles 65, 66, 67 and 68 mounted on plates that form a portion of the body of the raise bit 39. Rolling cutters 42, 43, 44 and 45 are mounted in the cutter saddles 65, 66, 67 and 68, respectively. It is, of course, understood that the first cutting stage also includes other cutters mounted in other saddles positioned around the stem 41. As the bit 39 is rotated, the first cutting stage will contact and disintegrate the formations out to a first radius A from the central axis of the raise bit 39.
A second cutting stage is located below the first cutting stage and is adapted to disintegrate the formations between the first radius A and a second radius C' from the central axis of the raise bit 39. The second, or lower cutting stage, is connected to the upper, or first cutting stage, by a cylindrical support member 70. The second cutting stage includes rolling cutters 46, 47, 48, 61 and 62 mounted in cutter saddles 49, 50, 51, 59 and 60, respectively. The cutters 46, 47, 48 and 61 and saddles 49, 50, 51 and 59 are mounted on an outer supporting section 52. The cutter 62 and saddle 60 are mounted on an intermediate supporting section 54. The outer supporting section 52 is connected to the intermediate supporting section 54 by a series of bolts 53 that extend through holes in a flange extending from the outer supporting section 52 and holes in a flange extending from the intermediate supporting section 54. The intermediate supporting section 54 is connected to an expander unit 56 by a multiplicity of bolts 55 that extend through holes in a flange extending from the expander unit 56 and holes in a flange extending from the intermediate supporting section 54. The expander unit 56 is connected to the main body of bit 39 by a multiplicity of bolts 57 that extend through holes in a flange extending from the expander unit 56 and holes in a flange extending from the lower portion 58 of the main body of the bit 39. The saddle 59 is connected to the outer supporting section 52 by a series of bolts 63 that extend through a flange extending from the saddle 59 and through holes in the outer supporting section 52. The saddle 60 is connected to intermediate supporting section 54 by a series of bolts that extend through holes in a flange extending from saddle 60 and holes in the intermediate section 54.
The structural details of a raise bit 39 constructed in accordance with the present invention having been described, a raise drilling operation will now be considered using the raise bit 39 shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The raise drilling operation begins by drilling a small diameter pilot hole through the earth from a first location to an opening at a second location using a small diameter pilot bit. After the pilot hole is completed, the pilot bit is removed from the drill string and the raise bit 39 is attached to the drill string. The raise bit 39 is rotated and drawn along the pilot hole, thereby enlarging the pilot hole to the desired size. The raise bit 39 will drill a hole up to a diameter C'. The upper cutting stage including the rolling cutters 42, 43, 44 and 45 will disintegrate the formations out to a radius A. The second, or lower cutting stage, including rolling cutters 46, 47, 48, 61 and 62 will disintegrate the formations between the radius A and the radius C'.
Should it be desired to either drill a hole of a larger or of a smaller size, the raise bit 39 can be adjusted to provide a raise bit that will drill the desired size hole. For example, if the raise bit 39 is to be adjusted to drill a smaller size hole, the expander unit 56 can be removed and the intermediate supporting section 54 connected directly to the main body of the raise bit 58. The inner saddle 60 can be removed from the intermediate supporting section 54 by removing bolts 64. This allows the intermediate supporting section 54 to be connected directly to the main body of the raise bit 39 without the saddle 60 contacting the tubular supporting section 70. The diameter of the raise bit 39 has been reduced, and a smaller diameter hole can be drilled. Should it be desirable to drill a hole having a larger diameter than the diameter C', it is possible to increase the diameter of the raise bit 39. The expander unit 56 is removed and a larger expander unit inserted in its place. This will move the cutters 46, 47, 48, 61 and 62 radially outward increasing the diameter of the bit 39. Should it be desired to increase the bit to an even larger diameter an additional section similar to the intermediate supporting section 54 is positioned between the outer supporting section 52 and the main body 58 of the raise bit 39. The additional intermediate sections will include a saddle like saddle 60 and an additional cutter like cutter 62.
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A bit is provided that includes a bit body defining a bit axis of rotation. Primary cutter means are positioned on the bit body for disintegrating the formations out to a first radial distance from said bit axis of rotation. Secondary cutter means are adapted to be connected to the bit body and selectively located in a first position for cutting between said first radial distance and a larger second radial distance and selectively located in a subsequent position between said first radial distance and an even larger subsequent radial distance. Expansion means are provided to be located between said secondary cutter means and said bit body for locating said secondary cutter means in said subsequent position.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screed bar support stake or chair as such stakes are sometimes referred to in the trade and to a method of using screed bar support stakes. The invention is more specifically directed to screed bar support stakes and methods of using such stakes with vibratory type screeds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Screed bars are conventionally used when pouring concrete to obtain the proper grade or level. It has been customary to support the screed bar across the width of the work being screeded with stake devices. The stake is sometimes referred to as a "chair" in the trade. The screed bar is normally a metal pipe, or the like, and both metal and wooden stakes have been used to support the screed bar. The wooden stake has the disadvantage, if left in place after the concrete is poured, of rotting and eventually weakening the concrete. The metal stakes are often left in place which represents a large economic waste. In some instances, metal screed bar support stakes have been used which have been sufficiently long to provide an exposed portion after the concrete has been poured and which enables the stake to be located and also provides a means for pulling the stake out before the concrete fully hardens and after the screed bar is removed.
The type of metal stake heretofore used in the art with a rigid portion protruding above the concrete work is not satisfactory when using a vibratory screed such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,873. For example, if a screed bar is placed in front of a vibratory screed and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vibratory screed, it is desirable for the screed to be moved over the top of the screed bar and this, of course, could not take place if the screed bar support stakes are protruding above the surface of the concrete being poured. Also, when pouring extremely wide areas of concrete it has been the practice to use screed bars to support one end of the screed and in this case the screed bars extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vibratory screed. It can also be seen that in this application a screed bar stake having a protruding portion above the concrete surface is impractical for use with a vibratory-type screed.
Thus, in summary it would be desirable to have a type of screed bar support stake and method of using such stake which would allow a vibratory screed to pass over the stake and also would allow the stake to be located and removed for reuse before the concrete hardens and after the screed bar is removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The screed bar support stake and method is basically directed to utilization of a type of screed bar support stake and method of using such stake which allows the stake to be located and removed for reuse after the concrete has been poured. The screed bar support stake and method of the invention are also directed to a type of screen bar support stake which allows a vibratory screed to pass over the stake without damaging either the screed or the stake. The invention is also directed to forming the stake in a manner which allows a driver to be used to place the stake prior to pouring the concrete.
More specifically, the stake of the invention in the embodiment disclosed comprises a strip of angle iron having a pointed lower end and an upper end formed with an aperture and also with a pair of guide members adapted to loosely retain the screed bar and prevent lateral shifting while the screed bar rests on the stake. A particularly unique feature of the stake of the invention resides in employment of a small resilient wire member which extends above the stake proper and allows the stake to be located after the concrete has been poured. Due to the resilient nature of this locating wire, a vibratory-type screed can pass over the stake without damaging either the stake or the vibratory screed. The aperture serves the purpose of providing a means for a pick or other tool to grasp the stake and remove it before the concrete hardens thus enabling the stake to be reused.
The invention is also directed to employment of a drive member which can be loosely supported on top of the stake to provide a strike surface for a sledge hammer, or the like, to place the stake when the concrete work is initiated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a screed bar support stake and drive member according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is an inverted perspective view of the drive member.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through a poured slab of concrete with the stakes of the invention in place.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged section view illustrating how the stake of the invention is removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The screed bar support stake assembly of the invention comprises a stake member 10 and a drive member 11. Stake member 10 is formed from an angle iron strip having a pointed lower end 15, and an aperture 16 which provides a means for grasping stake 10 during removal, as later explained. A pair of rigid rod members 18, 19 are welded to the outer upper edge portions of stake 10 to support and retain the screed bar 20 which is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 as being a metal pipe.
An important aspect of the invention resides in employment of a flexible, elongated member illustrated by the metal wire member 25 having a coiled section 26 wrapped on rod member 18. A stop 41 prevents detachment of coil 26 therefrom. The length L of wire member 25 is sufficiently long such that when stake 10 is properly positioned, the upper portion of wire member 25 will extend substantially above the screed bar 20, e.g., one to two inches, and thus provides a means for locating stake 10 after being embedded in the concrete and after screen bar 20 is removed. Also, significant to the invention is the fact that wire member 25 and the coiled mounting arrangement 26 enables the wire member 25 to be bent out of its normal vertical position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and to spring back in place whenever struck by a vibratory-type screed or other smoothing device during the concrete pouring operation and before the screed bar 20 is removed.
The previously-mentioned drive member 11 comprises a heavy head portion 30 illustrated as a cylindrical metal block and which is welded or otherwise secured to a pair of spaced angle members 35, 36 between which is welded a shorter angle member 37 which provides a strike contact surface 38 with the top edge surface 40 of stake 10. Alternatively, angle members 35, 36 could be fabricated in a manner to provide a strike surface integral therewith. Thus, it can be seen that angle members 35, 36 are adapted to fit over the upper portion of stake 10 such that angle member 37 engages the top edge 40 of stake 10 to drive the stake into position in the ground when being installed prior to pouring of the concrete. It may also be noted that the dimensions of the drive member 11 are such as to allow it to be placed between the screed bar retaining rod members 18, 19.
As further indicated in FIG. 3, a plurality of the stakes 10 of the invention are placed in the usual manner to support the screed bar 20. It will be particularly noted in FIG. 3 illustrating this operation that the respective wire members 25 protrude above the surface of the concrete and thus provide a ready means for locating the various stakes 10 after the concrete has been poured and after the screed bar 20 has been removed. Also, of unique significance to the invention is the inherent ability of the exposed portions of wire members 25 to bend when struck during screeding by a vibratory screed as schematically indicated by numeral 50 in FIG. 3. That is, the uppermost exposed portions of wire members 25 protruding above the poured concrete can bend in place and return to their respective vertical identifying positions for spotting the hidden stake positions once the vibratory screed 50 has passed over the screed bar 20.
After the concrete has been poured and when it is still in a soupy wet condition, i.e., prior to becoming hard, the screed bar 20 is removed as in conventional practice. However, important to the invention, the implanted stakes 10 of the invention can also be readily located and readily removed from the wet concrete by observing the locations of the exposed portions of wire members 25 and by engaging the aperture 16 of each corresponding stake 10 with a suitable tool 60, such as a pick, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Once removed, the stake 10 can be immediately washed of any fresh concrete which makes it suitable for reuse at the next job. Also, once the screed bar 20 and the stakes 10 have been removed, finishing concrete may be poured into the recesses previously occupied by the screed bar 20 and stakes 10 which fills in the concrete and, thus, avoids any future weak spots or the like.
In summary, by utilizing the improved screed bar support stake and method of the invention, the improved stakes of the invention can be placed, the screed bar located, the concrete poured and and screeded with a vibratory-type screed or other screeding apparatus and during screeding the vibratory screed or other screeding apparatus can be moved over the tops of the implaced stakes 10 without damaging the stakes and without having to physically lift the screed to move over the top of the stakes. Further, the exposed portions of the respective wire members 25, can bend in place, be passed over by the vibratory screed during the pouring operation, then snap back to their vertical positions and after pouring has been completed provide a convenient means for locating each of the stakes 10 for removal and reuse as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thus, by the simple and practical stake construction and method of the invention, the concrete pouring industry is afforded a means for achieving very substantial savings and also for producing a higher quality work.
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A screed bar support stake and method are uniquely adapted to concrete screeding operations utilizing a vibratory-type screed. The stake is formed with means which allow it to be located after the concrete has been poured and is also adapted with means enabling the stake to be removed for reuse before the concrete hardens thus saving the cost of the stake. A mating drive member facilitates easy placement of the stake.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cleaning apparatus for a liquid containing vessel and has been-devised particularly for incorporation in swimming pool cleaning apparatus having a suction orifice which, in use, is positioned closely adjacent a surface part of the vessel over which the apparatus is travelling.
Background of the Invention
Conventional roving pool cleaning apparatus include a suction device for cleaning the pool and spaced apart drive wheels to provide mobility. A particularly relevant example of this apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,110.
Cleaning apparatus of this general type may encounter difficulties in negotiating convex irregularities in the pool surface which intrude, at least in part, between the drive wheels. Such irregularities in the pool surface may leave the pool cleaner stranded in one position in the pool.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus which will overcome this shortcoming of the prior art as outlined above or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
Brief Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, the invention consists in cleaning apparatus for cleaning the interior surface of a liquid containing vessel said apparatus including a pair of spaced drive wheels; a suction aperture positioned generally between said drive wheels such that, when said apparatus is in its normal operating position, said suction aperture is located adjacent a part of said interior surface; and supplementary drive means located generally between said drive wheels, said supplementary drive means being operable to effect displacement of said apparatus in the event of said apparatus encountering a convex irregularity on or in said interior surface which intrudes at least in part between said drive wheels.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an underneath view of cleaning apparatus according to the invention.,
FIG. 2 shows a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 shows a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
According to the invention cleaning apparatus 5 is provided for cleaning the interior surface of a liquid containing vessel (not shown). The particular form of apparatus described herein has been developed to clean the wetted surfaces of swimming pools. The invention has been devised particularly for incorporation in the form of cleaning apparatus described and claimed in New Zealand Patent Specification No. 212590 (which is hereby incorporated by way of reference) and the following description will be directed to this form of apparatus although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that similar forms of supplementary drive could be incorporated in cleaning apparatus of this general type supported on and propelled by spaced drive wheels.
As described in Patent 212590 the cleaning apparatus 5 is provided with spaced drive wheels 6 and 7 mounted on opposite sides of chassis 8. A third, or nose, wheel 9 supports the chassis 8 in combination with the drive wheels 6 and 7 while a guide wheel 10 guides and elevates the front end of the chassis when the cleaner engages an upwardly slanting wall.
A suction aperture 12 is provided on the underside of the chassis 8. The suction aperture 12 is preferably rectangular in form and communicates with the interior of a swivel coupling 13 which includes a hose fitting 14 to which a vacuum hose (not shown) is, in use, attached.
As described in Patent 212590 the vacuum applied to the swivel coupling 13 draws screened water through a turbine (not shown) incorporated in the apparatus which is operable to apply drive to the drive wheels 6 and 7.
Brush seals 20 are also provided on the underside of the chassis 8 and surrounding the suction aperture 12 so that the suction is maintained to retain the cleaning apparatus in engagement with the surface over which it is passing.
In accordance with this invention supplementary drive means are provided so that if the cleaning apparatus comes into contact with a convex irregularity projecting from or included in the surface over which the apparatus is passing such that one of the drive wheels is displaced out of contact with the surface, the supplementary drive means operate to displace the apparatus off the convex irregularity until such time as both drive wheels 6 and 7 again engage the surface.
In the form shown the supplementary drive means comprises a powered roller 23 which is mounted generally between the drive wheels 6 and 7. As can be seen the roller 23 is mounted adjacent one border of the suction aperture 12 and, more preferably, adjacent the rear edge of the suction aperture 12. Further, it will be noted that the roller spans the central longitudinal axis of the cleaner.
The roller 23 is preferably divided into a plurality of drive surfaces, in this case three surfaces 24, 25 and 26. The three surfaces are mounted on a common hub 27 which is engaged, at one end, with a gear box unit 28. The gear box unit 28 serves to transfer drive from the main drive shaft (not shown) included within the apparatus, to the hub 27.
The construction and arrangement is preferably such that the tangential speed of the drive surfaces 24, 25 and 26 differ from the tangential speed of the drive wheels 6 and 7 when rotating together. The purpose of this is to ensure that the random movement of the apparatus is enhanced and also to provide some turning effect when the powered roller 23 and one of the wheels 6 or 7 is in contact with the surface of the pool.
The arrangement is preferably such that the tangential speed of the powered roller 23 is one-half the tangential speed of the drive wheels 6 and 7.
In order to maintain vacuum around the suction aperture 12 supplementary skirts 29 are preferably mounted over the exposed parts of hub 27 to span between the roller drive surfaces 24, 25 and 25, 26.
We have found that the addition of the supplementary drive means as herein described is extremely effective in displacing the apparatus off or over irregularities in swimming pool surfaces such as drainage valves and also junctions between surface parts of the pool arranged at different angles.
In use when a pool cleaner of the type described in Patent 212590, but modified according to the disclosure herein, engages a convex irregularity such that one of the drive wheels 6 or 7, or both drive wheels, are displaced from the pool surface the supplementary drive means engage or grounds on the irregularity and thus displaces the apparatus until the drive wheels 6 and 7 again engage the pool surface.
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A pool cleaning apparatus is provided with spaced apart drive wheels for mobility and suction apparatus to clean the interior surface of the pool. A supplementary drive roller is provided generally between the drive wheels to move the cleaning apparatus off any convex irregularities that may otherwise strand the apparatus in one position in the pool.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cyclic utilization of waste concrete, and in particular to an I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps and construction process of such beam.
BACKGROUND
[0002] I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam refers to a beam-like member formed by arranging longitudinal bars, waist bars and stirrups around a rolled or welded I-shaped steel then pouring concrete. Since the I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam has advantages such as high rigidity and high bearing capacity, it has been widely used in real projects. It can be seen from the structural mechanics principle and a large number of structural design examples that, the I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam in the actual structure only bears positive bending moment near its min-span under the combined effect of vertical load and horizontal load. That is, near the min-span, bottom flange plate of the I-shaped steel is in tension while the top flange plate is in compression. Since the economical efficiency of the compression of the concrete is better than that of the compression of the steel, and the concrete surrounding the top flange plate near the min-span can take on the role of bearing compression. Thus in the case of bearing capacity of the beam remains about the same, the I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam may be further optimized by reducing min-span parts of the top flange plate of the conventional I-shaped steel, and thereby the purpose of saving steel is realized, but such technology is rarely seen by now.
[0003] Since natural sand and gravel mining destroys the environment and the reserves are dwindling, waste concrete, as a valuable “special resource”, its recycle use has attracted more and more attention at home and abroad. Compared with recycled coarse aggregate and recycled fine aggregate, adopting demolished concrete lumps with larger scale can greatly simplify recycling process of the waste concrete. However, for the conventional I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam, due to the obstruction of the continuous top flange plate having penetrating length, putting of the demolished concrete lumps from top to bottom in the pouring process of the beam is very difficult, which is an urgent problem to be solved. In the present invention, a gap of a top flange plate of the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange can be just used for putting in the demolished concrete lumps, which can yet be regarded as an effective method for solving this problem.
[0004] To sum up, problems exist in the prior arts, such as economical efficiency of the conventional I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam that needs to be improved, and failure of cyclic utilization of demolished concrete lumps in the conventional I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam due to difficulty in putting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior arts. On one hand, no min-span part of a top flange plate of conventional I-shaped steel is required, and in the case of bearing capacity of a beam remains about the same, the purpose of saving steel is realized. On the other hand, a gap of a discontinuous top flange plate can be just used for putting in demolished concrete lumps, and thereby problem of failure of cyclic utilization of demolished concrete lumps in a conventional I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam due to difficulty in putting.
[0006] Another object the present invention is to provide a construction process of an I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps.
[0007] The technical solution adopted in the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned object is as follows:
[0008] An I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps, comprising an I-shaped steel, and longitudinal bars, stirrups and waist bars located outside the I-shaped steel, characterized in that: it further comprises fresh concrete and demolished concrete lumps, which are poured alternately. The I-shaped steel is the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange, which consists of a bottom flange plate, a web and a discontinuous top flange plate. The top flange plate and the bottom flange plate are parallel and both perpendicular to the web. The web is located between the top flange plate and the bottom flange plate and welded with the top flange plate and the bottom flange plate respectively.
[0009] Further optimized, the discontinuous top flange plate consists of two steel plates located at both sides of the I-shaped steel. The steel plates are rectangle steel plates or trapezoid steel plates. The two steel plates have a same length that is one third of a length of the I-shaped steel. The trapezoid steel plate has a long side located at an end portion of the I-shaped steel. The trapezoid steel plate has a width of a short side no less than a quarter of a width of the long side.
[0010] Further optimized, the demolished concrete lumps are waste concrete lumps after demolishing old buildings, structures, roads, bridges or dams and removing protective layers and all or part of steel reinforcements.
[0011] Further optimized, the fresh concrete is a natural aggregate concrete or a recycled aggregate concrete, and has a compressive strength no less than 30 MPa.
[0012] Further optimized, the demolished concrete lump has a characteristic size no less than 100 mm, and a mass ratio of the demolished concrete lump and the fresh concrete is 1:4˜1:1.
[0013] A construction process of the above-described I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps, which comprises following steps:
[0014] (1) forming the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange by welding a bottom flange plate, a web and two steel plates in advance, setting up a bottom die of the compound concrete beam first, after hoisting the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange in position, binding longitudinal bars, waist bars and stirrups, and finally setting up a side die;
[0015] (2) fully wetting demolished concrete lumps in advance, pouring fresh concrete with a thickness of 20˜30 mm inside a cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die first, then putting a layer of the wet demolished concrete lumps in a gap between the two rectangle steel plates or trapezoid steel plates, and stirring artificially so that the demolished concrete lumps are uniformly distributed inside the cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die, then pouring a layer of fresh concrete and fully vibrating, so that the demolished concrete lumps and the fresh concrete are uniformly mixed into one; repeatedly and alternately pouring the fresh concrete and the demolished concrete lumps until pouring is finished.
[0016] Compared with the prior arts, the present invention has following advantages:
[0017] (1) No min-span part of a top flange plate of conventional I-shaped steel is required, and in the case of bearing capacity of a beam remains about the same, the purpose of saving steel is realized.
[0018] (2) Utilizing a gap of the discontinuous top flange plate for putting in the demolished concrete lumps, thereby problem of failure of cyclic utilization of demolished concrete lumps in a conventional I-shaped steel reinforced concrete beam due to difficulty in putting is solved.
[0019] (3) Using the demolished concrete lumps for pouring, greatly simplifies treating processes such as crushing, screening and purifying during cyclic utilization of the waste concrete, which saves a large amount of manpower, time and energy, and may realize effective cyclic utilization of the waste concrete.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 a , FIG. 1 b and FIG. 1 c are schematic views of transverse section, A-A section and B-B section of the beam according to Embodiment 1 of the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 a , FIG. 2 b and FIG. 2 c are schematic views of transverse section, A-A section and B-B section of the beam according to Embodiment 2 of the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 3 a , FIG. 3 b , FIG. 3 c are schematic views of transverse section, A-A section and B-B section of the beam according to Embodiment 3 of the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0023] The present invention is further described in detail below in combination with embodiments and accompanying drawings, but implementations of the present invention are not limited thereto. It should be pointed out that, if there is a process that is not specifically described in detail below, those skilled in the art can realize it with reference to the prior arts.
Embodiment 1
[0024] See FIG. 1 a , FIG. 1 b and FIG. 1 c , the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps according to the present invention comprising a discontinuous top flange plate 1 , a web 2 , a bottom flange plate 3 , demolished concrete lumps 4 , fresh concrete 5 , stirrups 6 , longitudinal bars 7 , and waist bars 8 . The recycled compound concrete beam has a rectangular section, with a beam depth of 850 mm, a beam width of 550 mm, and a beam length of 8100 mm. The discontinuous top flange plate is two 2700 mm×300 mm×12 mm rectangle steel plates. The web and the bottom flange plate are the same as the web and bottom flange plate of a conventional I-shaped steel having a section size of 500 mm×300 mm×10 mm×12 mm, respectively, both of which are Q235 steel material, and have a measured yield strength of 255.8 MPa and an ultimate strength of 330.7 MPa. The fresh concrete has a cube compressive strength of 42.2 MPa, while the demolished concrete lump has a cube compressive strength of 37.6 MPa, and after combination, the cube compressive strength is 40.67 MPa. Horizontal stirrup adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, with an interval at an encrypted area being 150 mm, and an interval at a non-encrypted area being 200 mm. The longitudinal bar adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 25 mm, with 2 longitudinal bars being arranged at an upper part, and 6 longitudinal bars being arranged at a lower part. The waist bar adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, being arranged at both sides of the I-shaped steel, with each side being 3 waist bars. The demolished concrete lumps are waste concrete lumps after demolishing an old building and removing protective layers and all steel reinforcements. The fresh concrete is a natural aggregate concrete. The demolished concrete lump has a characteristic size of 100˜200 mm, and a mass ratio of the demolished concrete lump and the fresh concrete is 1:2.
[0025] A construction process of the above-described I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps, which comprises following steps:
[0026] (1) forming the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange by welding a bottom flange plate, a web and two rectangle steel plates in advance, setting up a bottom die of the compound concrete beam first, after hoisting the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange in position, binding longitudinal bars, waist bars and stirrups, and finally setting up a side die;
[0027] (2) fully wetting demolished concrete lumps in advance, pouring fresh concrete with a thickness of 20 mm inside a cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die first, then putting a layer of the wet demolished concrete lumps in a gap between the two rectangle steel plates, and stirring artificially so that the demolished concrete lumps are uniformly distributed inside the cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die, then pouring a layer of fresh concrete and fully vibrating, so that the demolished concrete lumps and the fresh concrete are uniformly mixed into one; repeatedly and alternately pouring the fresh concrete and the demolished concrete lumps until pouring is finished.
[0028] For the purpose of comparison, a conventional I-shaped steel having a section size of 500 mm×300 mm×10 mm×12 mm and same material, same longitudinal bars, stirrups and waist bars, and natural aggregate concrete having a cube compressive strength of 40.67 MPa are taken, to produce a composite beam with internal conventional I-shaped steel. It is eventually found that the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps in the present embodiment has a flexural bearing capacity of normal section of 1846 kN·m, while the composite beam with internal conventional I-shaped steel has a flexural bearing capacity of normal section of 1932 kN·m. By calculating, it can be seen that the flexural bearing capacity of normal section of the two beams is only 4.4% difference, but the former not only saves 10.03% of steel, but also puts 1.26 cubic meters of demolished concrete lumps into recycling.
Embodiment 2
[0029] See FIG. 2 a , FIG. 2 b and FIG. 2 c , the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps according to the present invention comprising a discontinuous top flange plate 1 , a web 2 , a bottom flange plate 3 , demolished concrete lumps 4 , fresh concrete 5 , stirrups 6 , longitudinal bars 7 and waist bars 8 . The recycled compound concrete beam has a rectangular section, with a beam depth of 850 mm, a beam width of 550 mm, and a beam length of 8100 mm. The discontinuous top flange plate is two (150 mm+300 mm)×2100 mm×12 mm trapezoid steel plates. The web and the bottom flange plate are the same as the web and bottom flange plate of a conventional I-shaped steel having a section size of 500 mm×300 mm×10 mm×12 mm, respectively, which are Q235 steel material, and have a measured yield strength of 255.8 MPa, and an ultimate strength of 330.7 MPa. The fresh concrete has a cube compressive strength of 42.2 MPa, while the demolished concrete lump has a cube compressive strength 37.6 MPa, and after combination, the cube compressive strength is 40.67 MPa. Horizontal stirrup adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, with an interval at an encrypted area being 150 mm, and an interval at a non-encrypted area being 200 mm. The longitudinal bar adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 25 mm, with 2 longitudinal bars being arranged at an upper part, and 6 longitudinal bars being arranged at a lower part. The waist bar adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, being arranged at both sides of the I-shaped steel, with each side being 3 waist bars. The demolished concrete lumps are waste concrete lumps after demolishing an old building and removing protective layers and all steel reinforcements. The fresh concrete is a natural aggregate concrete. The demolished concrete lump has a characteristic size of 100˜200 mm, and a mass ratio of the demolished concrete lump and the fresh concrete is 1:2.
[0030] A construction process of the above-described I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps, which comprises following steps:
[0031] (1) Forming the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange by welding a bottom flange plate, a web and two trapezoid steel plates in advance, setting up a bottom die of the compound concrete beam first, after hoisting the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange in position, then binding longitudinal bars, stirrups and waist bars, and finally setting up a side die;
[0032] (2) fully wetting demolished concrete lumps in advance, pouring fresh concrete with a thickness of 30 mm inside a cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die first, then putting a layer of the wet demolished concrete lumps in a gap between the two trapezoid steel plates, and stirring artificially so that the demolished concrete lumps are uniformly distributed inside the cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die, then pouring a layer of fresh concrete and fully vibrating, so that the demolished concrete lumps and the fresh concrete are uniformly mixed into one; repeating the above-described process until pouring is finished.
[0033] For the purpose of comparison, a conventional I-shaped steel having a section size of 500 mm×300 mm×10 mm×12 mm and same material, same longitudinal bars, stirrups and waist bars, and natural aggregate concrete having a cube compressive strength of 40.67 MPa are taken, to produce a composite beam with internal conventional I-shaped steel. It is eventually found that the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps in the present embodiment has a flexural bearing capacity of normal section of 1846 kN·m, while the composite beam with internal conventional I-shaped steel has a flexural bearing capacity of normal section of 1932 kN·m. By calculating, it can be seen that the flexural bearing capacity of normal section of the two beams is only 4.4% difference, but the former not only saves 15.05% of steel, but also puts 1.26 cubic meters of demolished concrete lumps into recycling.
Embodiment 3
[0034] See FIG. 3 a , FIG. 3 b and FIG. 3 c , the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps according to the present invention comprising a discontinuous top flange plate 1 , a web 2 , a bottom flange plate 3 , demolished concrete lumps 4 , fresh concrete 5 , stirrups 6 , longitudinal bars 7 and waist bars 8 . The recycled compound concrete beam has a rectangular section, with a beam depth of 850 mm, a beam width of 550 mm, and a beam length of 8100 mm. The discontinuous top flange plate is two (75 mm+300 mm)×2100 mm×12 mm trapezoid steel plates. The web and the bottom flange plate are the same as the web and bottom flange plate of a conventional I-shaped steel having a section size of 500 mm×300 mm×10 mm×12 mm, respectively, which are Q235 steel material, and have a measured yield strength of 255.8 MPa, and an ultimate strength of 330.7 MPa. The fresh concrete has a cube compressive strength of 42.2 MPa, while the demolished concrete lump has a cube compressive strength of 37.6 MPa, and after combination, the cube compressive strength is 41.05 MPa. Horizontal stirrup adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, with an interval at an encrypted area being 150 mm, and an interval at a non-encrypted area being 200 mm. The longitudinal bar adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 2 5mm, with 2 longitudinal bars being arranged at an upper part, and 6 longitudinal bars being arranged at a lower part. The waist bar adopts HRB335-grade steel reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, being arranged at both sides of the I-shaped steel, with each side being 3 waist bars. The demolished concrete lumps are waste concrete lumps after demolishing an old building and removing protective layers and all steel reinforcements. The fresh concrete is a natural aggregate concrete. The demolished concrete lump has a characteristic size of 100˜200mm, and a mass ratio of the demolished concrete lump and the fresh concrete is 1:3.
[0035] A construction process of the above-described I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps, which comprises following steps:
[0036] (1) Forming the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange by welding a bottom flange plate, a web and two trapezoid steel plates in advance, setting up a bottom die of the compound concrete beam first, after hoisting the I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange in position, then binding longitudinal bars, stirrups and waist bars, and finally setting up a side die;
[0037] (2) fully wetting demolished concrete lumps in advance, pouring fresh concrete with a thickness of 20 mm inside a cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die first, then putting a layer of the wet demolished concrete lumps in a gap between the two trapezoid steel plates, and stirring artificially so that the demolished concrete lumps are uniformly distributed inside the cavity formed by the bottom die and the side die, then pouring a layer of fresh concrete and fully vibrating, so that the demolished concrete lumps and the fresh concrete are uniformly mixed into one; repeating the above-described process until pouring is finished.
[0038] For the purpose of comparison, a conventional I-shaped steel having a section size of 500 mm×300 mm×10 mm×12 mm and same material, same longitudinal bars, stirrups and waist bars, and natural aggregate concrete having a cube compressive strength of 41.05 MPa are taken, to produce a composite beam with internal conventional I-shaped steel. It is eventually found that the I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps in the present embodiment has a flexural bearing capacity of normal section of 1852 kN·m, while the composite beam with internal conventional I-shaped steel has a flexural bearing capacity of normal section of 1936 kN·m. By calculating, it can be seen that the flexural bearing capacity of normal section of the two beams is only 4.34% difference, but the former not only saves 17.56% of steel, but also puts 0.95 cubic meters of demolished concrete lumps into recycling.
[0039] The above are preferred implementations of the present invention, but the implementations of the present invention are not limited by the above content. Any other changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations and simplifications that are not deviated from the spirit and principles of the present invention should be equivalent replacements, which are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
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An I-shaped steel with discontinuous top flange reinforced compound concrete beam containing demolished concrete lumps and a construction process thereof. The beam comprises an I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange, longitudinal bars ( 7 ), stirrups ( 6 ), waist bars ( 8 ), fresh concrete ( 5 ), and demolished concrete lumps ( 4 ). The I-shaped steel having discontinuous top flange consists of a bottom flange plate ( 3 ), a web ( 2 ) and a discontinuous top flange plate (I). The discontinuous top flange plate ( 1 ) consists of two rectangle steel plates or trapezoid steel plates located at both sides of the I-shaped steel. The two steel plates have a same length that is one third of a length of the I-shaped steel. The trapezoid steel plate has a width of a short side no less than a quarter of a width of the long side. The recycled compound concrete beam saves steel, fully uses the demolished concrete lumps, and is convenient to construct.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a superconducting electrical system and its method of operation. In particular, though not exclusively, this invention relates to superconducting electrical system for an aircraft.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Conventional state of the art propulsion systems for large civil aircraft typically include one or more gas turbine engines placed under the wings of the aircraft. However, some studies have indicated that so-called distributed propulsion, which involves having numerous smaller propulsion units preferentially arranged around an aircraft, may provide some significant benefits in terms of noise reduction and fuel efficiency when compared with the current state of the art technology.
One option for a distributed propulsion system is to have numerous electrically powered fan units located around the aircraft. However, early studies by the applicant have indicated that novel electrical technology will be required to implement such a distributed electrical system.
One such technology is the creation of a superconducting system to provide the electrical power to the fan units so as to try and reduce the weight of the electrical system.
The concept of using a superconductor for providing electrical power is well known. A superconductor conducts electricity without loss, that is, with zero electrical resistance. In order to be superconducting, current state of the art superconductor materials must be maintained below a critical temperature, current density and magnetic field. If any of the critical limits are exceeded then the superconductor is said to “quench”, at which point it reverts to its “normal” electrical (and magnetic) properties.
One problem presented by the use of superconducting technology in an aircraft arises from weight and the fact that there will likely be a requirement for some redundancy in any system to accommodate a fault.
The present invention seeks to provide a way to help reduce the overall weight of a superconducting electrical system whilst providing some redundancy in the system.
STATEMENTS OF INVENTION
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a superconducting electrical network, comprising: an electrical system including a plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a cryogenic system including one or more refrigeration units for providing coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a controller configured to control the flow of coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment, wherein the controller is configured to isolate the supply of refrigerant to one or more of the plurality of electrical equipment upon demand and increase the flow of coolant to one or more of the non-isolated plurality of electrical equipment.
Providing an increased flow of coolant to electrical equipment allows it to be driven at a higher level of demand. Hence, if an item of electrical equipment fails, its loss can be compensated for by increasing the flow of coolant to the other items of electrical equipment and driving that equipment harder.
The superconducting electrical equipment any combination taken from the non-exclusive group including: generators, motors, cabling, power electronic units and fault current limiters.
The electrical network can be part of an isolated network having a low electrical inertia. The isolated network may have less than ten electrical generators. The electrical network may be that of an aircraft or vessel. The electrical network may be suitable for distributing electrical power to a plurality of electrical propulsion units.
The superconducting system may include a plurality of refrigeration units, two or more of which may be joined to a coolant network which provides coolant to two or more items of electrical equipment.
The electrical network may further comprise a superconducting electrical generator and a prime mover which provides input power to the electrical generator, wherein the controller may be configured to control the input of power from the prime mover.
The controller may be configured to increase the power output of one or more items of electrical equipment when the flow of coolant is increased to that item of electrical equipment. Increasing the power output includes one or more of increasing the current flow in the equipment, increasing the electrical frequency supplied to the equipment, and increasing the switching frequency.
The electrical equipment may include a plurality of motors and increasing the power output of the electrical equipment includes increasing the rotational speed of one or more of the motors.
The controller may be configured to increase the rotational speed of the prime mover to increase the electrical frequency supplied to an item of electrical equipment.
The superconducting electrical equipment may include one or more of generators, motors, refrigeration unit and power electronic conditioning units.
The controller may be configured to increase the power output from one or more refrigeration units.
In a second aspect, the present invention may provide a method of controlling power distribution within a superconducting electrical network having an electrical system including a plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a cryogenic system including one or more refrigeration units for providing coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; and, a controller, the method comprising: monitoring the electrical equipment to determine whether its operating condition falls within predetermined limits; electrically isolating an item of electrical equipment if it falls outside of the predetermined limits; diverting the flow of coolant from the isolated item of electrical equipment to at least one non-isolated item of electrical equipment.
The operating condition of electrical equipment may include monitoring the terminal voltage of the equipment, monitoring the instantaneous or average reactive or real power flow within the electrical equipment. The electrical equipment may include any from the non-exclusive group comprising generators, motors, isolators and superconducting fault current limiters.
The method may include increasing the power output from one or more items of the electrical equipment when the flow of coolant is increased to that item of electrical equipment. The method may also comprise increasing the power output of one or more electrical generators in the electrical system by increasing the input power received from a prime mover.
Increasing the power output may include one or more of increasing the current flow in the equipment, increasing the electrical frequency supplied to the equipment, and increasing the switching frequency.
The electrical equipment may include a plurality of motors. Increasing the power output of the electrical equipment may include increasing the rotational speed of one or more of the motors.
The method may further comprise increasing the rotational speed of the prime mover to increase the electrical frequency supplied to an item of electrical equipment.
The method may further comprise the step of monitoring the electrical network to determine the operating condition of the cryogenic system.
Monitoring the cryogenic system may include monitoring the temperature of the electrical equipment or the operating condition of an individual refrigeration unit,
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
Embodiments of the invention are described below with the aid of the following drawing in which:
FIG. 1 shows an electrical network according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a superconductive electrical network 10 which includes an electrical system and a cryogenic system, the operation of which are monitored by a controller 12 .
The electrical network 10 described in this embodiment is part of an aircraft which utilises so-called distributed propulsion in which a plurality of electrically driven propulsive units are distributed about the airframe. However, the invention is not limited to this application and can be implemented on any superconducting electrical network.
The electrical system includes a plurality of pieces of superconducting electrical equipment. The superconducting electrical equipment includes superconducting generators, superconducting motors, refrigeration units, power electronic units in the form of convertors which are used to control the frequency and voltage within the network, and various electrical buses and wiring looms which include superconducting cables for example.
It will be appreciated that the term superconducting electrical equipment may embrace other items of equipment. Further, some of the equipment within the electrical system may not be superconducting. For example, the various electrical buses and wiring looms may or may not be superconducting. As will also be appreciated, the electrical system may include any number of ancillary equipment such as isolators and superconducting fault current limiters (not shown).
There are two superconducting electrical generators 14 a , 14 b which receive input power from a common prime mover in the form of a gas turbine engine 16 . The gas turbine engine 16 provides power to the electrical generators 14 a , 14 b via independent mechanical power off takes 18 a , 18 b which in practice may include a combination of gearboxes and shafts, although these are not shown here for the sake of clarity.
Each generator feeds a bus bar 20 a , 20 b via an isolator 21 a , 21 b , which in turn is connected to various pieces of electrical equipment in the form of two superconducting motors 22 a 1 , 22 a 2 , 22 b 1 , 22 b 2 . The connection between the bus bars 20 a , 20 b and the motors 22 a 1 , 22 a 2 , 22 b 1 , 22 b 2 is made via a power electronic convertor 24 a 1 , 24 a 2 , 24 b 1 , 24 b 2 and electrical isolators 26 a 1 , 26 a 2 , 26 b 1 , 26 b 2 which are all connected by electrical cables. The bus bars 20 a , 20 b , and thus electrical generators 14 a , 14 b , are connected via an isolatable link 28 which extends between the two buses 20 a , 20 b.
The cryogenic system includes a plurality of refrigeration units 30 a , 30 b , 32 a , 32 b which maintain control the supply of a coolant to the various items of superconducting electrical equipment.
There are four refrigeration units 30 a , 30 b , 32 a , 32 b in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . Each generator 14 a , 14 b has a single dedicated refrigeration unit 30 a , 30 b and the electrical motors 22 a 1 , 22 a 2 , 22 b 1 , 22 b 2 each share a refrigeration unit 32 a , 32 b with one other motor 22 a 1 , 22 a 2 , 22 b 1 , 22 b 2 . Of course, it will be appreciated that the number and distribution of the refrigeration units will be determined by the type and distribution of the electrical equipment, which is in turn determined by the application of the electrical network.
Each refrigeration unit 30 a , 30 b , 32 a , 32 b is connected to its respective piece or pieces of electrical equipment via a coolant pathway in the form of a primary conduit. In addition to the primary conduits, there are a secondary conduits which connect at least one other refrigeration unit 30 a , 30 b , 32 a , 32 b to each piece of electrical equipment. For example, electrical generator 14 a is connected to refrigeration unit 30 a via primary conduit 34 a , and secondary conduit 34 b . In this way, there is a network of coolant conduits 34 a , 34 b which can be configured to provide each piece of cooling equipment with an alternative supply of coolant.
The superconductor material used for each element can be any known to date which is suitable for the purpose described above. The coolant can be any which is suitable for use with the chosen superconductor. Typical superconductors which would find utilisation would be Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxide (BSCCO), Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) or Magnesium Diboride (MgB 2 ) which would be cooled by liquid helium or hydrogen, or, in the case of BSCCO and YBCO, liquid nitrogen.
The controller 12 is connected to each piece of electrical equipment and the gas turbine engine 16 (although only a few of these connections are shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity) and is configured to monitor the operating condition of each of the pieces of equipment such that it can determine the overall condition of the network 10 . The condition may be in terms of the required and delivered distributed propulsive output and the power input. Alternatively, the condition may relate to the operating condition or health of each piece of equipment individually. As will be appreciated, the monitoring of the operating condition will involve the use of detection equipment, for example sensors, within the equipment or at selected locations throughout the electrical network. These sensors may include voltage, current or power meters, speed sensors or temperature sensors.
In an alternative embodiment, the controller 12 may also be connected to the cryogenic system and monitor its operating condition so as to determine whether the coolant is being delivered as required for maintaining a superconducting state in each of the pieces of electrical equipment. In this way, if one of the refrigeration units begins to malfunction, it can be isolated and the supply provided from an alternative refrigeration unit, or the piece of electrical equipment which receives the affected coolant flow, isolated.
In operation, the controller 12 monitors the condition of the electrical network and determines whether it is within predetermined limits which represent satisfactory operation. If a piece of equipment develops a fault and operates outside of the acceptable predetermined limits, it may be necessary for it to be isolated and another piece of electrical equipment to be operated at a higher level in order to make up for the shortfall created by the fault. By operating at a higher level, it is meant that the electrical equipment may be operated at a higher power output and subjected to higher current flows, higher frequencies or higher switching frequencies, as appropriate for a given piece of equipment. For example, in the case of a failed motor, other associated motors could be driven at higher speeds by increasing the electrical frequency supplied by power electronics, or by increasing the frequency supplied by the generator by increasing the rotational speed of the prime mover.
As will be appreciated, the fault can be within a piece of electrical equipment or within the electrical distribution network which means that power can no longer be supplied with that required by the system. Hence, for example, if a fault developed in the line at point 36 then it may be necessary to isolate that section of line, thereby making the electrical motor redundant even though it may not have a fault.
Alternatively, it may be that a fault occurs in one of the refrigeration units and so affects the ability of a piece of electrical equipment to operate which results in it being shut down.
To operate the remaining non-isolated electrical equipment at a higher level, the flow of coolant can be diverted from the isolated equipment to the remaining non-isolated equipment which can then be driven using higher current densities than the normal rated values and at which it would not normally be efficient to run at.
In the case of a failure with an electrical generator 14 a , 14 b , it may also be necessary to increase the torque delivered to the generator 14 a , 14 b from the gas turbine engine 12 . In some circumstances, this may achievable simply by electrically isolating the faulty generator 14 a , 14 b and allowing it to spin freely thereby removing its mechanical load from the gas turbine engine. In this instance, the extra to torque, or a portion of it at least, would be taken up by the remaining electrical generator which experiences an increased electrical load. In addition there would be a reconfiguration of the electrical loads applied to the generator. Nevertheless, it may be necessary to alter the output of the gas turbine to account for the changes in the electrical system. This may include altering the fuel supply or other variable to increase the speed or torque produced by the gas turbine as is well known in the art.
The above described embodiments are mere examples of the invention defined by the scope of the claims and as such should not be taken to be limiting.
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This invention relates to a superconducting electrical network, comprising: an electrical system including a plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a cryogenic system including one or more refrigeration units for providing coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a controller configured to control the flow of coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment, wherein the controller is configured to isolate the supply of refrigerant to one or more of the plurality of electrical equipment upon demand and increase the flow of coolant to one or more of the non-isolated plurality of electrical equipment.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
THIS INVENTION relates to a bracket assembly and in particular a bracket assembly for supporting a roof gutter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Brackets for supporting roof gutters usually are generally U shaped having an upright section for attachment to a fascia and a gutter support arm for engagement with an adjacent peripheral edge of the roof gutter.
When such brackets are mounted along a fascia, the supporting arm of each bracket must be spaced relative to the supporting arms of other gutter brackets to provide sufficient gutter support. Each arm must also be positioned such that gutters supported therefrom are supported in an inclined longitudinal orientation to allow for water drainage. This arrangement of the gutter and associated supporting brackets may be unsightly and visually displeasing, especially on long gutter runs where the drainage angle is noticeable.
To position a number of brackets along a fascia or the like such that they provide support and a drainage inclination is time consuming. Generally this is achieved by fixing a gutter bracket at each end of a gutter run and stretching a string line therebetween.
Subsequent intermediate brackets are then fixed to a support surface using the string line as a guide.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an aim of the invention to overcome or alleviate some of the problems associated with the abovementioned prior art.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an adjustable gutter bracket assembly including;
a mounting member;
a support arm releasably attachable to said mounting member; and
a cover attachment member releasably attached to said support arm;
said mounting member and said support arm having complementary engagement means associated therewith to provide releasable attachment of said support arm to said mounting member in a plurality of height adjustment positions; and
said cover attachment member and said support arm having further complementary engagement means associated therewith to provide releasable attachment of said cover attachment means to said support arm.
Preferably, said mounting member and said support arm each have corresponding surfaces or walls which are in substantial abutment when attached.
Suitably, said relative rotation is about an axis normal to the corresponding surface of said mounting member.
One of said complementary engagement means may be an elongate aperture which may have height adjustment corrugations or serrations comprising alternating notches and projections. Alternatively there may be provided spaced notches along each longitudinal edge of the elongate aperture.
The other one of said complementary engagement means may suitably comprise a pair of spaced lugs wherein preferably each lug includes an inner web and outwardly projecting tab which may be punched out of the support arm or the mounting member. Suitably, each tab has free ends which are of opposite orientation.
The elongate aperture may be located in one of the mounting member or the support arm with the lugs being provided in the other of said mounting member or support arm. Preferably, however the elongate aperture is provided in the mounting member and the lugs are located in the support arm.
Preferably, the mounting member has spacing means associated therewith to allow at least part of the mounting member to be spaced from a roof fascia when said mounting member is attached to said fascia. To this end the mounting member may have one or more and preferably a pair of peripheral longitudinal flanges and a spaced intermediate part incorporating said elongate aperture.
Preferably, each peripheral longitudinal flange has mounting apertures therein.
Most preferably, the mounting member is a mounting plate and the support arm includes an inner end section attachable to the mounting plate. The support arm may also include an intermediate section and an outer end section.
The further complementary engagement means may be of a similar nature to that as described above, wherein one of said further complementary engagement means is associated with the cover attachment member and the other of said further complementary engagement means is associated with the outer end section of the support arm.
Suitably, the cover attachment member has spacer means for spacing said one of the further complementary engagement means from a cover or fascia which may be attached to said cover attachment member. The cover attachment member may be an attachment plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bracket assembly; and
FIG. 2 is a magnified view of the complementary engagement means of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bracket assembly 1 includes a mounting member in the form of mounting plate 2 for mounting to an upright surface such as a fascia (not shown).
An engagement means in the form of an aperture 3 is formed in mounting plate 2. Aperture 3 has a plurality of opposed triangular shaped notches 4 on opposed longitudinal edges 5 and 6.
Triangular shaped notches 4 comprise opposed lateral ledges 7 and inclined regions 8 between adjacent lateral ledges 7. Notches 4 provide height adjustment positions in which the transverse distance T between each pair of opposed lateral ledges 7 are equal.
Mounting apertures 9 are located in peripheral longitudinal flanges 10a and 10b and are spaced from intermediate section 10d in which aperture 3 is located, thereby providing a spacing means for spacing aperture 3 from the fascia (not shown). A transverse flange 10c is also provided adjacent end 12.
An end flange 11 on mounting plate 2 provides an abutment surface 13 for abutting an underside of the facia or other similar upright surface.
Support arm 14 includes inner end section 14a, intermediate section 14b and outer end section 14c. Section 14a has an upright wall 24 which is in substantial abutment with adjacent mounting plate 2. Inner end section 14a also has a complementary engagement means in the form of two lugs 15 and 16 which are identical to lugs 15 and 16 at outer end section 14c. Further, an attachment plate 17 having an elongate aperture 18, which is identical to aperture 3, is releasably attached to outer end section 14c.
Lugs 15 and 16 each have a respective web 19 and 20 and an outer tab 22 and 23 punched out of outer end section 14c. Outer tabs 22 and 23 are parallel to outer end section 14c and they each have a free end 22a and 23a which are of opposite orientation.
Mounting plate 2 and inner end section 14a each have an abutment surface (hidden by support arm 14), such that when mounting plate 2 and support arm 14 are releasably attached, the respective abutment surfaces are in substantial abutment as indicated at 24.
Similarly, outer end section 14c and plate 17 have respective abutment surfaces 25 and 26 which are in substantially abutment when outer end section 14c and plate 17 are engaged. Spacing means on surface 27 provides a means of spacing aperture 18 from a cover or fascia which may be attached to plate 17 (by drilling and bolting or otherwise).
Attachment and height adjustment of support arm 14 to mounting plate 2 is identical to the attachment of plate 17 to outer end section 14c.
To avoid repetition only the attachment of plate 17 to end 14c will be described in detail.
Lugs 15 and 16 are aligned such that their collinear axis C is aligned with longitudinal axis B of aperture 18. Lugs 15 and 16 are then inserted into aperture 18. Relative rotation of plate 17 with respect to outer end section 14c about axis A causes releasable attachment thereof, axis A being normal to abutment surface 25 (similarly when referring to plate member 2, axis A is normal to upright wall 24). When axis B and C are normal to each other, plate 17 is attached to end 16. The attachment is such that webs 19 and 20 engage opposed notches 4 and are each disposed between a respective ledge 7 and adjacent inclined region 8. Height adjustment is achieved by relative rotation about axis A until axes B and C are aligned in relation to a selected opposed pair of notches 4.
In use a plurality of mounting plates 2 are attached to a fascia (not shown) by screws passing through mounting apertures 9. Each associated abutment surface 13 abuts an underside of the fascia end allows for identical upright positioning of each mounting plate 2.
Abutment surfaces 10 provide a spacing such that the fascia or upright surface does not interfere with the engagement of lugs 15 and 16 of support arm 14 when engaging aperture 4.
Each support arm 14 is releasably attached to a mounted mounting plate 2 by relative rotation therebetween. Where required the height adjustment of each support arm 14 may be adjusted (as described above).
Guttering is then supported from the support arms and further height adjustment of support arms 14 may be effected if required.
If desired plates 17 are then attached to outer end section 16 and their height is adjusted accordingly after which a cover or fascia is attached thereto to hide the guttering. Surface 27 spaces the cover or fascia from lugs 15 and 16 to allow a flush fitting.
Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment as described herein. Other embodiments and variations to the preferred embodiments may be evident to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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A bracket assembly, particularly for supporting a roof gutter, is disclosed. The assembly includes a mounting member attachable to a fascia and a support member releasably attachable to the mounting member. Attachment is by relation of the support member relative to the mounting member such that lugs on the support member engage an elongate aperture in the mounting member. The bracket assembly may incorporate a cover attachment member to facilitate concealed covering.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CLAIM TO PRIORITY
This application is a continuation application and claims the priority date from the non-provisional application entitled HIGH RISE TOWER SANITARY SERVICE SYSTEM filed by Clyde Samson on May 19, 2004 with application Ser. No. 10/850,345, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,204, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable restrooms, and more particularly to a system for servicing portable restrooms located upon various levels in a multistory building.
2. Background Information
Portable restrooms are a convenience of the modern world. They provide individuals the ability to have a contained and sanitary location for urinating and defecating and provide a health benefit in that these restrooms contain and treat this waste with a liquid that prevents potentially pathogenic bacteria from proliferating. These devices are used at sporting events, weddings, construction sites, and in other locations where traditional permanent plumbing has not been made available. Sometimes these devices are provided simply for convenience, while in other circumstances they are mandated by law to provide sanitation.
A typical portable restroom is made up of four walls: a roof, a door, a seat, and a holding container. This holding container is configured to hold a quantity of waste that is deposited within the restroom by those persons utilizing the portable restroom. Over time these holding containers fill and must be emptied or serviced. This servicing is typically done by a pair of service personnel who drive a tank truck to the location where the portable restrooms are located. These trucks have tanks that are configured to hold a quantity of waste and a vacuum pump that is configured to draw the liquid out of the holding containers in the portable restrooms. They then pump this waste into the tank on the trucks. To perform this feat, the two persons servicing the restrooms typically drive the tank truck to a location and connect a hose or conduit to the pump. Additional hoses are then interconnected by T-valve combinations until sufficient length has been achieved so as to allow the hoses to reach from the tank to the portable restroom to be serviced.
Once the hose has been connected to achieve this length, one operator places one end of the hose into the holding container in the portable restroom and then signals the other operator at the truck to engage the vacuum pump. The pump then engages and pumps the material out of the holding container connected to the portable restroom, through the conduit, and into the holding tank. Once all of the material has been pumped out of the holding container, the operator at the end of the hose signals the operator at the vacuum pump that the portable restroom has been emptied, and after the conduit has been emptied, the pump is shut off. The two individuals operating the device then go to another location and repeat this process. Through this process, the individuals work to empty the various portable restrooms in a single location.
Portable restrooms may be utilized in situations and circumstances where the access to these portable restrooms by a service team is more difficult. One of those situations occurs when the portable restroom is located in an elevated position as compared to the position of the vacuum truck. In the prior art, this same system is utilized wherein one person drags the hose up to a higher level, places one end of the hose within the container to be emptied, signals his companion to engage the pump, and empties out the holding container.
In using such systems on buildings having multiple floors, a variety of problems arise. One of these problems is that the vacuum truck has insufficient suction capabilities to pump waste from high elevations and in distant locations to the pump truck. As a result of these flow problems, sludge and waste can clog and plug the device thus making the tank emptying process difficult. In addition, in some instances these devices are simply unable to pull material out of the holding tanks and into the trucks themselves. Another problem that arises is that the pumps overheat and must be turned off frequently in order to prevent damage to the pumps themselves and to prolong the life of these pumps. Most pumps in the industry will simply burn up if left running for prolonged periods of time. To do this, typically two individuals must be utilized to service a building. One individual sits in the vacuum truck and operates the vacuum tank motor by alternatively turning the motor off and on to effectuate the removal of the waste from the containers, while at the same time preventing the vacuum pump from overheating. He does this while the other individual services the various floors. This incurs substantial cost.
What is needed is a system or device for servicing portable restrooms, particularly those on multiple levels, which also provides increased pumping capabilities. What is also needed is a tower service system that prevents clogging or obstruction of the system by waste in the line. What is also needed is a device for servicing of portable restrooms that has increased functional capabilities as compared to the devices in the prior art. Another necessity is a system that allows a single user to both operate the truck and service the various floors without the requirement of two employees. Another needed item is to provide a device with increased suctioning capabilities for performing these services.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a system or device for servicing portable restrooms, particularly those on multiple levels, which provides increased pumping capabilities. It is another object of the invention to provide a tower service system that prevents clogging or obstruction of the system by waste in the line. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for servicing of portable restrooms that has increased functional capabilities as compared to the devices in the prior art. Another object of the invention is to provide a system with the aforementioned capabilities that further allows a single user to both operate the truck and service the various floors without the requirement of two employees.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system for servicing restrooms on the upper floors of a high-rise building. The system is comprised of sections of vacuum hoses that are interconnected by specially designed T-valves. Each of these T-valves is configured to provide a user the ability to shut off the flow of material in either a vertical direction or in a horizontal direction, or both. These vacuum hoses are then connected to a liquid cooled pump connected to a vacuum tank. The vacuum hoses are temporarily mounted on the side of the building and sections of hoses are added on, as the building grows higher and higher.
At each floor, a T-valve made up of a horizontal valve and vertical valve is positioned and connected. The vertical valve shuts off the vacuum to the upper side of the building while the horizontal valve opens the vacuum to the hose that vacuums out the portable restrooms. The vertical valve remains closed the entire time that the operator is using the horizontal valve on that particular floor. Connected to the horizontal valve is a hose that extends to the service area and the operator is able to use a valve service hose at the restroom. When the valve service hose is activated, the waste from the restroom can travel into and down the hose to the vacuum truck at the base of the building. The vertical valve prevents the entire system from becoming vacuumized and enables the waste or liquid to flow freely down the conduit to the vacuum truck.
The present invention can be utilized with either a traditional air cooled pump, as is common in the art, or a liquid cooled vacuum pump, as is utilized in the preferred embodiment. In the preferred embodiment, the liquid cooled vacuum pump and the vacuum truck are positioned at the base of the building. This liquid cooled pump is more durable than the air-cooled pump and allows the pump to run all day long without wearing out prematurely. This configuration of a durable pump and dual horizontal and vertical valves to open and close the flow of material through the hose, enables a single operator to service restrooms alone, thus increasing the efficiency and decreasing the costs to the user.
The purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description wherein I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a slide perspective view of the present system in a first preferred embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 demonstrating a connection between the vacuum truck and the vertical conduit.
FIG. 3 is a detailed embodiment of the T-valves shown in FIG. 1 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
Referring now to FIGS. 1–3 , several views of the preferred embodiment of the present system is shown. As shown in FIG. 1 , the present system is shown in use upon a building 2 having a plurality of floors 4 , 6 , and 8 . Located on each of these floors is a portable restroom. While the present embodiment is shown as having three floors, it is to be distinctly understood that the present invention can be variously embodied to reach heights of up to 700 feet and/or buildings of up to fifty stories. The present system is configured to service these portable restrooms and is comprised of a vacuum tank 12 positioned upon a vacuum vehicle 16 , typically a truck, which enables the vacuum tank 12 to be taken to a variety of locations. A vacuum pump is operatively connected to the vacuum tank 12 and is configured to create a vacuum sufficient to pull material through various conduit sections 18 , 20 , 30 into the vacuum tank 12 .
In this preferred embodiment, the vacuum pump 14 is a liquid cooled pump that is integrally connected and wired for use with the truck itself. Preferably, this pump 14 has sufficient capacity to pump approximately 350 cfm. However, various other sizes and modifications may be made to the pump 14 as well. It is to be distinctly understood, however, that this example is merely illustrative and is not to be considered limiting in any manner.
This pump 14 is connected to tank 12 , which typically has a capacity of 500 gallons. However, tanks of other capacities can also be utilized. This tank 12 is connected to a first conduit 18 in a manner that allows the connection to be held in a leak-proof and tight connection, while also being easily removable and replaceable. In the preferred embodiment, this is accomplished by connecting the first conduit 18 to a three-inch full flow ball valve 38 connected to a three-inch female aluminum coupler 40 , which is connected to a three-inch to two-inch male-to-male reducer 36 that is configured to connect to a first conduit 18 . A more detailed view of this connection is shown in FIG. 2 .
The first conduit 18 is a vacuum hose like the other hoses 20 , 30 also referred to as horizontal 30 or vertical 20 conduits that are used in the present invention. The conduits are vacuum hoses in the preferred embodiment being two inch 390 SD 100-psi hoses having a 300 psi burst rating and a twenty-nine inch vac. Each of these hoses is sectioned into appropriate lengths having female couplers on each end. In the preferred embodiment, the hoses are configured so that the first hose is approximately thirty-six feet in length and is configured to reach from the vacuum truck 16 to a second floor 4 of a building 2 to be serviced. Lengths of hose of approximately twenty-eight feet are then used to span from the second floor of the building being serviced to the fourth floor of the building being serviced and from the fourth floor of the building being serviced to the sixth floor being serviced. From the sixth floor, each additional piece of hose is approximately twenty feet in length. The system can be configured for use on a building up to fifty stories in height and an over a length of about 700 feet. While the dimensions of the various hoses and their method of connection in the preferred embodiment are set forth above, it is to be distinctly understood that this configuration is meant for illustrative purposes only and many various alternative configurations are also envisioned within the spirit and scope of this invention.
These hoses 18 , 20 , 30 , are interconnected by T-valve combinations 24 , which are made up of vertical valves 28 and horizontal valves 26 . A detailed view of a preferred T-valve combination is shown in detail in FIG. 3 . A first vertical hose 20 , having a first end 21 and extending along a length to a second end 22 is connected to an open portion of a T-valve combination 24 and a second vertical hose 20 ′ is connected to the upper portion of a vertical valve 28 . This second conduit then extends to another T-valve combination wherein it is connected in a similar fashion until a desired height has been achieved. In the present embodiment, both the vertical valve 28 and the horizontal valve 26 are two inch full flow ball valves, which are configured to allow full flow of material through the T-valve combination 24 valve itself. In the preferred embodiment these ball valves 26 , 28 are connected to a T-shaped conduit 44 by male couplers 46 . Preferably, these two-inch male couplers are made of aluminum and allow the valves 26 , 28 to connect to the T-shaped conduit 44 as well as other items such as hoses 20 , 30 if no needed.
In use, the vertical conduit 20 is secured to a building in such a way that the hoses are generally vertically aligned in a straight up and down orientation. Preferably, these hoses are tied to the building in order to secure them. However, a variety of other types of devices that also secure these hoses to the building may also be utilized. These vertical hoses 20 are positioned so that a T-valve combination 24 is positioned approximately three feet above the level of the floor, upon the floor that is to be cleaned. A horizontal hose 30 is connected to the horizontal valve 26 and extended toward the restroom. Each of these horizontal hoses having a first end 32 and a second end 34 . In a preferred embodiment, the restrooms to be cleaned are positioned within twenty feet of the T-valve sets which may be connected either to the outer portions of the building or placed within the plumbing crawl spaces where the permanent water and plumbing will ultimately be positioned. This positioning allows a single horizontal hose to reach from the T-valve combination 24 to the restroom to be cleaned. However, depending upon the necessities of the user, multiple horizontal hoses 30 may be utilized to reach the desired location. Preferably, each of the horizontal hoses 30 is a typical service hose that contains a wand that is configured to be inserted inside the holding container of the restroom to be cleaned and a service valve that allows material to be suctioned through the device. This service hose 30 assists in facilitating the passage of sewage or sludge from the holding container to the vacuum truck.
Once the system is connected as described, it is utilized by engaging the pump 14 . Since the pump 14 is a liquid cooled pump and since the invention allows the vacuum pressure to be utilized solely in those locations where the pressure is needed, a single user can simply turn on the pump 14 , lock the truck, and go into the building to service the restrooms. At the first floor to be cleaned, the user closes the vertical valve 28 on the T-valve combination 24 and opens the horizontal valve 26 on this same T-valve combination 24 . By doing this, the user prevents the remaining parts of the system from having a vacuum applied to them and allows the maximum amount of vacuum through the horizontal conduit 30 . The horizontal conduit 30 is then placed within a container that is to be cleaned and the waste is sucked out. When all of the various restrooms on this level have been cleaned and serviced, the user closes the horizontal valve 26 and opens the vertical valve 28 on the T-valve combination 24 . The user then goes up to the next floor and repeats these same steps. This process is then repeated until all of the restrooms in a particular building have been cleaned.
This invention provides a significant number of advantages over the inventions shown in the prior art. First, by closing the vertical valve 28 above the floor to be cleaned, the user ensures that only those portions of the system that must have vacuum pressure within them are open and thus focuses the vacuum pressure upon the waste that is being sucked through the device. Second, this system prevents clogs in the vacuuming system from forming because the vacuum pressure is always contained and controlled. Third, because this system utilizes a liquid cooled pump, the pump 14 can be run continuously, thus allowing a single person to utilize the invention and increasing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the invention itself.
While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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A system and method for servicing restrooms on the upper floors of a high rise building. The system is comprised of sections of hoses that are interconnected by valves, each valve configured to provide a user with the ability to selectively shut off the flow of material in a vertical or horizontal direction. These vacuum hoses are then connected to a liquid cooled pump, which is connected to a vacuum tank. The system operates by selectively opening and closing the vertical and horizontal valves to focus vacuum force in areas to be cleaned and prevent vacuum in non-desired areas.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/882,228, filed July 7, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,965.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to oil well drill bits, and more particularly relates to an improved unitary drill bit having particular utility when drilling in soft to medium unconsolidated formations.
When drilling for oil in soft to medium unconsolidated formations such as those formations found along the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast areas of the United States, and in offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, "bit balling" is a very common problem. This problem relates to a heavy accumulation of the clay-like unconsolidated formation material around the bit as it rotates through the formation. The formation material actually adheres to the bit rather than flowing away after being cut.
Several patents relate to drill bits used in oil and gas well drilling operations. For example, U.S Pat. No. 2,169,223 to Christian entitled "Drilling Apparatus" relates to a drill bit which is used for flushing fluid into the bore along with the drill. The Christian device uses a flushing fluid that is forced down through the drill stem and passes through openings at the lowermost end portion of the drill bit. Flushing fluid will then return around the drill and the drill stem removing clogging material from the well bore. The Christian devices uses a drill having an axial bore extending from the upper to the lower end of the drill and having an inside seat around the bore. A discharge channel leads downwardly from the bore above the seat and of a tubular barrel shaped to fit through the bore. The Christian device uses two blades which are a fish tail type bit construction. Because of the outwardly extending enlarged fish tail type cutters of Christian, excessive torque can be generated in the drill string. Further, these outwardly extending fish tail type cutters can ball up in unconsolidated type formations known in the industry as "gumbo mud" or like formations.
Another fish tail type bit is the Scott U.S. Pat. No. 1,733,241 entitled "Method of Producing A Hard Surface on Tools and the Like." Scott discusses applying tungsten carbide using an atomic hydrogen torch to generate enough heat to melt the carbide itself. The tungsten carbide in molten condition then forms an alloy with the blade of the cutter according to the Scott patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,490,208 issued to H. E. Conklin and entitled "Soft Formation Core Bit Cutter Head" shows a tubular drill bit having outwardly extending cutter blades mounted upon a conically shaped bit which is round in cross-section.
Other patents showing various constructions for drill bits include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,169,223; 1,887,372; 2,838,284; 2,673,716; and 2,756,023.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improvement over prior art drill bits, providing a unitary drill bit having a generally triangularly shaped cross-section which also narrows at its tip portion, providing three cutting blade portion at the apex of the triangular cross-section of the bit and three flat surfaces spanning between the cutting blades which enhance flow characteristics, i.e., the removal of cuttings using drilling fluids as the cuttings are removed from the well bore. Jets are provided between the blades and positioned on the flow surface areas to blast and remove cuttings instantly as they are removed from the well bore. The generally triangular shape of the drill bit body minimizes bit balling, swabbing, and surging while thrusting the tool into and out of the well bore with the drill string. The device can even be used for directional drilling by using jets of different sizes such as, for example, two small jets on two sides and one large jet on the third side. Thus, the direction and angle of the hole can be controlled by the jetting procedure. The apparatus as will be described more fully hereinafter thus provides a drill bit of one-piece construction which does not have cones that can come off of the tool or ball up while drilling. The apparatus is thus stronger than common cone-type drill bits and as aforedescribed has enhanced hydraulic and flow characteristics for instantaneous removal of cuttings even in soft or unconsolidated formations such as gumbo mud as is is termed in the industry.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the jetting assembly portion of the apparatus of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate generally the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 10. Drill bit 10 includes a tubular body 12 having at its upper end portion threaded section 14 which is adapted to threadably attach to a drill string D shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1. The tool body 12 can provide indentations 13 with flat surfaces, for example, so that a wrench, power tongue or the like can be attached to the tool body 12 so that the tool body 12 can be tightened with respect to the drill string D. The central longitudinal axis of tool body 12 is designated as X--X in FIG. 1. The center of cylindrical bore 11 (FIG. 3) would coincide with the central longitudinal axis of tool body 12.
The lowermost end portion of tool body 12 carries the drill bit cutting portions. An enlarged head 14 has multiple flat surfaces which intersect as will be described more fully hereinafter. Drilling head 14 includes three uppermost generally flat surfaces 16, 17, 18 which are tangent outer surface of tool body 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). If tool body 12 were positioned vertically, surfaces 16-18 would define vertical planes tangent the tool body 12 outer surface. The flat sides 16, 17, 18 of bit 14 define a generally triangular shape as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3, the vertices of the triangle being schematically shown in FIG. 3 as 19, 20, 21.
A plurality of three cutting blades 22, 23, 24 are mounted generally at each of the vertices 19, 20, 21 as shown in FIG. 3. Each cutting blade 22-24 is covered with a layer of carbide chips, for example, 25, 26, 27. In FIG. 5, arrows 28, 29, 30 show the direction of rotation of drill bit 10 during operation. Notice that each cutting blade 22-24 provides a cutting edge generally perpendicular to the direction of rotation 28-30 of drill bit 10. In FIG. 5, the leading or cutting edge of blades 22-24 are designated by the numerals 31, 32, 33. In FIG. 5, the well bore is designated by the curved dotted circular line WB. One skilled in the art will recognize that a well bore WB of the size and configuration shown in FIG. 5 will be cut when bit 10 is rotated in the direction shown by arrows 28-30 of FIG. 5.
The bottom tip of bit 10 provides a flat hexagonal surface 34 (FIGS. 2 and 5). Six generally flat surfaces form an obtuse angle with lowermost surface 34, including the surfaces 35-40. Notice that surfaces 35, 37, 39 are smooth and uncoated surfaces having jet openings 41-43 which outcrop at surfaces 35, 37, 39. Each surface 35, 37, 39 is an inclined surface that forms an acute angle with horizontal. In FIG. 4, for example, the inclination of surface 35 is designated as angle 35a.
Openings 41-43 communicate with jets 44-46 (see FIGS. 4-6). Surfaces 36, 38, 40 are covered with a layer of carbide chips.
FIG. 6 shows more particularly the construction of each jet assembly 44-46. Each jet assembly 44-46 comprises a cylindrical sleeve 50 having a bore 51 communicating with end portions 52, 53 of sleeve 50. A plurality of internal threads 54 allow insertion of a threaded jet thereinto. The end portion 52 of sleeve 50 can have a frustroconical bore section 55 as well as a cylindrical bore section 56 which is positioned inwardly and communicates with the bore 11 of tool body 12 as shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the arrows 60 schematically illustrate the flow of fluid through the jetting assembly 44.
FIG. 3 shows the communication of each jetting assembly 44-46 with the central bore 11 of tool body 12. Tool body 12 is preferably of a uniform cylindrical cross-section (see FIG. 3) between threaded section 15 and enlarged head 14. Similarly, central longitudinal bore 11 of tool body 12 is generally cylindrical as shown in FIG. 3, along its length, terminating at jetting assemblies 44-46.
The lowermost tip portion of drill bit 10 at surface 34 is seen in FIG. 5. Note that blades 22, 23, 24 extend to surface 34 with one of the blades (blade 24) preferably extending across the surface 34 in a transverse direction as shown in FIG. 5.
In the preferred embodiment, each blade 22, 23, 24 terminates at smooth surfaces 62, 63, 64. Thus, each blade 22, 23 is inclined an acute angle with respect to vertical as best seen in FIG. 1. Surfaces 65, 66, 67 extend from the cylindrical portion of tool body 12 toward the surfaces 62, 63, 64, and define the uppermost limits of the enlarged head 14 portion of tool body 12.
The entire drill bit 10 can be manufactured of any suitable structural material such as, for example, structural steel with carbide chips covering each blade 22, 23, 24 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5.
In FIG. 5, three flow zones are defined by the circular dotted line designated as well bore WB and the flat surfaces 16, 17, 18 as well as the flat inclined surfaces 35, 37, 39. During rotation of the drill bit 10, these "zones" will allow fluid to flow from jet assemblies 44, 45, 46 up to the surface and along the tool body 12 and drill string D. Because the tool is triangularly shaped, the area between the well bore wall which is designated by the dotted lines in FIG. 5 and the flat surfaces 16, 17, 18 and 35, 37, 39 will be unoccupied by structure and thus filled with fluid. This fluid is injected through the bore 11 of the tool body 12 and exits as shown in FIG. 4 thorugh orifices 41-43. The fluid then travels upwardly carrying with it cut formation material which is removed from the well bore so that cutting will continue downwardly.
The above construction and operation provides an improved oil well drill bit that has particular utility in unconsolidated formations, commonly called "gumbo mud."
Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.
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A drill bit for use in unconsolidated formations includes a generally triangular cross-section that tapers toward the lower tip end of the tool. The vertices of the triangular cross-section carry blade members that cut and define the size of the bore hole. Nozzles positioned between the blades and upon the tapered portion of the tool break up unconsolidated formation material that has been cut.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND
[0001] In many wellbore applications, connections are formed between coiled tubing and wellbore tools or other components such as subsequent sections of coiled tubing. Often, the coiled tubing connector must form a pressure tight seal with the coiled tubing. The connector end often is threaded for connecting the wellbore tool to the coiled tubing. Coiled tubing connectors can be designed to attach and seal to either the inside or the outside of the coiled tubing.
[0002] Examples of internal connectors include roll-on connectors, grapple connectors and dimple connectors. Roll-on connectors align circumferential depressions in the coiled tubing with preformed circumferential grooves in the connector to secure the connector to the coiled tubing in an axial direction. Grapple connectors utilize internal slips that engage the inside of the coiled tubing to retain the coiled tubing in an axial direction. Dimple connectors rely on a dimpling device to form dimples in the coiled tubing. The dimples are aligned with preformed pockets in the connector to secure the connector to the coiled tubing both axially and torsionally. Elastomeric seals can be used to provide pressure integrity between the connector and the coiled tubing. However, internal connectors constrict the flow area through the connector which can limit downhole tool operations.
[0003] Examples of external connectors include dimple connectors, grapple connectors and threaded connectors. This type of dimple connector relies on a dimpling device to create dimples in the coiled tubing. The dimple connector comprises set screws that are aligned with the dimples in the coiled tubing and threaded into the dimples. The set screws provide both an axial and a torsional connectivity between the connector and the coiled tubing. External grapple connectors use external slips to engage the outside of the coiled tubing for providing axial connectivity to the tubing. External threaded connectors rely on a standard pipe thread which engages a corresponding standard external pipe thread on the end of the coiled tubing. The threaded connection provides axial connectivity, but the technique has had limited success due to the normal oval shape of the coiled tubing which limits the capability of forming a good seal between the connector and the coiled tubing. External connectors, in general, are problematic in many applications because such connectors cannot pass through a coiled tubing injector or stripper. This limitation requires that external connectors be attached to the coiled tubing after the tubing is installed in the injector.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention comprises a system and method for forming coiled tubing connections, such as connections between coiled tubing and downhole tools. A connector is used to couple the coiled tubing and a downhole tool by forming a secure connection with an end of the coiled tubing. The connector comprises a unique engagement end having engagement features that enable a secure, rigorous connection without limiting the ability of the connector to pass through a coiled tubing injector. The connector design also enables maximization of the flow area through the connector. In some embodiments, additional retention mechanisms can be used to prevent inadvertent separation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Certain embodiments of the invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a coiled tubing connection system deployed in a wellbore, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of a bayonet style connector that can be used in the system illustrated in FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 3 is another view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 2 , according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 4 is an orthogonal view of the connector coupled to an end of coiled tubing that has been formed with protrusions to engage the connector, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of the connector illustrated in FIG. 2 , according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the connector threadably coupled with a coiled tubing end, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a coiled tubing end that has been expanded and then threaded internally for engagement with the connector, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7 but showing a connector engaged with the coiled tubing end, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a coiled tubing end that has been swaged radially inward and threaded for engagement with the connector, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9 but showing a connector engaged with the coiled tubing end, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a coiled tubing end that has been swaged radially and threaded externally for engagement with the connector, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 12 is a view similar to that of FIG. 11 but showing the connector engaged with the coiled tubing end, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a methodology for engaging a threaded connector with coiled tubing at a well site, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating a more detailed methodology for engaging a threaded connector with coiled tubing at a well site, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 15 is an orthogonal view of a retention system for rotationally retaining a connector with respect to coiled tubing, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 16 is another embodiment of a retention system for rotationally retaining a connector with respect to coiled tubing, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 17 is another embodiment of a retention system for rotationally retaining a connector with respect to coiled tubing, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 18 is a view similar to that of FIG. 17 but showing the retention mechanism in a locked position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 19 is another embodiment of a retention system for rotationally retaining a connector with respect to coiled tubing, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 20 is a view similar to that of FIG. 19 but showing the retention mechanism in a locked position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 21 is another embodiment of a retention device for rotationally retaining a connector with respect to coiled tubing, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 22 illustrates the retention device of FIG. 21 incorporated into a retention system between a coiled tubing end and a wellbore component, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 23 illustrates another embodiment of a retention device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0029] FIG. 24 illustrates a fixture used to form depressions in the coiled tubing for engagement with devices, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 , according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.
[0031] The present invention relates to a system and methodology for forming coiled tubing connections. The coiled tubing connections typically are formed between coiled tubing and a well tool for use downhole, however the coiled tubing connections can be formed between coiled tubing and other components, such as subsequent sections of coiled tubing. The coiled tubing connections are formed with a connector that is of similar outside diameter to the coiled tubing and uniquely designed to provide a secure, rigorous connection without limiting the ability of the connector to pass through a coiled tubing injector. Additionally, some coiled tubing connection embodiments utilize a retention mechanism to further guard against inadvertent separation of the coiled tubing connection.
[0032] Referring generally to FIG. 1 , a well system 30 is illustrated according to one embodiment of the present invention. The well system 30 comprises, for example, a well intervention system 32 deployed for use in a well 34 having a wellbore 36 drilled into a reservoir 38 containing desirable fluids, such as hydrocarbon based fluids. In many applications, wellbore 36 is lined with a wellbore casing 40 having perforations 42 through which fluids can flow between wellbore 36 and the reservoir 38 . Well intervention system 32 can be formed in a variety of configurations with a variety of components depending on the specific well intervention application for which it is used. By way of example, well intervention system 32 comprises a well tool 44 located downhole and coupled to a coiled tubing 46 by a connector 48 . Connector 48 is securely attached to coiled tubing 46 . The connection is sized to pass through a coiled tubing injector when rigging up to the well. The tool 44 is securely attached to the connector 48 after the connector is installed through the injector and well intervention system 32 is run downhole.
[0033] One embodiment of connector 48 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 . In this embodiment, connector 48 comprises a midsection 50 , a first engagement end or region 52 extending axially from the midsection 50 , and a second engagement end or region 54 extending from midsection 50 in a direction generally opposite first engagement region 52 . First engagement region 52 is designed for engagement with coiled tubing 46 , and second engagement region 54 is designed for engagement with a component, such as well tool 44 . As illustrated, midsection 50 may be radially expanded, i.e. comprise a greater diameter, relative to engagement regions 52 and 54 .
[0034] The first engagement region 52 is sized for insertion into coiled tubing 46 and comprises one or more bayonet slots 56 recessed radially inwardly into engagement region 52 . This form of engagement region can be referred to as a breech lock engagement region. Each bayonet slot comprises a generally longitudinal slot portion 58 intersected by one or more generally transverse slot portions 60 . Transverse slot portions 60 may be substantially linear, curved, J-shaped, helical, or formed in other suitable shapes. Additionally, one or more seals 62 , such as elastomeric seals, may be mounted on engagement region 52 in a location placing the seals 62 between the engagement region 52 and coiled tubing 46 when engagement region 52 is inserted into coiled tubing 46 . Seals 62 may comprise O-rings, poly-pak seals or other seals able to form a sealed region between the coiled tubing 46 and connector 48 . Connector 48 further comprises a hollow interior 64 that maximizes flow area for conducting well fluids therethrough, as best illustrated in FIG. 3 .
[0035] The second engagement region 54 may have a variety of shapes and configurations depending on the specific type of well tool 44 or other component to be connected to coiled tubing 46 via connector 48 . By way of example, engagement region 54 is a tubular threaded end sized for insertion into and threaded engagement with a corresponding receptacle of the component, e.g. well tool 44 . One or more seals 66 , such as O-rings, poly-pak seals or other suitable seals can be mounted around the engagement region 54 , as illustrated, to form a fluid seal with well tool 44 .
[0036] The coiled tubing 46 is formed with one or more protrusions 68 that are sized and spaced to engage bayonet slots 56 , as further illustrated in FIG. 4 . Protrusions 68 extend radially inward into the interior of coiled tubing 46 and may be formed with pins, bolts, weldments, externally formed depressions or other suitable elements that protrude inwardly. In the embodiment illustrated, protrusions 68 are formed by applying localized pressure at selected locations along the exterior of coiled tubing 46 to create depressions that extended inwardly into the interior of coiled tubing 46 . By way of example, the depressions can be formed in coiled tubing 46 with a screw type forming tool (see FIG. 24 ). Additionally, a depression forming mandrel can be placed inside the coiled tubing while the depressions are formed to accurately control the final shape of the protrusions 68 extending into the interior of the coiled tubing 46 . In other applications, however, the depressions can be formed in the tubing without an inner mandrel or they can be formed while the coiled tubing is positioned directly on the connector 48 . Regardless of the method of formation, the protrusions 68 are located such that longitudinal slot portions 58 of bayonet slots 56 can be aligned with the protrusions. The protrusions 68 are then moved along longitudinal slot portions 58 as engagement region 52 moves into the interior of coiled tubing 46 . Once connector 48 is axially inserted, the connector 48 and coiled tubing 46 are rotationally twisted relative to each other to move the plurality of protrusions into the generally transverse slot portions 60 .
[0037] After the coiled tubing 46 and connector 48 are joined through the relative axial and rotational movement, a retention mechanism 70 may be used to rotationally secure the coiled tubing protrusions 68 within their corresponding bayonet slots 56 . One example of retention mechanism 70 comprises an interference mechanism, e.g. simple detents 72 (see FIG. 2 ), that hold protrusions 68 in transverse slot portions 60 once protrusions 68 are inserted longitudinally along longitudinal slot portions 58 and rotated into transverse slot portion 60 . Another example of retention mechanism 70 (see FIG. 4 ) comprises a snap ring, e.g. a C-ring, member 74 that may be positioned within a corresponding slot 76 located, for example, circumferentially along midsection 50 of connector 48 . C-ring member 74 further comprises a transverse pin 78 that is positioned in corresponding recesses 80 , 82 of connector 48 and coiled tubing 46 , respectively, when C-ring member 74 is pressed into slot 76 . A variety of other retention mechanisms 70 also can be used, some of which are discussed in greater detail below.
[0038] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 , each bayonet slot 56 is illustrated as having two transverse slot portions 60 for receiving corresponding pairs of protrusions 68 . However, the bayonet slots 56 can be designed in other configurations with different numbers of longitudinal slot portions 58 and a different numbers of transverse slot portions 60 associated with each longitudinal slot portion. As illustrated in FIG. 5 , for example, each longitudinal slot portion 58 is intersected by four transverse slot portions 60 . Additionally, each transverse slot portion 60 has a generally J-shape as opposed to the linear shape illustrated best in FIG. 2 . The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 provides one example of other potential bayonet slot configurations that can be used in coupling connector 48 with coiled tubing 46 .
[0039] In another embodiment, engagement region 52 of connector 48 comprises a threaded portion 84 having threads 86 for engaging a corresponding coiled tubing threaded portion 88 having threads 90 , as illustrated in FIG. 6 . In the embodiment illustrated, threads 86 are formed externally on engagement region 52 of connector 48 , and the corresponding threads 90 are formed on the interior end of coiled tubing 46 . The threads 86 and 90 are designed to absorb substantial axial loading. In some embodiments, an additional seal 92 , such as an elastomeric seal, also may be deployed between engagement region 52 of connector 48 and the surrounding coiled tubing 46 . Examples of seals 92 include O-ring seals, poly-pak seals or other seals able to form a seal between the coiled tubing 46 and connector 48 . The seal area on either side of the elastomeric seal 92 is designed to form a metal to metal seal. In addition, threads that form a metal to metal seal can be used. Regardless, the threads also are selected such that they may be formed at the well site as opposed to being pre-manufactured in a factory environment. Examples of suitable threads include locking tapered threads, such as the Hydril 511 thread, the Tapered Stub Acme thread, the Tapered Buttress thread, and certain straight threads. The interference of the threads also can be designed such that the threads are sacrificial threads. In other words, once connector 48 and coiled tubing 46 are threaded together, the threads are plastically deformed and typically unusable for any subsequent connections, i.e. sacrificed, and the connector cannot be released from the coiled tubing.
[0040] The connectors illustrated herein enable preparation of the coiled tubing and formation of rigorous, secure connections while at the well site. Whether the connector utilizes bayonet slots or threads, the connection with coiled tubing 46 can be improved by preparing the coiled tubing end for connection. For example, the strength of the connection and the ability to form a seal at the connection can be improved by rounding the connection end of the coiled tubing through, for example, a swaging process performed at the well site. As illustrated in FIGS. 7-12 , the coiled tubing 46 can be prepared with an internal swage or an external swage.
[0041] Referring first to FIGS. 7 and 8 , an end 94 of coiled tubing 46 is illustrated after being subjected to an internal swage that creates a swage area 96 . Swage area 96 results from expanding the coiled tubing 46 at end 94 to a desired, e.g. maximum, outside diameter condition. The coiled tubing end 94 is caused to yield during swaging such that end 94 is near round and the outside diameter is formed to the desired, predetermined diameter. The interior of end 94 can then be threaded with threads 90 for engagement with connector 48 , as illustrated in FIG. 8 . In addition to rounding and preparing end 94 for a secure and sealing engagement with connector 48 , the internal swaging can be used to maximize the flow path through connector 48 . Furthermore, the swaging enables a single size connector 48 to be joined with coiled tubing sections having a given outside diameter but different tubing thicknesses. An external rounding fixture also can be used to round the coiled tubing for threading.
[0042] Alternatively, the coiled tubing end 94 can be prepared via external swaging in which, for example, an external swage is used to yield the coiled tubing in a radially inward direction. In this embodiment, the coiled tubing 46 can be yielded back to nominal outside diameter dimensions. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the external swaging creates a swage area 98 that is yielded inwardly and rounded for engagement with connector 48 . As with the previous embodiment, threads 90 can be formed along the interior of swaged end 94 for a rigorous and sealing engagement with connector 48 , as best illustrated in FIG. 10 . In another alternative, swage area 98 can be created, and threads 90 can be formed on the rounded exterior end of coiled tubing 46 , as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 . In this embodiment, threads 86 of connector 48 are formed on an interior of engagement region 52 , as best illustrated in FIG. 12 .
[0043] The methodology involved in rounding and otherwise preparing the coiled tubing for attachment to connector 48 enables field preparation of the coiled tubing at the well site. An example of one methodology for forming connections at a well site can be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 13 . As illustrated in block 100 of the flowchart, the coiled tubing 46 and connectors 48 initially are transported to a well site having at least one well 34 . Once at the well site, the end 94 of the coiled tubing 46 is swaged, as illustrated by a block 102 . The swaging can utilize either an internal swage or an external swage, depending on the application and/or the configuration of connector 48 . The swaging process properly rounds the coiled tubing for a secure, sealing engagement with the connector. In some applications, the swaging portion of the process requires that the coiled tubing seam be removed. When using an internal swage, for example, the coiled tubing seam formed during manufacture of the coiled tubing can be removed with an appropriate grinding tool.
[0044] If connector 48 comprises a threaded portion 84 along its engagement region 52 , the threads 86 are cut into coiled tubing end 94 , as illustrated by block 104 . The threads can be cut at the well site with a tap having an appropriate thread configuration to form the desired thread profile along either the interior or the exterior of coiled tubing end 94 . It should be noted that if connector 48 comprises an engagement region having bayonet slots 56 , the swaging process can still be used to properly round the coiled tubing end 94 and to create the desired tubing diameter for a secure, sealing fit with the breech lock style connector. Once the end 94 is prepared, engagement region 52 of connector 48 is engaged with the coiled tubing. When using a threaded engagement region, the connector 48 is to threadably engaged with the coiled tubing 46 , as illustrated by block 106 . The connector 48 and coiled tubing 46 are then continually threaded together until an interfering threaded connection is formed, as illustrated by block 108 . The interfering threaded connection forms a metal-to-metal seal and a rigorous connection able to withstand the potential axial loads incurred in a downhole application. Of course, the well tool 44 or other appropriate component can be coupled to engagement region 54 according to the specific coupling mechanism of the well tool prior to running the well tool and coiled tubing downhole.
[0045] FIG. 14 illustrates a slightly more detailed methodology of forming connections at a well site. In this embodiment, the coiled tubing 46 and connectors 48 are initially transported to the well site, as illustrated by block 110 . The connection end of the coiled tubing 46 is then swaged, as described above and as illustrated by block 112 . In this particular embodiment, an internal interference thread is cut into the interior of the rounded connection end 94 with a tap having an appropriate thread configuration, as illustrated by block 114 . The cut interference threads are then finished with a second tap, as illustrated by block 116 . A supplemental seal, such as elastomeric seal 92 , is located between the connector 48 and the coiled tubing 46 , as illustrated by block 118 . The connector 48 and the coiled tubing 46 are then threadably engaged, as illustrated by block 120 . In this example, the connector 48 and the coiled tubing 46 are threaded together until a sacrificial threaded connection is formed, as illustrated by block 122 . The embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 are examples of methodologies that can be used to form stable, rigorous, sealed connections at a well site. However, alternate or additional procedures can be used including additional preparation of the coiled tubing end, e.g. chamfering or otherwise forming the end for a desired connection. Additionally, the connector 48 can be torsionally, i.e. rotationally, locked with respect to the coiled tubing 46 and/or the well device 44 via a variety of locking mechanisms, as described more fully below.
[0046] Depending on the type of engagement regions 52 and 54 used to engage the coiled tubing 46 and well tool 44 , respectively, the use of retention mechanism 70 may be desired to lock the components together and prevent inadvertent separation. In addition to the examples of retention mechanism 70 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 , another embodiment of retention mechanism 70 is illustrated in FIG. 15 . In this embodiment, a snap ring member 124 , such as a C-ring, is designed to snap into a corresponding groove 126 formed, for example, in connector 48 . However, groove 126 also can be formed in coiled tubing 46 or well tool 44 . The snap ring member 124 further comprises a transverse pin 128 , such as a shear pin. When snap ring member 124 is properly placed into groove 126 , pin 128 extends through corresponding recesses or castellations 130 , 132 formed in connector 48 and the adjacent component, e.g. coiled tubing 46 , respectively. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15 , connector 48 comprises a plurality of castellations 130 circumferentially spaced, and coiled tubing 46 comprises a plurality of corresponding castellations 132 also circumferentially spaced. In one specific example, 15 castellations 130 are machined between groove 126 and the end of midsection 50 adjacent coiled tubing 46 . In this same example, 12 corresponding castellations are machined into the corresponding end 94 of coiled tubing 46 . This particular pattern of castellations provides matching notches within plus or minus one degree around the circumference of the connector. When pin 128 is disposed within corresponding castellations, the connected components are prevented from rotating with respect each other and are thus retained in a connected position, regardless of whether the connection is formed with bayonet slots 56 or threads 86 . This method can be used for all tool joint connections within the downhole tool.
[0047] Another retention mechanism 70 is illustrated in FIG. 16 . In this embodiment, one or more split ring locking mechanisms 134 can be used to connect sequentially adjacent components, such as coiled tubing 46 , connector 48 and well tool 44 . Each split ring locking mechanism 134 comprises a separate ring sections 136 that can be coupled together around the connection region between adjacent components. The split ring locking mechanism 134 comprises, for example, an internal thread that can be used to pull the adjacent components together when torque is applied to the split ring locking mechanism. Corresponding castellations 138 may be machined into each split ring locking mechanism 134 and an adjacent component to prevent unintended separation of the components, as discussed above. For example, a plurality of castellations can be machined into both the split ring locking mechanism 134 and the adjacent component. A snap ring member 124 can be positioned to prevent the split ring 134 from loosening, thereby securing the adjacent components. By way of specific example, each split ring locking mechanism 134 may comprise a pair of castellations, and each of adjacent component may comprise 12 castellations to facilitate alignment of the corresponding castellations for placement of the snap ring member 124 . In this type of embodiment, the adjacent components, e.g. connector 48 and well tool 44 , can be designed with connector ends having corresponding splines that mate with each other when the adjacent components are initially engaged. The one or more split ring locking mechanisms 134 are used to retain the adjacent components in this engaged position.
[0048] Another embodiment of the split ring locking mechanism 134 is illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18 . In this embodiment, the split ring locking mechanism 134 comprises a split ring portion 140 and a wedge ring portion 142 . The wedge ring portion 142 has a mechanical stop 144 and one or more inclined or ramp regions 146 that cooperate with corresponding inclined or ramp regions 148 of split ring portion 140 . With this type of split ring, the adjacent components are assembled as described above with reference to FIG. 16 , and the split ring 134 is threaded onto an adjacent component until contacting a component shoulder and “shouldering out” on the inside of the connection. The ramp regions 146 , 148 of the wedge ring portion 142 and the split ring portion 140 interfere with each other such that the wedge ring portion 142 rotates with the split ring portion 140 . When the connection is tight, the split ring portion 140 is held in position and the wedge ring portion 142 is turned in the tightening direction. The ramp regions 146 force wedge ring portion 142 away from split ring portion 140 (see FIG. 18 ) and into a shoulder of the adjacent component. Friction holds the wedge ring portion 142 in place. If an external force acts on the split ring locking mechanism 134 in a manner that would tend to loosen the connection, ramp regions 146 are further engaged, thereby tightening the wedge and preventing the split ring mechanism from loosening.
[0049] In another alternate embodiment, retention mechanism 70 may comprise a belleville washer or wave spring 150 positioned to prevent inadvertent loosening of adjacent components, such as connector 48 and coiled tubing 46 . As illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 , belleville washer 150 may be positioned between a shoulder 152 of a first component, e.g. connector 48 , and the mating end of the adjacent component, e.g. coiled tubing 46 . When the connection is tightened, such as by threading connector 48 into coiled tubing 46 as described above, the belleville washer 150 is transitioned from a relaxed state, as illustrated in FIG. 19 , to a flattened or energized state, as illustrated in FIG. 20 . The belleville washer 150 may be designed so the washer is fully flattened when the desired torque is applied to the connection. In the event a large axial load is applied to the connection, loosening of the connection is prevented by the washer due to the highly elastic nature of the belleville washer 150 relative to the elasticity of the connected components.
[0050] Another embodiment of retention mechanism 70 is illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22 . In this embodiment, a key 154 is used in combination with a split ring locking mechanism 134 that may be similar to the design described above with reference to FIG. 16 . Prior to installation, key 154 is slid into a corresponding slot 156 formed in the split ring locking mechanism 134 . The corresponding slot 156 may have one or more undercut regions 158 with which side extensions 160 of key 154 are engaged as key 154 is moved into slot 156 . The side extensions 160 allow the key to move back and forth in slot 156 but prevent the key 154 from falling out of slot 156 once the split ring locking mechanism 134 is engaged with adjacent components.
[0051] The key 154 retains adjacent components in a rotationally locked position by preventing rotation of split ring locking mechanism 134 in the same manner as pin 128 of the snap ring member 124 described above with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 . In operation, the split ring locking mechanism 134 is rotated until sufficiently tight and until the key 154 can be moved into an aligned castellation 138 of an adjacent component, as best illustrated in FIG. 22 . The key 154 is then slid into the aligned castellation until it engages both the split ring locking mechanism 134 and the adjacent component. In this position, key 154 prevents relative rotation between the split ring locking mechanism and the adjacent component. The key 154 may be prevented from sliding back into slot 156 by an appropriate blocking member 162 , such as a set screw positioned behind the key after the key is moved into its locking position. The set screw 162 prevents the key 154 from moving fully back into slot 156 until removal of the set screw. It should be noted that many of these retention mechanisms also can be used in combination. For example, interlocking castellations 130 , 132 can be combined with belleville washers 150 , keys 154 , wedge ring portions 142 , or other locking devices in these and other combinations.
[0052] Another embodiment of retention mechanism 70 is illustrated in FIG. 23 . In this embodiment, a jam nut 164 prevents inadvertent separation of adjacent components, such as separation of coiled tubing 46 from an adjacent component. The jam nut 164 can be used to force coiled tubing 46 and specifically protrusions 68 into more secure engagement with slots 56 , e.g. against the wall surfaces forming slots 56 . In one embodiment, jam nut 164 is used to securely move protrusions 68 into a J-slot portion of each slot 56 . A split ring 134 may be used with the connector 48 to prevent loosening of jam nut 164 , thereby ensuring a secure connection. It should be further noted that additional retention mechanisms can be used for other types of connections, such as threaded connections. For example, threaded connections can be secured with a thread locking compound, such as a Baker™-lock and loctite™ thread locking compound.
[0053] As briefly referenced above, a forming tool 166 can be used to form depressions in the exterior of coiled tubing 46 that result in inwardly directed protrusions 68 , as illustrated in FIG. 24 . The forming tool 166 comprises a tool body 168 with an interior, longitudinal opening 170 sized to receive an end of the coiled tubing 46 therein. A mandrel 172 can be inserted into the interior of coiled tubing 46 to support the coiled tubing during formation of protrusions 68 . Additionally, a plurality of tubing deformation members 174 are mounted radially through tool body 168 . The tubing deformation members 174 are threadably engaged with tool body 168 such that rotation of the tubing deformation members drives them into the coiled tubing to form inwardly directed protrusions 68 . Mandrel 172 can be designed with appropriate recesses to receive the newly formed protrusions 68 , as illustrated.
[0054] The connectors described herein can be used to connect coiled tubing to a variety of components used in well applications. Additionally, the unique design of the connector enables maximization of flow area while maintaining the ability to pass the connector through a coiled tubing injector. The connector and the methodology of using the connector also enable preparation of coiled tubing connections while at a well site. Additionally, a variety of locking mechanisms can be combined with the connector, if necessary, to prevent inadvertent disconnection of the connector from an adjacent component. The techniques discussed above can be used for all tool joints in a downhole tool string.
[0055] Accordingly, although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this invention. Such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims.
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A coiled tubing connection system is used in a well. A connector having an engagement end is used to couple a wellbore device to the end of a coiled tubing. The connector is spoolable, and the engagement end comprises engagement features that facilitate formation of a connection that is dependable and less susceptible to separation.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is entitled to the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/591,164, filed 2004 Jul. 26.
SEQUENCE LISTING
[0002] Non-Applicable.
BACKGROUND
[0003] 1. Field of Invention
[0004] This invention relates to an aerodynamic means that mitigate wind generated vortices and uplift loads on the roof perimeter area of a building, in a simple, effective, and economical way, applicable for both new constructions and retrofits of existing buildings.
[0005] 2. Discussion of Prior Art
[0006] The previous and present roof construction practices normally lead to a roof perimeter configuration that tends to generate corner-edge vortex and subjects the roof perimeter area to severe uplift and high risk of wind damage. Structural methods have been used to mitigate the risk of wind damage. For example, builders may use stronger fasteners or smaller spacing between fasteners for roof cover and deck in the roof edge and corner area, and use “hurricane straps” in lieu of toenails to tie down the roof framing to the wall structure. Some aerodynamic methods have been recommended. Banks et. al. described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,348 (2003) various types of wind spoilers raised above the roof plane that function to mitigate edge vortex formation. However, the apparatus is rather complicated in shape and structure, and is susceptible to wind damage itself because the raised structure subjects itself to accelerated airflow across the roof edge. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,557 (1977), Kramer et. al. described conceptual designs for a roof wind spoiler system used strictly near roof corners. The limited breadth of the apparatus impedes its effectiveness and causes higher wind loads along the neighboring segments of roof perimeter, which the apparatus does not extend to. Its design is also only suitable for flat roofs. Ponder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,423 (1999) a wind spoiler ridge cap that is designed for protecting roof ridges, while this present invention deals primarily with roof perimeters. The structure disclosed herein is continuous along a roof edge or at least substantially extends from the roof corners towards the middle part of a roof edge. The designs are suitable for both sloped and flat roofs. The examples given hereafter are particularly suitable for roofs that have roof cover extending outwardly beyond the roof deck boundary and subjecting itself to accelerated upward flow deflected by the wall directly below.
[0007] In U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,828 of this applicant et al., a series of roof edge configurations are recommended for use to mitigate vortex and high uplift in flat-roof perimeter areas, where the concept is one of coordinated exterior curvature design for a roof edge system. The present invention discloses a distinct roof edge apparatus that utilizes overhung plates that preferably have face perforation and/or outer edge serration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] This invention discloses an aerodynamic means that mitigate wind generated vortices and uplift loads on the roof perimeter area of a building, in a simple, effective, and economical way, applicable for both new constructions and retrofits of existing buildings. This is achieved by using an elongated device generally having an angle-like cross-section and being attached along a roof edge. The elongated device, which can be formed from sheet materials, is generally positioned in such a way that the open side of the angle faces outwardly and downwardly, with one side of the angle generally vertical and the other side generally horizontal. The generally vertical side is normally attached to an existing fascia or bargeboard, while the generally horizontal side extends and overhangs outwardly. The overhung portion is preferably made air-permeable and/or has a zigzag outer edge. The permeability provides a pressure equalizing effect while the outer edge serration provides a flow disorganizing effect, each of which prevents or interrupts the vortex from formation along a roof perimeter. Such a roof edge device is generally referred to as roof edge windscreen in this application. The specific configurations recommended herein pertinent to this invention are primarily applicable for edges of gable, hip, gambrel, mono-slope and flat roofs where no perimeter draining device, such as gutter, or edge flashing is installed. It is prudent that modifications be made according to the spirit and principles of the present invention when other types of roofs or roof edge constructions are encountered.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0009] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
to provide roof edge devices which shield roof edge details from upward airflow, wind-driven rain and wind pressure; to provide roof edge devices which suppress edge vortex formation and reduce wind loads on roofing materials, roof decks and framing in the roof perimeter areas; to provide roof edge devices which reduce wind uplift loads generally on a building structure that are transferred from the roof; to provide roof edge devices which reduce vortex scouring of roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles, roofing tiles, paver etc, and prevent them from becoming wind-borne missiles injuring people and damaging adjacent building envelopes during severe wind events; to provide roof edge devices which stabilize wind flow over the roof and minimize cyclic loads on roof components resulting from recurring winds, reducing the chances of damage due to material fatigue; to provide roof edge devices which prevent rainwater from being driven sideward and upward by wind turbulence and pressed through the gaps between roofing material and roof deck, and into the inner space of the roof assembly, during wind/rain events; to provide roof edge devices which possess the desired aerodynamic performance while maintaining an aesthetic and waterproofing functionality under both extreme and recurring weather conditions.
[0017] Further objects or advantages are to provide roof edge devices which protect a roof edge from wind and rain damage, and which are still among the simplest, most effective and reliable, and inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to install. These and still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1A schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of one of the preferred basic configurations formed with sheet material, as being installed on an overhung gable end of a roof as an example.
[0019] FIG. 1B shows a similar configuration as being installed on a non-overhung gable roof edge as an example.
[0020] FIGS. 1C and 1D are isometric views showing examples of face perforation and edge serration.
[0021] FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically illustrate alternative cross-sectional shapes for the screen portion of the roof edge windscreen.
[0022] FIG. 4 exemplifies a configuration for roof edges with wrapped-down roof covering.
[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of configurations for eave edges where significant rainwater run-off is expected.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] A roof edge windscreen is generally an elongated assembly that is disposed longitudinally in parallel with, and attached to, a roof edge. FIG. 1A shows a cross-section view for one of the preferred configurations of the present invention, a roof edge windscreen 110 being installed on a gable-end overhang 10 of a roof structure. A typical roof overhang is a portion of a roof structure that extends substantially outwards beyond the outer surface 21 of a supporting wall 20 of a building. The gable-end overhang 10 , along with such associated components as roof covering 11 , deck 12 , rafter 13 , fascia board 14 , soffit board 15 , lateral framing member 16 , and aesthetic trim members 31 and 32 , are prior arts. They are included here merely for illustration of their relationships with the roof edge windscreen 110 that is the subject matter of this invention. The apparatus can also be used for non-overhung roof perimeters, for example, on a non-overhung gable-end 17 as depicted in FIG. 1B . Moreover, although many of the embodiments in this application are exemplified with gable edges, the present invention is applicable on other types of roof edges. Specific examples include, but not limited to, gable, hip, gambrel, mono-slope, and flat roof edges. For roof edges where certain rainwater runoff is expected, such as the eave edges of gable and hip roofs, this invention is also applicable where roof edge windscreens will replace rainwater-draining devices such as gutters as described later in this application.
[0025] The roof edge windscreen 110 , exemplified here as made of sheet material, consists of a screen portion 111 , an intermediate channel portion formed by segments 113 a and 113 b , and lower mounting portions 115 a and 115 b , along with an optional drip edge 117 , adjoining consecutively. As exemplified in FIGS. 1C and 1D , the screen portion 111 preferably has face perforation 112 ( FIG. 1C ) or outer edge serration 114 , or has both ( FIG. 1D ).
[0026] Herein the perforation 112 is made with a plurality of through-holes on the sheet material. The specific layout, number, shapes and sizes of the distributed through-holes are not of primary significance, as long as the overall porosity resulting from the face perforation is in a preferred range approximately between 25% and 75% to provide desired air-permeability. This helps equalizing pressures on the opposite sides of the screen and suppresses the forcing mechanism for vortex formation along the edge. In FIG. 1D , in addition to perforation, edge serration is made with a zigzag or wavy outer edge of the screen portion 111 , which disorganizes the flow shear layer over the edge and prevents vorticity embedded in the shear layer from forming a concentrated vortex. While larger sizes are preferred for the projections and notches to provide deeper serration or indentation, their specific layout, number and shapes are not of critical significance. Square, semi-circular and semi-elliptic shapes etc., for example, in addition to the triangular shape shown herein, are all permissible without compromising the functionality described herein. It is also allowable that the perforations, projections and notches have varying shapes and sizes in the same assembly. The choices may be made in combination with aesthetic considerations.
[0027] Thus the function of face perforation and edge serration is to disrupt the formation of the roof edge vortex that would otherwise cause severe uplift loads and scouring on the roof surface. As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B , the screen portion 111 is disposed with its inner side in close proximity to the outer edge 19 of the roof covering 11 and is extended generally outwardly. Various modifications to the configuration of the screen portion 111 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are permissible. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the screen portion 211 , or its outer segment, may curve outwardly and upwardly for roof edges where no significant rainwater runoff is expected, to the extent that such configurations are not expected to cause debris clogging and accumulation along the roof edge. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the screen portion 311 , or its outer segment, may also curve outwardly and downwardly. Furthermore, as an option for serrated edge configuration, the sawtooth-like elements or projections can bend alternatively upwardly and downwardly. These alternatives may be considered in conjunction with the aesthetic aspect of a building.
[0028] The intermediate channel portion is formed by a generally vertical segment 113 a and a generally inward and upward extending segment 113 b that adjoin the screen portion 111 and the mounting portion 115 a respectively, as illustrated in each of the preceding figures. The channel portion formed by segments 113 a and 113 b serves as both a draining device and a protection from upward flow and pressure for the underside of the overhung portion 18 of the roof covering 11 . Optional draining holes (not shown) can be used near the lower edge of the channel portion where segments 113 a and 113 b meet.
[0029] The roof edge windscreen 110 may be mounted on and secured to a roof edge with any appropriate means that does not negatively affect the functionality of the screen portion 111 or that of the intermediate channel portion formed by 113 a and 113 b described herein. A simple example is already illustrated in the preceding figures, i.e. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 . The mounting portions 115 a and 115 b are collectively conformed to the existing configuration of the roof edge and are attached to the side of the roof edge using fasteners 130 . Adequate aesthetic finishes and watertight sealing on the fasteners may be desired. Optional space washers (not shown) can also be placed between a mounting plate portion 115 a , or 115 b , and the trim member 31 , or fascia board 14 , at the location where a fastener is placed, to maintain a small gap for venting out moisture residing therein. In fact, any suitable mechanisms of similar functions may be used for mounting and securing the roof edge windscreen 110 onto a roof edge. The drip edge 117 is also optional.
[0030] The roof edge windscreen has at least three functions. The first is to suppress vortex over a roof edge. High uplifts and strong scouring that result from wind-induced edge vortex above the roof, are prime causes for wind damage to roof components. Secondly, it shields the underside of the protruding portion 18 of the roof covering 11 , such as an array of asphalt shingles or wood shakes, from upward flow and pressure that tend to peel the roof covering 11 upwards and away from other parts of the roof edge assembly 10 . The third function is to prevent upward flow-driven rain from being pressured into the roof structure through the unsealed gaps between the roof covering 11 and the roof components beneath it.
[0031] FIG. 4 provides an example for a modified roof edge windscreen 410 being installed on a roof edge where the roof covering 49 wraps downwards, most often seen with metal roof coverings, such as metal tiles, metal shakes and metal panels, as well as clay tiles in some instances.
[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates a roof edge windscreen 510 being used on an eave edge of a sloped roof where a draining device such as a gutter system is not being used. An outwardly and downwardly extending screen portion 511 is preferred to allow rainwater to shed off the eave, and drain partly through the distributed perforation and partly off the outer edge of the roof edge windscreen 510 . This is in fact a better draining scheme than allowing roof rainwater cascade down directly from the eave edge, which erodes sods, soils or aggregates around a building perimeter.
[0033] FIG. 6 shows an alternative, simpler configuration of roof edge windscreen 610 being used on an eave edge of a sloped roof where a draining device such as a gutter system is not being used. Herein the screen portion 611 extends inwardly, closely below the outmost portion of the roof cover 68 . This configuration has similar functions to the one depicted in FIG. 5 .
[0034] A roof edge windscreen provides protection against wind and rain damage for a broad variety of roof constructions whenever the apparatus and its geometric relationship with the roof perimeter are configured in accordance with the spirit of this invention, as exemplified herein in the specification and governed in the appended claims.
[0000] Installation and Operation
[0035] An embodiment of this invention is a passive flow control device for roof edges. Once installed properly, it stays functioning in such a way that it mitigates vortex formation at a roof edge and reduces uplifts and vortex scouring on the roof perimeter area, whenever the wind blows towards a building bearing atop such roof edge devices, and requires no active operational intervention.
CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE
[0036] It is apparent that roof edge windscreens of this invention provide advantageous devices for mitigating roof edge vortex and roof uplift, and are still among the simplest, most effective and reliable, inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to install.
[0037] Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Various changes, modifications, variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Roof edge windscreens can be made of any reasonably durable material with any appropriate means of fabrication as long as a configuration according to the spirit of this invention is accomplished to support the described working mechanism and to provide the associated functionality. Various surface portions of a roof edge windscreen may also bear such surface details as corrugation or steps of adequate sizes, as opposed to perfectly smooth surfaces. Any appropriate conventional or new mounting method can be used to secure a roof edge windscreen to a roof perimeter without departing from the spirit of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
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An assembly attached to the roof perimeter to mitigate wind-generated vortices and uplift loads on the roof perimeter area of a building, applicable for both new constructions and retrofits of existing buildings. The assembly comprises an overhung screen portion preferably having face perforation and outer edge serration for equalizing pressure and disorganizing shear layer vorticity, and thus disrupting vortex formation. A roof edge windscreen is generally mounted onto an existing fascia or bargeboard. As an option appropriate for new constructions, it can also be mounted directly onto a framing member in place of fascia or bargeboard.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a division of application Ser. No. 10/122,424 filed Apr. 12, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,611. The disclosure of this earlier application is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to operations performed in conjunction with subterranean wells and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a method of forming sealed wellbore junctions.
Many systems have been developed for connecting intersecting wellbores in a well. Unfortunately, these systems typically involve methods which unduly restrict access to one or both of the intersecting wellbores, restrict the flow of fluids, are very complex or require very sophisticated equipment to perform, are time-consuming in that they require a large number of trips into the well, do not provide secure attachment between casing in the parent wellbore and a liner in the branch wellbore and/or do not provide a high degree of sealing between the intersecting wellbores.
For example, some wellbore junction systems rely on cement alone to provide a seal between the interior of the wellbore junction and a formation surrounding the junction. In these systems, there is no attachment between the casing in the parent wellbore and the liner in the branch wellbore, other than that provided by the cement. These systems are acceptable in some circumstances, but it would be desirable in other circumstances to be able to provide more secure attachment between the tubulars in the intersecting wellbores, and to provide more effective sealing between the tubulars.
SUMMARY
In carrying out the principles of the present invention, in accordance with an embodiment thereof, a method of forming a wellbore junction is provided which both securely attaches tubulars in intersecting wellbores and effectively seals between the tubulars. The method is straightforward and convenient in its performance, does not unduly restrict flow or access through the junction, and does not require an inordinate number of trips into the well.
In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for forming a wellbore junction which includes a step of expanding a member within a tubular structure positioned at an intersection of two wellbores. This expansion of the member may perform several functions. For example, the expanded member may secure an end of a tubular string which extends into a branch wellbore. The expanded member may also seal to the tubular string and/or to the tubular structure.
In another aspect of the invention, the tubular string may be installed in the branch wellbore through a window formed through the tubular structure. An engagement device on the tubular string engages the tubular structure to secure the tubular string to the tubular structure. For example, the engagement device may be a flange which is larger in size than the window of the tubular structure and is prevented from passing therethrough, thereby fixing the position of the tubular string relative to the tubular structure.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a whipstock may be used to drill the branch wellbore through the window in the tubular structure. Thereafter, the whipstock is used to install the tubular string in the branch wellbore. After installation of the tubular string, the whipstock may be retrieved from the parent wellbore, thereby permitting full bore access through the wellbore junction in the parent wellbore. The tubular string may be installed and the whipstock retrieved in only a single trip into the well using a unique tool string.
In still another aspect of the invention, the window may be formed in the tubular structure prior to cementing the tubular structure in the parent wellbore. To prevent cement flow through the window, a retrievable sleeve is used inside the tubular structure. After cementing, the sleeve is retrieved from within the tubular structure.
Various types of seals may be used between various elements of the wellbore junction. For example metal to metal seals may be used, or elements of the wellbore junction may be adhesively bonded to each other, etc.
These and other features, advantages, benefits and objects of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the detailed description of representative embodiments of the invention hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a method of forming a wellbore junction which embodies principles of the present invention and wherein a tubular structure has been cemented within a parent wellbore;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the method wherein a branch wellbore has been drilled through the tubular structure utilizing a whipstock positioned in the tubular structure;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the method wherein a tubular string is being installed in the branch wellbore;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the method wherein a sleeve is being expanded within the tubular structure to thereby secure and seal the tubular string to the tubular structure;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5 — 5 of FIG. 4 , showing the sleeve expanded within the tubular structure;
FIGS. 6 & 7 are cross-sectional views of the sleeve in its radially compressed and expanded configurations, respectively;
FIGS. 8–13 are cross-sectional views of a second method embodying principles of the present invention;
FIGS. 14–17 are cross-sectional views of a third method embodying principles of the present invention;
FIGS. 18–20 are cross-sectional views of a fourth method embodying principles of the present invention;
FIGS. 21–25 are cross-sectional views of a fifth method embodying principles of the present invention;
FIGS. 26 & 27 are cross-sectional views of a sixth method embodying principles of the present invention;
FIGS. 28 & 29 are cross-sectional views of a seventh method embodying principles of the present invention;
FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of an eighth method embodying principles of the present invention; and
FIGS. 31–35 are cross-sectional views of a ninth method embodying principles of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Representatively illustrated in FIG. 1 is a method 10 which embodies principles of the present invention. In the following description of the method 10 and other apparatus and methods described herein, directional terms, such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, etc., are used only for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings. Additionally, it is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention described herein may be utilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., and in various configurations, without departing from the principles of the present invention.
As depicted in FIG. 1 , several steps of the method 10 have already been performed. A parent wellbore 12 has been drilled and a tubular structure 14 has been positioned in the parent wellbore. The tubular structure 14 is part of a casing string 16 used to line the parent wellbore 12 .
It should be understood that use of the terms “parent wellbore” and “casing string” herein are not to be taken as limiting the invention to the particular illustrated elements of the method 10 . The parent wellbore 12 could be any wellbore, such as a branch of another wellbore, and does not necessarily extend directly to the earth's surface. The casing string 16 could be any type of tubular string, such as a liner string, etc. The terms “casing string” and “liner string” are used herein to indicate tubular strings of any type, such as segmented or unsegmented tubular strings, tubular strings made of any materials, including nonmetal materials, etc. Thus, the reader will appreciate that these and other descriptive terms used herein are merely for convenience in clearly explaining the illustrated embodiments of the invention, and are not used for limiting the scope of the invention.
The casing string 16 also includes two anchoring profiles 18 , 20 for purposes that are described below. The lower profile 20 may be an orienting latch profile, for example, a profile which serves to rotationally orient a device engaged therewith relative to the window 28 . The upper profile 18 may also be an orienting latch profile. Such orienting profiles are well known to those skilled in the art.
A tubular shield 22 is received within the casing string 16 , and seals 24 , 26 carried on the shield are positioned at an upper end of the tubular structure 14 and at a lower end of the anchoring profile 20 , respectively. The shield 22 is a relatively thin sleeve as depicted in FIG. 1 , but it could have other shapes and other configurations in keeping with the principles of the invention.
The shield 22 serves to prevent flow through a window 28 formed laterally through a sidewall of the tubular structure 14 . Specifically, the shield 22 prevents the flow of cement through the window 28 when the casing string 16 is cemented in the parent wellbore 12 . The shield 22 also prevents fouling of the lower profile 20 during the cementing operation, and the shield may be releasably engaged with the profile to secure it in position during the cementing operation and to enable it to be retrieved from the casing string 16 after the cementing operation, for example; by providing an appropriate convention latch on the shield.
The shield 22 prevents cement from flowing out to the window 28 when cement is pumped through the casing string 16 . Other means may be used external to the tubular structure 14 to prevent cement from flowing in to the window 28 , for example, an outer membrane, a fiberglass wrap about the tubular structure, a substance filling the window and any space between the window and the shield 22 , etc.
At this point it should be noted that the use of the terms “cement” and “cementing operation” herein are used to indicate any substance and any method of deploying that substance to fill the annular space between a tubular string and a wellbore, to seal between the tubular string and the wellbore and to secure the tubular string within the wellbore. Such substances may include, for example, various cementitious compositions, polymer compositions such as epoxies, foamed compositions, other types of materials, etc.
At the time the casing string 16 is positioned in the wellbore 12 , but prior to the cementing operation, the tubular structure 14 is rotationally oriented so that the window 28 faces in a direction of a desired branch wellbore to extend outwardly from the window. Thus, the tubular structure 14 is positioned at the future intersection between the parent wellbore 12 and the branch wellbore-to-be-drilled, with the window 28 facing in the direction of the future branch wellbore. The rotational orientation may be accomplished in any of a variety of ways, for example, by engaging a gyroscopic device with the upper profile 18 , by engaging a low side indicator with the shield 22 , etc. Such rotational orienting devices (gyroscope, low side indicator, etc.) are well known to those skilled in the art.
After the tubular structure 14 is positioned in the wellbore 12 with the window 28 facing in the proper direction, the casing string 16 is cemented in place in the wellbore. When the cementing operation is concluded, the shield 22 is retrieved from the casing string 16 .
Referring additionally now to FIG. 2 , an enlarged view of the method 10 is representatively illustrated wherein the shield 22 has been retrieved. A whipstock 30 or other type of deflection device has been installed in the tubular structure 14 by engaging keys, lugs or dogs 32 with the profile 20 , thereby releasably securing the whipstock in position and rotationally aligning an upper deflection surface 34 with the window 28 .
The whipstock 30 also includes an inner passage 36 and a profile 38 formed internally on the passage for retrieving the whipstock. Of course, other means for retrieving the whipstock 30 could be used, for example, a washover tool, a spear, an overshot, etc.
As depicted in FIG. 2 , one or more cutting devices, such as drill bits, etc., have been deflected off of the deflection surface 34 and through the window 28 to drill a branch wellbore 40 extending outwardly from the window. As discussed above, the term “branch wellbore” should not be taken as limiting the invention, since the wellbore 40 could be a parent of another wellbore, or could be another type of wellbore, etc.
Referring additionally now to FIG. 3 , the method 10 is representatively illustrated wherein a tubular string 42 has been installed in the branch wellbore 40 . The tubular string 42 may be made up substantially of liner or any other type of tubular material.
As depicted in FIG. 3 , the tubular string 42 includes an engagement device 44 for engaging the tubular structure 14 and securing an upper end of the tubular string thereto. The tubular string 42 also includes a flex or swivel joint 46 for enabling, or at least enhancing, deflection of the tubular string from the parent wellbore 12 into the branch wellbore 40 . Alternatively, or in addition, the swivel joint 46 permits rotation of an upper portion of the tubular string 42 relative to a lower portion of the tubular string in the rotational alignment step of the method 10 described below. The tubular string 42 is deflected off of the deflection surface 34 as it is conveyed downwardly attached to a tool string 48 .
The tool string 48 includes an anchor 50 for releasable engagement with the upper profile 18 , a running tool 52 for releasable attachment to the tubular string 42 , and a retrieval tool 54 for retrieving the whipstock 30 . The running tool 52 may include keys, lugs or dogs for engaging an internal profile (not shown) of the tubular string 42 . The retrieval tool 54 may include keys, lugs or dogs for engagement with the profile 38 of the whipstock 30 .
When the anchor 50 is engaged with the profile 18 , the tubular string 42 is rotationally aligned so that the engagement device 44 will properly engage the tubular structure 14 as further described below. In addition, the anchor 50 is preferably spaced apart from the engagement device 44 so that when the anchor is engaged with the profile 18 and a shoulder 56 formed on a tubing string 58 of the tool string 48 contacts the anchor, the engagement device is properly positioned in engagement with the tubular structure 14 .
Specifically, the tubing string 58 is slidably received within the anchor 50 . When the shoulder 56 contacts the anchor 50 , the engagement device 44 is a predetermined distance from the anchor. This distance between the anchor 50 and the engagement device 44 corresponds with another predetermined distance between the profile 18 and the tubular structure 14 . Thus, when the tubular string 42 is being conveyed into the branch wellbore 40 , the engagement device 44 will properly engage the tubular structure 14 as the shoulder 56 contacts the anchor 50 .
The running tool 52 may then be released from the tubular string 42 , the tool string 48 may be raised into the parent wellbore 12 , and then the retrieval tool 54 may be engaged with the profile 38 in the whipstock 30 to retrieve the whipstock from the parent wellbore. Note that the installation of the tubular string 42 and the retrieval of the whipstock 30 may thus be accomplished in a single trip into the well.
The engagement device 44 is depicted in FIG. 3 as a flange which extends outwardly from the upper end of the tubular string 42 . The engagement device 44 includes a backing plate or landing plate 60 which is received in an opening 62 formed through a sidewall of a guide structure 64 of the tubular structure 14 . Preferably, the opening 62 is complementarily shaped relative to the plate 60 , and this complementary engagement maintains the alignment between the tubular string 42 and the tubular structure 14 . For example, engagement between the plate 60 and the opening 62 supports the upper end of the tubular string 42 , so that an annular space exists about the upper end of the tubular string for later placement of cement therein.
The guide structure 64 is more clearly visible in the enlarged view of FIG. 2 . In this view it may also be seen that the opening 62 includes an elongated slot 66 at a lower end thereof. Preferably, the plate 60 includes a downwardly extending tab 68 (see FIG. 3 ) which engages the slot 66 and thereby prevents rotation of the engagement device 44 relative to the window 28 .
The engagement device 44 is larger in size than the window 28 , and so the engagement device prevents the tubular string 42 from being conveyed too far into the branch wellbore 40 . The engagement device 44 thus secures the upper end of the tubular string 42 relative to the tubular structure 14 . Of course, other types of engagement devices may be used in place of the illustrated flange and backing plate, for example, an orienting profile could be formed on the tubular structure and keys, dogs or lugs could be carried on the tubular string 42 for engagement therewith to orient and secure the tubular string relative to the tubular structure.
As depicted in FIG. 3 , the engagement device 44 carries a seal 70 thereon which circumscribes the opening 62 and sealingly engages the guide structure 64 . The guide structure 64 carries seals 72 , 74 thereon which sealingly engage above and below the window 28 . Thus, the tubular string 42 is sealed to the tubular structure 14 so that leakage therebetween is prevented. The seals 70 , 72 , 74 , or any of them, may be elastomer seals, non-elastomer seals, metal to metal seals, expanding seals, and/or seals created by adhesive bonding, such as by using epoxy or another adhesive.
Referring additionally now to FIG. 4 , an enlarged view is representatively illustrated of the method 10 after the tubular string 42 is installed in the branch wellbore 40 and the whipstock 30 is retrieved from the well. Note that an alternatively constructed engagement device 44 is illustrated in FIG. 4 which does not include the plate 60 . Instead, the flange portion of the engagement device 44 is received in the opening 62 and the engagement device is sealed to the tubular structure 14 about the window 28 using one or more seals 76 , 78 , 80 circumscribing the window. The seal 76 is an adhesive, the seal 78 is an o-ring and the seal 80 is a metal to metal seal.
To further secure the tubular string 42 to the tubular structure 14 , a member 82 is expanded within the tubular structure using an expansion device 84 . As depicted in FIG. 4 , the member 82 is a tubular sleeve having an opening 86 formed through a sidewall thereof. Of course, other expandable member shapes and configurations could be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
The opening 86 is rotationally aligned with an internal flow passage 88 of the tubular string 42 , for example, by engaging the expansion device 84 with the upper profile 18 . Then, the expansion device 84 is actuated to displace a wedge or cone go upwardly through the member 82 , thereby expanding the member outwardly. Such outward expansion also outwardly displaces seals 92 , 94 , 96 , 98 , 100 carried on the member.
The seals 94 , 96 sealingly engage the guide structure 64 above and below the opening 62 . The seals 92 , 98 are metal to metal seals and sealingly engage the tubular structure 14 above and below the guide structure 64 . The seal 100 is an adhesive seal which circumscribes the passage 88 and sealingly engages the flange portion of the engagement device 44 . Of course, the seals 92 , 94 , 96 , 98 , 100 , or any of them, may be any type of seal, for example, elastomer, non-elastomer, metal to metal, adhesive, etc.
After the member 82 is expanded, the expansion device 84 is retrieved from the well and the tubular string 42 is cemented within the branch wellbore 40 . For example, a foamed composition may be injected into the annulus radially between the tubular string 42 and the branch wellbore 40 . The foamed composition could expand in the annulus to fill any voids therein, and could expand to fill any voids about the structure 14 in the wellbore 12 .
Note that the engagement device 44 is retained between the member 82 and the tubular structure 14 , thereby preventing upward and downward displacement of the tubular string 42 . In addition, where metal to metal seals are used, the expansion of the member 82 maintains a biasing force on these seals to maintain sealing engagement.
Referring additionally now to FIG. 5 , a partial cross-sectional view, taken along line 5 — 5 of FIG. 4 is representatively illustrated. In this view, only the tubular string 42 , tubular structure 14 , guide structure 64 and expandable member 82 cross-sections are shown for clarity of illustration. From FIG. 5 , it may be more clearly appreciated how the engagement device 44 is received in the guide structure 64 , and how expansion of the member 82 secures the engagement device in the tubular structure 14 .
In addition, note that no separate seals are visible in FIG. 5 for sealing between the engagement device 44 and the tubular structure 14 or expansion member 82 . This is due to the fact that FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate sealing method wherein sealing between the engagement device 44 and each of the tubular structure 14 and expansion member 82 is accomplished by metal to metal contact between these elements.
Specifically, expansion of the member 82 causes it to press against an interior surface the engagement device 44 circumscribing the passage 88 , which in turn causes an exterior surface of the engagement device to press against an interior surface of the tubular structure 14 circumscribing the window 28 . This pressing of one element surface against another when the member 82 is expanded results in metal to metal seals being formed between the surfaces. However, as mentioned above, any type of seal may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the expansion member 82 is representatively illustrated in its radially compressed and radially expanded configurations, respectively. In FIG. 6 , it may be seen that the expansion member 82 in its radially compressed configuration has a circumferentially corrugated shape, that is, the member has a convoluted shape about its circumference. In FIG. 7 , the member 82 is radially expanded so that it attains a substantially cylindrical tubular shape, that is, it has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 8–13 , another method 110 embodying principles of the invention is representatively illustrated. In the method 110 , a tubular structure 112 is interconnected in a casing string 114 and conveyed into a parent wellbore 116 . The tubular structure 112 preferably includes a tubular outer shield 118 outwardly overlying a window 120 formed through a sidewall of the tubular structure. The shield 118 is preferably made of a relatively easily drilled or milled material, such as aluminum.
The shield 118 prevents cement from flowing outwardly through the window 120 when the casing string 114 is cemented in the wellbore 116 . The shield 118 also transmits torque through the tubular structure 112 from above to below the window 120 , due to the fact that the shield is rotationally secured to the tubular structure above and below the window, for example, by castellated engagement between upper and lower ends of the shield and the tubular structure above and below the window, respectively.
The tubular structure 112 is rotationally aligned with a branch wellbore-to-be-drilled 122 , so that the window 120 faces in the radial direction of the desired branch wellbore. This rotational alignment may be accomplished, for example, by use of a conventional wireline-conveyed direction sensing tool (not shown) engaged with a key or keyway 124 having a known orientation relative to the window 120 . Other rotational alignment means may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
In FIG. 9 it may be seen that a work string 126 is used to convey a mill, drill or other cutting tool 128 , a whipstock or other deflection device 130 and an orienting latch or anchor 132 into the casing string 114 . The drill 128 is releasably attached to the whipstock 130 , for example, by a shear bolt 134 , thereby enabling the drill and whipstock to be conveyed into the casing string 114 in a single trip into the well.
The anchor 132 is engaged with an anchoring and orienting profile 136 in the casing string 114 below the tubular structure 112 . Such engagement secures the whipstock 130 relative to the tubular structure 112 and rotationally orients the whipstock relative to the tubular structure, so that an upper inclined deflection surface 138 of the whipstock faces toward the window 120 and the desired branch wellbore 122 .
Thereafter, the shear bolt 134 is sheared (for example, by slacking off on the work string 126 , thereby applying a downwardly directed force to the bolt), permitting the drill 128 to be laterally deflected off of the surface 138 and through the window 120 . The drill 128 is used to drill or mill outwardly through the shield 118 , and to drill the branch wellbore 122 . Of course, multiple cutting tools and different types of cutting tools may be used for the drill 128 during this drilling process.
As depicted in FIG. 9 , the casing string 114 has been cemented within the wellbore 116 prior to the drilling process. However, it is to be clearly understood that it is not necessary for the tubular structure 112 to be cemented in the wellbore 116 at this time. It may be desirable to delay cementing of the casing string 114 , or to forego cementing of the tubular structure 112 , as set forth in further detail below.
In FIG. 10 it may be seen that the branch wellbore 122 has been drilled extending outwardly from the window 120 of the tubular structure 112 by laterally deflecting one or more cutting tools from the parent wellbore 116 off of the deflection surface 138 of the whipstock 130 .
In FIG. 11 it may be seen that a liner string 140 is conveyed through the casing string 114 , and a lower end of the liner string is laterally deflected off of the surface 138 , through the window 120 , and into the branch wellbore 122 . An engagement device 142 attached at an upper end of the liner string 140 engages a tubular guide structure 144 of the tubular structure 112 , thereby securing the upper end of the liner string to the tubular structure. This engagement between the device 142 and the structure 112 forms a load-bearing connection between the casing string 114 and the liner string 140 , so that further displacement of the liner string into the branch wellbore 122 is prevented.
Engagement between the device 142 and the structure 144 may also rotationally secure the device relative to the tubular structure 112 . For example, the slot 66 and tab 68 described above may be used on the device 142 and structure 144 , respectively, to prevent rotation of the device in the tubular structure 112 . Other types of complementary engagement, and other means of rotationally securing the device 142 relative to the tubular structure 112 may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
Note that the device 142 is depicted in FIG. 11 as a radially outwardly extending flange-shaped member which inwardly overlaps the perimeter of the window 120 . The device 142 inwardly circumscribes the window 120 and overlaps its perimeter, so if one or both mating surfaces of the device and tubular structure 112 are provided with a suitable layer of sealing material (such as an elastomer, adhesive, relatively soft metal, etc.), a seal 146 may be formed between the device and the tubular structure due to the contact therebetween. The device 142 may be otherwise shaped, and may be otherwise sealed to the tubular structure 112 in keeping with the principles of the invention.
In FIG. 12 it may be seen that the whipstock 130 and anchor 132 are retrieved from the well and a generally tubular expandable member 148 is conveyed into the tubular structure 112 and expanded therein. For example, the expandable member 148 may be expanded radially outward using the expansion device 84 , from a radially compressed configuration (such as that depicted in FIG. 6 ) to a radially extended configuration (such as that depicted in FIG. 7 ).
The member 148 preferably has an opening 150 formed through a sidewall thereof when it is conveyed into the structure 112 . In that case, the opening 150 is preferably rotationally aligned with the window 120 (and thus rotationally aligned with an internal flow passage 152 of the liner string 140 ) prior to the member 148 being radially expanded. Alternatively, the member 148 could be conveyed into the structure 112 without the opening 150 having previously been formed, then expanded, and then a whipstock or other deflection device could be used to direct a cutting tool to form the opening through the sidewall of the member.
Note that the method 110 is illustrated in FIG. 12 as though the casing string 114 is cemented in the wellbore 116 at the time the member 148 is expanded in the structure 112 . However, the structure 112 could be cemented in the wellbore 116 after the member 148 is expanded therein.
After being expanded radially outward, the member 148 preferably has an internal diameter D 1 which is substantially equal to, or at least as great as, an internal diameter D 2 of the casing string 114 above the structure 112 . Thus, the member 148 does not obstruct flow or access through the structure 112 .
Note that a separate seal is not depicted in FIG. 12 between the member 148 and the device 142 or the structure 112 . Instead, seals 154 , 156 between the member 148 and the structure 112 above and below the guide structure 144 are formed by contact between the member 148 and the structure 112 when the member is expanded radially outward. For example, one or both mating surfaces of the member 148 and tubular structure 112 may be provided with a suitable layer of sealing material (such as an elastomer, adhesive, relatively soft metal, etc.), so that the seals 154 , 156 are formed between the member and the tubular structure due to the contact therebetween. The member 148 may be otherwise sealed to the tubular structure 112 in keeping with the principles of the invention.
To enhance sealing contact between the member 148 and the structure 112 and/or to ensure sufficient forming of the internal diameter D 1 , the structure may be expanded radially outward somewhat at the time the member is expanded radially outward, for example, by the expansion device 84 . This technique may produce some outward elastic deformation in the structure 112 , so that after the expansion process the structure will be biased radially inward to increase the surface contact pressure between the structure and the member 148 . Such an expansion technique may be particularly useful where it is desired for the seals 154 , 156 to be metal to metal seals. If this expansion technique is used, it may be desirable to delay cementing the structure 112 in the wellbore 116 until after the expansion process is completed.
Similarly, a seal 158 between the member 148 and the device 142 outwardly circumscribing the opening 150 is formed by contact between the member 148 and the device when the member is expanded radially outward. For example, one or both mating surfaces of the member 148 and device 142 may be provided with a suitable layer of sealing material (such as an elastomer, adhesive, relatively soft metal, etc.), so that the seal 158 is formed between the member and the device due to the contact therebetween. The member 148 may be otherwise sealed to the device 142 in keeping with the principles of the invention. Radially outward deformation of the structure 112 at the time the member 148 is expanded radially outward (as described above) may also enhance sealing contact between the member and the device 142 , particularly where the seal 158 is a metal to metal seal.
The expandable member 148 secures the device 142 in its engagement with the guide structure 144 . It will be readily appreciated that inward displacement of the device 142 is not permitted after the member 148 has been expanded. Furthermore, in the event that the device 142 has not yet fully engaged the guide structure 144 at the time the member 148 is expanded (for example, the device could be somewhat inwardly disposed relative to the guide structure), expansion of the member will ensure that the device is fully engaged with the guide structure (for example, by outwardly displacing the device somewhat).
Referring additionally now to FIG. 13 , an alternate procedure for use in the method 110 is representatively illustrated. This alternate procedure may be compared to the illustration provided in FIG. 8 . Instead of the outer shield 118 , the procedure illustrated in FIG. 13 uses an inner generally tubular shield 160 having an inclined upper surface or muleshoe 162 . Although no separate seals are shown in FIG. 13 , the inner shield 160 is preferably sealed to the tubular structure 112 above and below the guide structure 144 , so that cement or debris in the casing string 114 is not permitted to flow into the window 120 from the interior of the structure 112 . Preferably, the inner shield 160 is made of metal and is retrievable from within the structure 112 after the cementing process.
To prevent cement or debris from flowing into the structure 112 through the window 120 , a generally tubular outer shield 164 outwardly overlies the window. Preferably, the outer shield 164 is made of a relatively easily drillable material, such as a composite material (e.g., fiberglass, etc.). A fluid 166 having a relatively high viscosity is contained between the inner and outer shields 162 , 164 to provide support for the outer shield against external pressure, and to aid in preventing leakage of external fluids into the area between the shields. A suitable fluid for use as the fluid 166 is known by the trade name GLCOGEL, a relatively high viscosity fluid.
The muleshoe 162 provides a convenient surface for engagement by a conventional wireline-conveyed orienting tool (not shown). Such a tool may be engaged with the muleshoe 162 and used to rotationally orient the structure 112 relative to the branch wellbore-to-be-drilled 122 , since the muleshoe has a known radial orientation relative to the window 120 .
After the structure 112 has been appropriately rotationally oriented, the casing string 114 may be cemented in the wellbore 116 , and the inner shield 160 may then be retrieved from the well. After retrieval of the inner shield 160 , the method 110 may proceed as described above, i.e., the whipstock 130 and anchor 132 may be installed, etc. Alternatively, the inner shield 160 may be retrieved prior to cementing the structure 112 in the wellbore 116 .
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 14–17 , another method 170 embodying principles of the invention is representatively illustrated. The method 170 differs from the other methods described above in substantial part in that a specially constructed tubular structure is not necessarily used in a casing string 172 to provide a window through a sidewall of the string. Instead, a window 176 is formed through a sidewall of the casing string 172 using conventional means, such as by use of a conventional whipstock (not shown) anchored and oriented in the casing string according to conventional practice.
One of the many benefits of the method 170 is that it may be used in existing wells wherein casing has already been installed. Furthermore, the method 170 may even be performed in wells in which the window 176 has already been formed in the casing string 172 . However, it is to be clearly understood that it is not necessary for the method 170 to be performed in a well wherein existing casing has already been cemented in place. The method 170 may be performed in newly drilled or previously uncased wells, and in wells in which the casing has not yet been cemented in place.
In FIG. 15 it may be seen that a liner string 178 is conveyed into a branch wellbore 180 which has been drilled extending outwardly from the window 176 . At its upper end, the liner string 178 includes an engagement device 182 which engages the interior of the casing string 172 and prevents further displacement of the liner string 178 into the branch wellbore 180 . Engagement of the device 182 with the casing string 172 may also rotationally align the device with respect to the casing string.
As depicted in FIG. 15 , the device 182 is a flange extending outwardly from the remainder of the liner string 178 . The device 182 inwardly overlies the perimeter of the window 176 and circumscribes the window. Contact between an outer surface of the device 182 and an inner surface of the casing string 172 may be used to provide a seal 184 therebetween, for example, if one or both of the inner and outer surfaces is provided with a layer of a suitable sealing material, such as an elastomer, adhesive or a relatively soft metal, etc. Thus, the seal 184 may be a metal to metal seal. Other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
In an optional procedure of the method 170 , the liner string 178 (or at least the device 182 ) may be in a radially compressed configuration (such as that depicted in FIG. 6 ) when it is initially installed in the branch wellbore 180 , and then extended to a radially expanded configuration (such as that depicted in FIG. 7 ) thereafter. This expansion of the liner string 178 , or at least expansion of the device 182 , may be used to bring the device into sealing contact with the casing string 172 .
In FIG. 16 it may be seen that a generally tubular expandable member 186 is conveyed into the casing string 172 and aligned longitudinally with the device 182 . The member 186 has an opening 188 formed through a sidewall thereof. The opening 188 is rotationally aligned with the window 176 (and thus aligned with a flow passage 190 of the liner string 178 ).
However, it is not necessary for the opening 188 to be formed in the member 186 prior to conveying the member into the well, or for the opening to be aligned with the window 176 at the time it is positioned opposite the device 182 . For example, the opening 188 could be formed after the member 186 is installed in the casing string 172 , such as by using a whipstock or other deflection device to direct a cutting tool to cut the opening laterally through the sidewall of the member.
As depicted in FIG. 16 , the member 186 has an outer layer of a suitable sealing material 192 thereon. The sealing material 192 may be any type of material which may be used to form a seal between surfaces brought into contact with each other. For example, the sealing material 192 may be an elastomer, adhesive or relatively soft metal, etc. Other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
In FIG. 17 it may be seen that the member 186 is expanded radially outward, so that it now contacts the interior of the casing string 172 and the device 182 . Preferably, such contact results in sealing engagement between the member 186 and the interior surface of the casing string 172 , and between the member and the device 182 .
Specifically, the sealing material 192 seals between the member 186 and the casing string 172 above, below and circumscribing the device 182 . The sealing material 192 also seals between the member 186 and the device 182 around the outer periphery of the opening 188 , that is, sealing engagement between the device 182 and the member 186 circumscribes the opening 188 . Thus, the interiors of the casing and liner strings 172 , 178 are completely isolated from the wellbores 174 , 180 external to the strings. This substantial benefit of the method 170 is also provided by the other methods described herein.
As depicted in FIG. 17 , the casing string 172 is outwardly deformed when the member 186 is radially outwardly expanded therein. At least some elastic deformation, and possibly some plastic deformation, of the casing string 172 outwardly overlying the member 186 is experienced, thereby recessing the member into the interior wall of the casing string.
As a result, the inner diameter D 3 of the member 186 is substantially equal to, or at least as great as, the inner diameter D 4 of the casing string 172 above the window 176 . Preferably, during the expansion process, the inner diameter D 3 of the member 186 is enlarged until it is greater than the inner diameter D 4 of the casing string 172 , so that after the expansion force is removed, the diameter D 3 will relax to a dimension no less than the diameter D 4 .
Thus, the method 170 does not result in substantial restriction of flow or access through the casing string 172 . This substantial benefit of the method 170 is also provided by other methods described herein.
Outward elastic deformation of the casing string 172 in the portions thereof overlying the member 186 is desirable in that it inwardly biases the casing string, increasing the contact pressure between the mating surfaces of the member and the casing string, thereby enhancing the seal therebetween, after the member has been expanded. However, it is to be clearly understood that it is not necessary, in keeping with the principles of the invention, for the casing string 172 to be outwardly deformed, since the member 186 may be expanded radially outward into sealing contact with the interior surface of the casing string without deforming the casing string at all.
When the member 186 is expanded, it also outwardly displaces the device 182 . This outward displacement of the device 182 further outwardly deforms the casing string 172 where it overlies the device. Elastic deformation of the casing string 172 overlying the device 182 is desirable in that it results in inward biasing of the casing string when the expansion force is removed. This enhances the seal 184 between the device 182 and the casing string 172 , and further increases the contact pressure on the sealing material between the device 182 and the member 186 .
The method 170 is depicted in FIG. 17 as though the casing string 172 is not yet cemented in the parent wellbore 174 at the time the member 186 is expanded therein. This alternate order of steps in the method 170 may be desirable in that it may facilitate outward deformation of the casing string 172 above and below the window 176 . The casing and/or liner strings 172 , 178 may be cemented in the respective wellbores 174 , 180 after the member 186 is expanded.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 18–20 , another method 200 embodying principles of the invention is representatively illustrated. In FIG. 18 it may be seen that a tubular structure 202 is cemented in a parent wellbore 204 at an intersection with a branch wellbore 206 . However, it is not necessary for the tubular structure 202 to be cemented in the wellbore 204 until later in the method 200 , if at all.
The structure 202 is interconnected in a casing string 208 . The casing string 208 is rotationally oriented in the wellbore 204 so that a window 210 formed through a sidewall of the structure 202 is aligned with the branch wellbore 206 . Note that the window may be formed through the sidewall of the structure 202 , and that the branch wellbore 206 may be drilled, either before or after the structure is conveyed into the wellbore 204 .
A liner string 212 is conveyed into the branch wellbore 206 in a radially compressed configuration. Even though it is radially compressed, a flange-shaped engagement device 214 at an upper end of the liner string 212 is larger than the window 210 , and so the device prevents further displacement of the liner string into the wellbore 206 . Preferably, this engagement between the device 214 and the structure 202 is sufficiently load-bearing so that it may support the liner string 212 in the wellbore 206 .
An annular space 216 is provided radially between the device 214 and an opening 218 formed through the sidewall of a guide structure 220 . When the liner string 212 is expanded, the device 214 deforms radially outwardly into the annular space 216 . The liner string 212 is shown in its expanded configuration in FIG. 19 .
As depicted in FIG. 20 , a generally tubular expandable member 222 is radially outwardly expanded within the structure 202 . An opening 224 formed through a sidewall of the member 222 is rotationally aligned with a flow passage of the liner string 212 . The opening 224 may be formed before or after the member 222 is expanded.
Preferably, this expansion of the member 222 seals between the outer surface of the member and the inner surface of the structure 202 above and below the guide structure 220 , and seals between the member and the device 214 . Thus, the interiors of the casing and liner strings 208 , 212 are isolated from the wellbores 204 , 206 external to the strings. Alternatively, or in addition, a seal may be formed between the device 214 and the structure 202 circumscribing the window 210 where the structure outwardly overlies the device.
Preferably the seals obtained by expansion of the member 222 are due to surface contact between elements, at least one of which is displaced in the expansion process. For example, one of both of the member 222 and structure 202 may have a layer of sealing material (e.g., a layer of elastomer, adhesive, or soft metal, etc.) thereon which is brought into contact with the other element when the member is expanded. Metal to metal seals are preferred, although other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
As depicted in FIG. 20 , the tubular structure 202 , and the casing string 208 somewhat above and below the structure, are radially outwardly expanded when the member 222 is expanded. This optional step in the method 200 may be desirable to enhance access and/or flow through the structure 202 , enhance sealing contact between any of the member 222 , device 214 , structure 202 , etc. If the casing string 208 is outwardly deformed in the method 200 , it may be desirable to cement the casing string in the wellbore 204 after the expansion process is completed.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 21–25 another method 230 embodying principles of the invention is representatively illustrated. As depicted in FIG. 21 , an expandable liner string 232 is conveyed through a casing string 234 positioned in a parent wellbore 236 . A lower end of the liner string 232 is deflected laterally through a window 237 formed through a sidewall of a tubular structure 238 interconnected in the casing string 234 , and into a branch wellbore 240 extending outwardly from the window.
An expandable liner hanger 242 is connected at an upper end of the liner string 232 . The liner hanger 242 is positioned within the casing string 234 above the window 237 .
The liner string 232 is then expanded radially outward as depicted in FIG. 22 . As a result of this expansion process, the liner hanger 242 sealingly engages between the liner string 232 and the casing string 234 , and anchors the liner string relative to the casing string. Another result of the expansion process is that a seal is formed between the liner string and the window 237 of the structure 238 . Thus, the interiors of the casing and liner strings 232 , 234 are isolated from the wellbores 236 , 240 external to the strings. The seal formed between the liner string 232 and the window 237 is preferably a metal to metal seal, although other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
A portion 244 of the liner string 232 extends laterally across the interior of the casing string 234 above a deflection device 246 positioned below the window 237 . As depicted in FIG. 23 , a milling or drilling guide 248 is used to guide a drill, mill or other cutting tool 250 to cut through the sidewall of the liner string 232 at the portion 244 above the deflection device 246 . In this manner, access and flow between the casing string 234 above and below the liner portion 244 through an internal flow passage 252 of the deflection device 246 is provided.
Alternatively, the liner portion 244 may have an opening 254 formed therethrough. The opening 254 may be formed, for example, by waterjet cutting through the sidewall of the liner string 232 . The opening 254 may be formed before or after the liner string 232 is conveyed into the well.
Preferably, the opening 254 is formed with a configuration such that it has multiple flaps or inward projections 256 which may be folded to increase the inner dimension of the opening, e.g., to enlarge the opening for enhanced access and flow therethrough. As depicted in FIG. 25 , the projections 256 are folded over by use of a drift or punch 258 , thereby enlarging the opening 254 through the liner portion 244 .
The projections 256 are thus displaced into the passage 252 of the deflection device 246 below the liner string 232 . A seal may be formed between the liner portion 244 and the deflection device 246 circumscribing the opening 254 in this process of deforming the projections 256 downward into the passage 252 . Preferably, the seal is due to metal to metal contact between the liner portion 244 and the deflection device 246 , but other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 26 & 27 , another method 260 of sealing and securing a liner string 262 in a branch wellbore to a tubular structure 264 interconnected in a casing string in a parent wellbore is representatively illustrated. Only the structure 264 and liner string 262 are shown in FIG. 26 for illustrative clarity.
In FIG. 26 it may be seen that the liner string 262 is positioned so that it extends outwardly through a window 266 formed through a sidewall of the structure 264 . The liner string 262 would, for example, extend into a branch wellbore intersecting the parent wellbore in which the structure 264 is positioned.
An upper end 268 of the liner string 262 remains within the tubular structure 264 . To secure the liner string 262 in this position, a packer or other anchoring device interconnected in the liner string may be set in the branch wellbore, or a lower end of the liner string may rest against a lower end of the branch wellbore, etc. Any method of securing the liner string 262 in this position may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
As depicted in FIG. 26 , the upper end 268 is formed so that it is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the structure 264 . The upper end 268 may be formed in this manner prior to conveying the liner string 262 into the well, or the upper end may be formed after the liner string is positioned as shown in FIG. 26 , for example, by milling an upper portion of the liner string after it is secured in position. If the upper end 268 is formed prior to conveying the liner string 262 into the well, then the upper end may be rotationally oriented relative to the structure 264 prior to securing the liner string 262 in the position shown in FIG. 26 .
In FIG. 27 it may be seen that the upper end 268 of the liner string 262 is deformed radially outward so that it is received in an opening 270 formed through the sidewall of a generally tubular guide structure 272 in the tubular structure 264 . The opening 270 is rotationally aligned with the window 266 .
The upper end 268 is deformed outward by means of a mandrel 274 which is conveyed into the structure 264 and deflected laterally toward the upper end of the liner string 262 by a deflection device 276 . The mandrel 274 shapes the upper end 268 so that it becomes an outwardly extending flange which overlaps the interior of the structure 264 circumscribing the window 266 , that is, the flange-shaped upper end 268 inwardly overlies the perimeter of the window.
Preferably, a seal is formed between the flange-shaped upper end 268 and the interior surface of the structure 264 circumscribing the window 266 . This seal may be a metal to metal seal, may be formed by a layer of sealing material on one or both of the upper end 268 and the structure 264 , etc. Any type of seal may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
The flange-shaped upper end 268 also secures the liner string 262 to the structure 264 in that it prevents further outward displacement of the liner string through the window 266 . After the deforming process is completed, the mandrel 274 and deflection device 276 may be retrieved from within the structure 264 and a generally tubular expandable member (not shown) may be positioned in the structure and expanded therein. For example, any of the expandable members 82 , 148 , 186 , 222 described above may be used.
After expansion of the member in the structure 264 , the member further secures the liner string 262 relative to the structure by preventing inward displacement of the liner string through the window 266 . Various seals may also be formed between the expanded member and the structure 264 , the flange-shaped upper end 268 , and/or the guide structure 272 , etc. as described above. Any types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 28 & 29 , another method 280 of sealing and securing a liner string 282 in a branch wellbore to a tubular structure 284 interconnected in a casing string in a parent wellbore is representatively illustrated. In FIG. 28 a generally tubular expandable member 286 used in the method 280 is shown. The member 286 has a specially configured opening 288 formed through a sidewall thereof. The opening 288 may be formed, for example, by waterjet cutting, either before or after it is conveyed into the well.
The configuration of the opening 288 provides multiple inwardly extending flaps or projections 290 which may be folded to enlarge the opening. As depicted in FIG. 29 , the opening 288 has been enlarged by folding the projections 290 outward into the interior of the upper end of the liner string 282 . The projections 290 are deformed outward, for example, by a mandrel and deflection device such as the mandrel 274 and deflection device 276 described above, but any means of deforming the projections into the liner string 282 may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
The projections 290 are deformed outward after the member 286 is positioned within the structure 284 , the opening 288 is rotationally aligned with a window 292 formed through a sidewall of the structure, and the member is expanded radially outward. Of course, if the opening 288 is formed after the member 286 is expanded in the structure 284 , then the rotational alignment step occurs when the opening is formed.
Expansion of the member 286 secures an upper flange-shaped engagement device 294 relative to the structure 284 . Seals may be formed between the member 286 , structure 284 , engagement device 294 and/or a guide structure 296 , etc. as described above. Any types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
Furthermore, deformation of the projections 290 into the liner string 282 may also form a seal between the member 286 and the liner string about the opening 288 . For example, a metal to metal seal may be formed by contact between an exterior surface of the member 286 and an interior surface of the liner string 282 when the projections 290 are deformed into the liner string. Other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
Preferably, the projections 290 are deformed into an enlarged inner diameter D 5 of the liner string 282 . This prevents the projections 290 from unduly obstructing flow and access through an inner passage 298 of the liner string 282 .
Referring additionally now to FIG. 30 , another method 300 of sealing and securing a liner string 302 in a branch wellbore to a tubular structure 304 interconnected in a casing string in a parent wellbore is representatively illustrated. The method 300 is similar to the method 280 in that it uses an expandable tubular member, such as the member 286 having a specially configured opening 288 formed through its sidewall. However, in the method 300 , the member 286 is positioned and expanded radially outward within the structure 304 prior to installing the liner string 302 in the branch wellbore through a window 306 formed through a sidewall of the structure.
Expansion of the member 286 within the structure 304 preferably forms a seal between the outer surface of the member and the inner surface of the structure, at least circumscribing the window 306 , and above and below the window. The seal is preferably a metal to metal seal, but other types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
After the member 286 has been expanded within the structure 304 , the projections 290 are deformed outward through the window 306 . This outward deformation of the projections 290 may result in a seal being formed between the inner surface of the window 306 and the outer surface of the member 286 circumscribing the opening 288 . Preferably the seal is a metal to metal seal, but any type of seal may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
After the projections 290 are deformed outward through the window 306 , the liner string 302 is conveyed into the well and its lower end is deflected through the window 306 and the opening 288 , and into the branch wellbore. The vast majority of the liner string 302 has an outer diameter D 6 which is less than an inner diameter D 7 through the opening 288 and, therefore, passes through the opening with some clearance therebetween. However, an upper portion 308 of the liner string 302 has an outer diameter D 8 which is preferably at least as great as the inner diameter D 7 of the opening 288 . If the diameter D 8 is greater than the diameter D 7 , some additional downward force may be needed to push the upper portion 308 of the liner string 302 through the opening 288 . In this case, the liner upper portion 308 may further outwardly deform the projections 290 , thereby enlarging the opening 288 , as it is pushed through the opening.
Contact between the outer surface of the liner upper portion 308 and the inner surface of the opening 288 may cause a seal to be formed therebetween circumscribing the opening. Preferably, the seal is a metal to metal seal, but other seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention. An upper end 310 of the liner string 302 may be cut off as shown in FIG. 30 , so that it does not obstruct flow or access through the structure 304 . Alternatively, the upper end 310 may be formed prior to conveying the liner string 302 into the well.
Referring additionally now to FIGS. 31–35 , another method 320 embodying principles of the invention is representatively illustrated. In FIG. 31 it may be seen that a liner string 322 is conveyed through a casing string 324 in a parent wellbore 326 , and a lower end of the liner string is deflected laterally through a window 330 formed through a sidewall of the casing string, and into a branch wellbore 328 . The casing string 324 may or may not be cemented in the parent wellbore 326 at the time the liner string 322 is installed in the method 320 .
The liner string 322 includes a portion 332 which has an opening 334 formed through a sidewall thereof. In addition, an external layer of sealing material 336 is disposed on the liner portion 332 . The sealing material 336 may be, for example, an elastomer, an adhesive, a relatively soft metal, or any other type of sealing material. Preferably, the sealing material 336 outwardly circumscribes the opening 334 and extends circumferentially about the liner portion 332 above and below the opening.
The liner string 322 is positioned as depicted in FIG. 31 , with the liner portion 332 extending laterally across the interior of the casing string 324 and the opening 334 facing downward. However, it is to be clearly understood that it is not necessary for the opening 334 to exist in the liner portion 332 prior to the liner string 322 being conveyed into the well. Instead, the opening 334 could be formed downhole, for example, by using a cutting tool and guide, such as the cutting tool 250 and guide 248 described above. As another alternative, the opening 334 may be specially configured (such as the opening 254 depicted in FIG. 24 ), and then enlarged (as depicted for the opening 254 in FIG. 25 ).
In FIG. 32 it may be seen that the liner string 322 is expanded radially outward. Preferably, at least the liner portion 332 is expanded, but the remainder of the liner string 322 may also be expanded. Due to expansion of the liner portion 332 , the outer surface of the liner portion contacts and seals against the inner surface of the window 330 circumscribing the window. The seal between the liner portion 332 and the window 330 is facilitated by the sealing material 336 contacting the inner surface of the window. However, the seal could be formed by other means, such as metal to metal contact between the liner portion 332 and the window 330 , without use of the sealing material 336 , in keeping with the principles of the invention.
In FIG. 33 it may be seen that the opening 334 is expanded to provide enhanced flow and access between the interior of the casing string 324 below the window 330 and the interior of the liner string 322 above the window. Expansion of the opening 334 also results in a seal being formed between the exterior surface of the liner portion 332 circumscribing the opening 334 and the interior of the casing string 324 . At this point, it will be readily appreciated that the interiors of the casing and liner strings 324 , 322 are isolated from the wellbores 326 , 328 external to the strings.
Additional steps in the method 320 may be used to further seal and secure the connection between the liner and casing strings 322 , 324 . In FIG. 34 it may be seen that the liner string 322 within the casing string 324 is further outwardly expanded so that it contacts and radially outwardly deforms the casing string. The opening 334 is also further expanded, and a portion 338 of the liner string 322 may be deformed downwardly into the casing string 324 as the opening is expanded.
This further expansion of the liner string 322 , including the opening 334 , in the casing string 324 produces several desirable benefits. The liner string 322 is recessed into the inside wall of the casing string 324 , thereby providing an inner diameter D 9 in the liner string which is preferably substantially equal to, or at least as great as, an inner diameter D 10 of the casing string 324 above the window 330 . The seal between the outer surface of the liner string 322 circumscribing the opening 334 and the inner surface of the casing string 324 is enhanced by increased contact pressure therebetween. In addition, another seal may be formed between the outer surface of the liner string 322 and the inner surface of the casing string 324 above the window 330 . Furthermore, the downward deformation of the portion 338 into the casing string 324 below the window 330 enhances the securement of the liner string 322 to the casing string. As described above, outward elastic deformation of the casing string 324 may be desirable to induce an inwardly biasing force on the casing string when the expansion force is removed, thereby maintaining a relatively high level of contact pressure between the casing and liner strings 324 , 322 .
In FIG. 35 it may be seen that a generally tubular expandable member 340 having an opening 342 formed through a sidewall thereof is positioned within the casing string 324 with the opening 342 rotationally aligned with the window 330 and, thus, with a flow passage 344 of the liner string 322 . The member 340 extends above and below the liner string 322 in the casing string 324 and extends through the opening 334 . The member 340 is then expanded radially outward within the casing string 324 .
Expansion of the member 340 further secures the connection between the liner and casing strings 322 , 324 . Seals may be formed between the outer surface of the member 340 and the interior surface of the casing string 324 above and below the liner string 322 , and the inner surface of the liner string in the casing string. The seals are preferably formed due to contact between the member 340 outer surface and the casing and liner strings 324 , 322 inner surfaces. For example, the seals may be metal to metal seals. The seals may be formed due to a layer of sealing material on the member 340 outer surface and/or the casing and liner strings 324 , 322 inner surfaces. However, any types of seals may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention.
The member 340 may be further expanded to further outwardly deform the casing string 324 where it overlies the member, in a manner similar to that used to expand the member 186 in the method 170 as depicted in FIG. 17 . In that way, the member 340 may be recessed into the inner wall of the casing string 324 and the inner diameter D 11 of the member may be enlarged so that it is substantially equal to, or at least as great as, the inner diameter D 10 of the casing string. Due to outward deformation of the casing string 324 in the method 320 , whether or not the member 340 is recessed into the inner wall of the casing string, it may be desirable to delay cementing of the casing string in the parent wellbore 326 until after the expansion process is completed.
Thus have been described the methods 10 , 110 , 170 , 200 , 230 , 260 , 280 , 300 , 320 which provide improved connections between tubular strings in a well. It should be understood that openings and windows formed through sidewalls of tubular members and structures described herein may be formed before or after the tubular members and structures are conveyed into a well. Also, it should be understood that casing and/or liner strings may be cemented in parent or branch wellbores at any point in the methods described above.
Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a careful consideration of the above description of representative embodiments of the invention, readily appreciate that many modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, and other changes may be made to these specific embodiments, and such changes are contemplated by the principles of the present invention. For example, although certain seals have been described above as being carried on one element for sealing engagement with another element, it will be readily appreciated that seals may be carried on either or neither element. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A sealed multilateral junction system provides fluid isolation between intersecting wellbores in a subterranean well. In a described embodiment, a method of forming a wellbore junction includes the steps of sealing a tubular string in a branch wellbore to a tubular structure in a parent wellbore. The tubular string may be secured to the tubular structure utilizing a flange which is larger in size than a window formed in the tubular structure. The flange may be sealed to the tubular structure about the window by a metal to metal seal or by adhering the flange to the tubular structure.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a unique residential or commercial building lot configuration, building position on the lot, and method for locating buildings on adjacent lots.
BACKGROUND
The ever-increasing cost of urban land suitable for residential housing, as well as commercial building locations, has resulted in the development of land subdivision and building designs which provide for so-called "Z" lot developments. Residential housing developments, in particular, which provide Z lot subdivision of individual lots, have many advantages in utilizing available land while providing for individual housing units to be placed spaced apart from each other on adjacent lots. However, a long-standing problem pertaining to subdividing land into individual lots and building placement on the respective lots, concerns providing lot configuration and building placement thereon which will give each owner or resident suitable yard space while providing adequate space for ancillary buildings, such as attached or detached garages or carports, all while also providing for owner access to all sides of structures which are on each lot and meeting regulatory requirements regarding building setback from property lines and compliance with fire codes, for example.
Another problem pertaining to the development of individual adjacent lots in residential, as well as commercial, subdivisions relates to minimizing surveying errors with regard to placement of buildings on adjacent individual lots. Proper location of survey pins or stakes for establishing construction reference lines for properly positioning buildings on individual lots has been a vexatious problem in the construction industry and errors in placement of construction reference lines can cause long delays in seeking variances or exceptions to regulatory requirements, once a building has been improperly placed on a lot, or result in substantial costs for demolition of an improperly placed building and reconstruction of the building in the proper location.
Accordingly, several factors must be taken into consideration when subdividing land for residential housing wherein it is desirable to maximize the utilization of available land by placing residential dwelling units and garages or other vehicle parking or ancillary structures in such a way that will provide aesthetic appeal to the occupants of each dwelling unit, and will provide desirable backyard space, in particular. These factors must be considered while also providing lot configuration and building placement thereon which will conform to regulatory requirements and provide for minimizing surveying errors in properly locating the building footprints during construction of the buildings. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved lot configuration and building placement thereon, particularly for residential dwelling units and ancillary buildings, including attached and detached garages, carports or parking decks. The invention provides for higher density dwelling placements as a result of ever increasing land costs while still providing large backyard areas for each dwelling unit. The present invention further provides an improved lot configuration and building placement thereon for multiple adjacent lots which are provided with detached dwelling units and attached or detached garages which have vehicle access from an alley on a side of the lots opposite the side which faces a street, roadway or other area.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, plural adjacent lots are provided which extend between a street, roadway or other area and a second spaced apart roadway or vehicle entry, such as an alley, and which lots may be provided with respective lateral offset portions such that, at least the property lines along the sides of the lots have a somewhat Z-shaped or zig-zag configuration. Residential dwelling units are placed on the lots spaced from the property lines and outbuildings, such as attached or detached garages or carports, are also positioned on each lot spaced from at least the side property lines of each of the lots, respectively. The lot configuration and the building placement thereby provides for access to all sides of the buildings on a particular lot without requiring movement across neighboring lots and while meeting regulatory requirements regarding building setback from the property lines of each lot.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a unique lot configuration and placement of buildings thereon is provided for multiple adjacent lots wherein occupants of dwelling units on respective adjacent lots have greater space available for aesthetic as well as normal residential usage purposes, even though the respective occupants do not own all of the property which they normally use.
Further in accordance with the present invention, a unique arrangement of multiple adjacent residential building lots is provided together with placement of residential dwelling units and garages or carports thereon, respectively, which garages are accessible by a roadway, driveway or alley at the rear of the lots and wherein the garages are placed spaced from the property lines defining adjacent lots.
Still further in accordance with the invention, there is provided a method for placing buildings, such as residential dwelling units and garages or carports, on adjacent lots of a residential subdivision wherein a building construction reference line is established in such a way as to minimize errors in placement of one or more buildings on a particular lot and similar buildings on an adjacent lot. In particular, the method provides for positioning a building a on one lot in alignment with a building on an adjacent lot utilizing the same construction reference line. The survey measurements required for locating the construction reference line are uncomplicated and substantially eliminate errors in locating buildings on adjacent lots.
The present invention still further provides a unique arrangement of property lines for multiple adjacent lots in a subdivided parcel of land having detached residential dwelling units on each lot and garages for respective ones of the dwelling units and wherein the respective properties are fenced in such a way as to maximize usable back yard space for each residential dwelling unit while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the adjacent dwelling units and the configuration of the subdivision.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the above-mentioned features and advantages of the invention together with other superior aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plat of plural residential lots disposed between a street or roadway and a rear driveway or alley, which lots are configured in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lots shown in FIG. 1 illustrating dwelling units and detached rear entry garages disposed on respective ones of the lots in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2 showing the location of fence lines for the respective lots.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the description which follows like elements are marked throughout the specification and drawing with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and the specific configuration of the subdivided lots is, in some respects, exemplary.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a plat of a parcel of subdivided land 10 adjacent another parcel of land, such as a street or roadway 12, and disposed between the roadway and a generally parallel rear driveway, alley or other roadway 14, for access to the land parcel by motor vehicles. The particular subdivision of the land parcel 10 in accordance with the invention is such that a plurality of adjacent residential building lots 16, 18 and 20 have been platted, as shown, and which may be disposed between lots or land parcels having a similar or somewhat different configuration. The lots 16, 18 and 20 are delimited by a front property line 22 and a rear property line 24 which is shown parallel to the line 22 but is not necessarily required to be such. The "front" boundary or property line 22 may be adjacent another area, such as a so-called greenbelt area, instead of the street or roadway shown. Moreover, the property lines 22 and 24 are not necessarily required to be substantially straight lines, as shown. The lots 16, 18 and 20 are further delimited by spaced apart side property lines 26, 28, 30 and 32, which are shown parallel, but are not required to be, and which extend from respective property line or surveyor pins or stakes 26a, 28a, 30a and 32a on the property line 22, generally normal thereto to respective property line or surveyors pins or stakes 26b, 28b, 30b, and 32b.
The property lines of the respective lots 16, 18 and 20 are further defined by portions 26', 28', 30' and 32' extending normal to the property lines 26, 28, 30 and 32, respectively, between surveyor pins 26b, 28b, 30b and 32b and respective pins 26c, 28c, 30c and 32c. Further portions of the property lines delimiting the lots 16, 18 and 20 are indicated by numerals 26", 28", 30", and 32" and extend between property line survey stakes or pins 26c and 26d, 28c and 28d, 30c and 30d, and 32c and 32d, respectively. Accordingly, lot 16 is defined by a section of property line 22 between stakes 26a and 28a, property line 26, 26', 26", a section of property line 24 between stakes 26d and 28d, and property lines 28", 28' and 28. Lots 18 and 20 are similarly defined by respective sections of property lines 22 and 24 and property lines 28, 28', 28", 30, 30', 30", 32, 32' and 32", respectively. Accordingly, each lot 16, 18 and 20 has a section which is laterally offset from another section of the lot, as shown in FIG. 1. The lots 16 and 18 are of equal width and depth and the lot 20 is of equal depth with respect to lots 16 and 18 but is of reduced width with respect to lots 16 and 18. The specific configuration of lots 16, 18 and 20 with respect to width and depth is somewhat exemplary and the respective property lines 26, 28, 30 and 32 are not required to be substantially parallel to each other.
For sake of clarity, while referring further to FIG. 1, the plat of the land parcel 10 also shows an aspect of a method in accordance with the invention whereby a construction reference line or so called construction "string line" has been located for each of lots 16, 18 and 20 for use as a reference in locating certain buildings to be placed on each of the lots, such as a residential dwelling unit and an attached or detached garage. In accordance with the invention, a side edge of a dwelling unit on one lot and a side edge of an outbuilding, which may be a garage, carport or simply a vehicle parking pad or deck on an adjacent lot, are placed contiguous with one of the construction reference lines illustrated. By way of example, a first construction reference line 34 is defined extending parallel to property line 26 between a pin or stake 34a on property line 22 and a pin or stake 34b on property line 24. Construction line 34 is preferably positioned equidistant between pins 26b and 26c. In like manner, construction reference lines 36, 38 and 40 also extend between property lines 22 and 24. Construction reference line 36 extends generally parallel to property line 28, midway between pins 28b and 28c and is located by pins or stakes 36a and 36b. In like manner, construction reference line 38 is disposed parallel to property line 30, is located midway between pins 30b and 30c and extends between locating stakes or pins 38a and 38b. Finally, construction reference line 40 is disposed extending generally parallel to property line 32, is disposed midway between pins 32b and 32c and extends between locating pins 40a and 40b. One advantage of locating the construction reference lines 34, 36, 38 and 40 resides in the fact that a surveyor or construction worker is only required to place the stakes or pins 34a and 34b defining the location of opposite ends of construction reference line 34, for example, a predetermined distance from the property line pins 26a and 26d. A cross reference to the location of the construction line 34, for example, may be obtained by measuring the distance between a string defining the line and the surveyor pins 26b and 26c. Placement of the construction string or reference lines 36, 38 and 40 is done with equal ease by positioning the stakes or pins for these lines at pre-determined distances along the front and rear property lines 22 and 24 from the respective pins defining property lines 28, 30 and 32 while verifying the location of the strings of each reference line by measuring its position with respect to pins 28b and 28c, 30b and 30c or 32b and 32c, respectively.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the lots 16, 18 and 20 are shown with respective buildings placed thereon in accordance with the invention. For example, lot 16 is illustrated with a residential dwelling unit structure 50 placed thereon at a required setback from property line 22 and at a requisite distance between property lines 26 and 28. A side edge 50a of dwelling unit 50 is shown placed along and contiguous with construction reference line 36. By way of example, the side edges 50a and 50b of dwelling unit 50 are also spaced equidistant between property lines 26 and 28. Lot 16 also has disposed thereon a rear entry vehicle garage 52 of generally rectangular configuration and having a side edge 52b placed along and contiguous with construction reference line 34. In this way, vehicle garage 52, which has a vehicle entry and exit opening 53 facing the alley 14, is also spaced from property line sections 26' and 26". A somewhat L-shaped shaded area of lot 16 is indicated by numeral 17 in FIG. 2. Similar, somewhat L-shaped portions of lots 18 and 20 are indicated in FIG. 2 and designated by numerals 19 and 21, respectively. A fourth, somewhat L-shaped area 23 is actually part of a lot 25 adjacent to lot 20. As mentioned previously, the term garage as used herein may also refer to a carport or merely a concrete pad or other structure for parking vehicles thereon or the "garage" could be a structure used primarily for other purposes.
Referring further to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a residential dwelling unit building 56 disposed on lot 18, of generally rectangular configuration and having a side edge 56a extending parallel to and contiguous with construction reference line 38. Dwelling unit 56 is also preferably positioned equidistant between property lines 28 and 30 and is also at least setback from these lines a required regulatory or deed restricted distance. FIG. 2 also shows a detached vehicle garage 58 placed on lot 18 with a vehicle opening 59 facing alley 14 and with at least one side edge 58b of garage 58 extending parallel to and contiguous with construction reference line 36. Accordingly, construction reference line 36 may be used to locate building 50 on lot 16 as well as building 58 on lot 18. In like manner, construction reference line 38 is operable for locating building 56 on lot 18 and a building comprising a detached vehicle garage 60 on lot 20. Garage 60 includes a rear opening 61 facing alley 14 and a side edge 60b parallel to and contiguous with construction reference line 38.
Still further, as shown in FIG. 2, a residential dwelling unit 62 is disposed on lot 20 and is positioned such that a side edge 62a is parallel to and contiguous with construction reference line 40. As further shown in FIG. 2, construction reference line 40 may be used to locate a side edge 64b of a building 64 on lot 25. Building 64 may also comprise a vehicle garage similar to the garages 52, 58 and 60.
The placement of the garages 52, 58 and 60 is such that these buildings are spaced from the property lines of the respective lots on which they are situated so that the property owners may have access to all sides of the respective garages for maintenance or repair work, as needed, but for no other reason pursuant to deed restrictions, for example. On the other hand, the L-shaped areas represented by numerals 19, 21 and 23, for example, may be accessible to the occupants (or owners) of lots 16, 18 and 20, respectively, for normal usage of these areas as part of a backyard or lawn area, for example, even though these occupants or owners of lots 16, 18 and 20 are not the owners of the L-shaped areas 19, 21 and 23. Occupancy of the area 19, for example, by the owner or resident of dwelling unit 50 on lot 16 may be dictated by regulations, such as deed restrictions which permit certain uses of this area, and no fence extends along property line portions 28' and 28", for example. In fact, in a preferred arrangement of the buildings on the respective lots 16, 18 and 20, privacy fences extend between the respective dwelling units, generally parallel to the rear facing sides of these buildings, and then along the respective property lines 26, 28, 30 and 32 to be contiguous with the garages 52, 58, 60 and 64, respectively. Fences also, preferably, extend along the rear property line 24 between the respective garages 52, 58, 60 and 64 to give each resident of lots 16, 18 and 20 an enclosed backyard of suitable size.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the fences which enclose lot 16 include a fence 70 extending between a building dwelling unit 72 on a lot 15 adjacent to lot 16, which fence extends to side edge 50b of building 50. A suitable gate 71 is interposed in the fence 70 on lot 16. A fence 74 also extends along property line 26 to forward side edge 52a of garage 52 and a fence 76 extends parallel to, and preferably on, property line 24 between garages 52 and 58 with an access gate 77 interposed therein.
In like manner, a fence 80 extends between buildings 50 and 56, as shown in FIG. 3, having a suitable gate 81 for lot 18 interposed therein. A fence 82 extends along property line 28 between fence 80 and forward side edge 58a of garage 58. A fence 84 extends along property line 24 between garages 58 and 60 and has a suitable gate 85 opening to alley 14. A fence 90 extends between buildings 56 and 62 having an access gate 91 for lot 20 interposed therein. A fence 92 extends along property line 30 between fence 90 and forward side edge 60a of garage 60 and a fence 94 extends between garage 60 and garage 64 on lot 25 and having a gate 95 interposed therein opening to the backyard of lot 20. Fences 96 and 98, arranged similar to fences 90 and 92, along the opposite side of lot 20 provides closure for the backyard portion of lot 20 between building 62 and property line 32.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the unique lot configuration, building position, and method for locating buildings on respective adjacent lots, in accordance with the invention, provides certain advantages. For example, land suited for residential development may be subdivided in a way wherein land use is maximized while providing for placement of buildings on respective subdivided lots which offer several advantages including those described hereinabove. The specific configurations of the dwelling unit buildings and outbuildings, such as attached or detached garages or carports, may be varied and conventional construction techniques may be utilized for such buildings. By configuring the property lines which are common to the adjacent lots, as described above, and by placing the buildings on the respective lots in the manner set forth herein, each dwelling unit has the appearance of being spaced a suitable distance from each other dwelling unit and rear entry garages, in particular, are placed on each lot in a manner which is aesthetically pleasing and provides maximum usable backyard space for each property owner or dwelling occupant. Moreover, the lots are configured in such a way that the buildings are set back from the actual property lines to conform to regulatory requirements and to provide access to the buildings by the property owners for maintenance and repair.
Although the exemplary lot configurations shown in the drawing figures are generally rectangular, with offset rectangular portions, those skilled in the art will recognize that, as mentioned above, the side property lines 26, 28, 30 and 32, for example, are not required to be parallel to each other. The lots 16, 18 and 20, and so on, may be placed on a curved street, cul-de-sac or otherwise located in such a way that the lots are not strictly rectangular and of equal depth, as shown by example. Moreover, the arrangement and method of the invention may also be utilized for locating non-residential type buildings on adjacent lots configured in accordance with the invention, if desired, although the invention is particularly advantageous for residential developments which are subdivided to provide relatively small lots for each residential unit.
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
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A residential subdivision having plural adjacent building lots is provided with common property lines between lots which have laterally offset portions extending between front and rear property lines. Residential dwelling units and vehicle garages or carports for each lot are placed a predetermined distance from the respective property lines to conform to regulatory requirements and to provide access to all sides of the dwelling units and garages or carports, respectively, for maintenance and repair without requiring access to adjacent properties. A dwelling unit on one lot and a garage, carport or other structure on an adjacent lot are aligned along a construction reference line placed in a predetermined position extending between front and rear property lines to provide error-free placement of structures on the respective lots. Fences may be provided extending between adjacent dwelling units on adjacent lots and extending along common property lines to the vehicle garages or carports such that a rear or backyard portion of each lot utilizes a somewhat L-shaped portion of an adjacent lot owned by others to provide a large unobstructed backyard space for each lot. The arrangement and method provides improved utilization of land for so-called Z lot subdivisions and ease of locating construction reference lines for proper placement of buildings on adjacent lots.
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[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No.: 60/343,148, filed Dec. 20, 2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to methods and systems for the installation of an underground pipelines such as sewer lines using a directional boring machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is well known that installing ‘on grade’ services such as gravity sewer can be very challenging if HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) is used as the method of drilling the bore for the pipeline. Typically when these types of pipelines are installed using the open cut method, the pipe is placed, checked for grade, and if necessary, lifted up enough to adjust the grade manually by adding or removing small amounts of bedding material (usually sand or gravel). HDD does not permit fine adjustment after the placement of pipe or any time after the pilot bore is created, therefore the bore path needs to be not only accurate for elevation on each end, but also very straight throughout its length. No opportunity for fine intermediate adjustments is available using currently known HDD methods once the pipe has entered the bore.
[0004] Methods and devices disclosed within the scope of this invention will show that if proper care and attention are used with the novel devices described, it is possible to place on grade pipelines using a combination of HDD equipment and optional impact back-reaming technology. In the discussion that follows, “back reaming” is used to refer to the second stage of the process wherein an expander or hole-opener is pulled backward through the pilot hole to widen the pilot hole and optionally pull the new pipeline into place. However, except as discussed below, according to the invention widening the hole to its final size is done by compaction and not by cutting or reaming per se, and thus is not a reaming operation in the strict sense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A method for installation of an underground pipe according to the invention includes an initial step of boring a pilot hole through the ground at a predetermined grade angle by extending a drill string having a steerable boring bit mounted thereon through the ground. Upon reaching an end location for the pilot hole, the bit is removed from the drill string, and an expander having a diameter greater than the pilot hole is attached to the drill string, which expander is backed by an impact device such as a pneumatic impactor including a striker that delivers repeated impacts to a rearwardly facing surface of the expander, and by a pipe drawn along behind the expander. The expander is pulled back through the pilot hole at the grade angle while the impactor is operated to aid progress of the expander through the ground and pull the pipe into place behind the expander. Typically in this method the replacement pipe is coupled to a rear end of the expander and the boring bit has a sonde housing containing a sonde attached thereto to indicate to an operator the orientation of a steering face on the boring bit. Preferably the boring bit has an outer diameter that does not substantially exceed the outer diameter of the sonde housing.
[0006] According to a preferred form of this method, a cutting back reamer is secured to the drill string ahead of the expander, which cutting back reamer has a maximum outer diameter no more than 90% of the maximum outer diameter of the expander. The drill string and cutting back reamer are rotated during the pulling step independently of the expander and impact device, which do not substantially rotate due to a rotatable connection between the cutting reamer and the expander. The cutting back reamer may be configured to permit steering of the cutting reamer, further comprising correcting deviations from grade by steering using the cutting reamer.
[0007] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for installation of an underground pipe includes the steps of boring a pilot hole through the ground at a predetermined grade angle by extending a drill string having a steerable boring bit mounted thereon through the ground, upon reaching an end location for the pilot hole, removing the bit from the drill string and attaching a drill head including a cutting reamer having a diameter greater than the pilot hole to the drill string, which cutting reamer is configured to permit steering when rotated over less than 360 degrees and is backed by a device for pulling a pipe along behind the expander, the device including a rotatable connection whereby the cutting reamer can rotate in unison with the drill string without substantial rotation of the pulling device and pipe, pulling the pipe back through the pilot hole at the grade angle, detecting deviations of the pipe from the grade angle, and steering using the cutting reamer to correct deviations from the grade angle. The cutting reamer preferably has a forwardly tapering, generally conical shape with a cut away steering face on one side thereof, and is mounted non-concentrically relative to the drill string.
[0008] The invention further provides an apparatus for installation of an underground pipe. Such as apparatus includes a forwardly tapering cutting back reamer having front and rear connecting portions, wherein the front connecting portion is configured for attaching the cutting back reamer to a drill string for rotation therewith, and the rear connection portion includes a bearing joint, an expander connected to the cutting back reamer by the bearing joint so that the expander does not substantially rotate as the drill string and cutting reamer rotate, which expander has a larger outer diameter than the cutting back reamer and is configured to form a hole by compaction of surrounding soil, and an impact device including a striker that delivers repeated impacts to a rearwardly facing surface of the expander. Suitable means may be provided for pulling a pipe along behind the expander and impact device. These and other aspects of the invention are discussed in the detailed description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0009] In the accompanying drawing, wherein like numeral denote like elements:
[0010] [0010]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a back reaming operation according to the invention;
[0011] [0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of a first apparatus according to the invention;
[0012] [0012]FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line 2 - 2 in FIG. 2;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 2;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 5 is a side view of a second apparatus according to the invention;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 6 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 5;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 7 is a cutaway section view of the bearing referenced in FIG. 5;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 8 is a side view of a third apparatus according to the invention;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 9 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 8;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 10 is a lengthwise section along the line A-A in FIG. 9;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 11 is a side view of a fourth apparatus according to the invention;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 12 is the apparatus of FIG. 11, in partial lengthwise section;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 13 is a side view of a fifth apparatus according to the invention;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 14 is a lengthwise sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 13;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 15 is a side view of a sixth apparatus according to the invention;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view along the line 16 - 16 in FIG. 15.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] According to the method of the invention, since directional errors created in the pilot bore are often compounded and exaggerated during any currently known back-reaming operation, any operator attempting an on-grade boring method should remember and emphasize these key factors:
[0027] 1. Steering corrections to maintain the desired bore path must be made to hold grade as a first priority, not depth below the immediate ground surface, also called depth of cover. Most HDD transmitters are located in transmitter housings that have bits with non-symmetrical projections that create a bore larger than the sonde housing diameter. When drilling is stopped to read the grade of the transmitter, it is not necessarily at rest with its axis collinear to the axis of the bore. Non-symmetrical bit geometry coupled with the oversize bore induce a grade error that can be considered unimportant for conventional HDD boring, but must be accounted for or eliminated in on-grade boring.
[0028] 2. Steering during pilot hole boring should be done with a bit that is not substantially oversize to the sonde (transmitter) housing behind it. Generally the transmitter housing is larger diameter than the drill string and the bit is larger than the transmitter housing. This geometry enhances the ability to bend the rod within the bore and steer quickly and aggressively, a quality appreciated during conventional HDD operation. As it is never the desire of on grade boring to steer aggressively or radically, it becomes reasonable to reduce the bit size to a diameter approaching that of the sonde housing. This will tend to enhance the goals of the first point outlined above. The primary reason to keep the bore small is to provide a bore that will guide the rod during the back-reaming operation. No steering corrections are normally possible during the back-ream, therefore the pilot hole must be accurate and function to closely guide the back-ream. To accomplish the guiding process, a straight and accurate pilot hole only slightly larger than the drill string rods will assist in keeping the back-reamer on the intended course.
[0029] 3. The back-reaming process must be controlled so as to minimize wander during the pullback. Wander is exacerbated by changing ground conditions, by short reamers and by reamers that are cone shaped and tend to be forced off their path by cobble stones or other randomly placed obstructions. Even if the reamer used (whether impact assisted or of conventional style) is configured to be long in its body length and not of conical shape, care must be taken during its launch into the bore. The designs that will be discussed tend to go straight and do not respond to applied forces quickly, such as the undesirable forces of cobble stones or ground condition variation, or the desirable force provided by the rod. Therefore the reamer should be launched into the pilot bore with the reamer axis and the pilot bore coaxial to each other. This may require a starter or launch pit that has preparation qualities similar to that which would be used to lay on grade pipe. One notable difference is the length of this bedded pit, it need only be as long as the reamer, rather than the length of the entire pipe installation.
[0030] Conventional pneumatic impact moles are generally designed to traverse a straight path along the length of their bore. Three design considerations help achieve this:
[0031] 1. Making the ratio of body length to bore diameter greater tends to stabilize the mole. As an example, a 2.5 inch diameter pneumatic mole will have an overall length (not including hose) of approximately 48 inches, the bore diameter is 2.6 inches, giving a ratio of (48.0/2.6) or 18.5 to 1. This is recognized as an accurate and stable design even without the advantage of an accurate pilot hole to follow. Typically reamers used in HDD have an aspect or length to diameter ratio of 2 or 3 to 1. Use of an 18.5 to one ratio may not be reasonable for typical on grade bore for 8.62″ diameter pipe, however ratios of 3.5 to 1 or even 7 to 1 can yield a usable and effective reamer and are preferred for use in the invention.
[0032] 2. Use of an active (axially movable) head, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,201, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, reduces the tendency of a pneumatic impact mole to wander off course during a free, or unguided bore. It allows the body to stay stationary and not break static friction with the ground while the head accurately punches a bore in a direction exactly along the axis of the elongated body. Static friction between the body and surrounding soil is less likely to result in deflection of the body within the ground. A moving body would more likely deflect as particles are displaced by dynamic friction.
[0033] 3. Use of a stepped profile head as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,201 tends to result in a lower reaction force vectors not aligned with the bore axis. These radial reaction components, produced by randomly placed cobble stones or changing ground conditions will have a significant effect on deviating the path of the mole. By limiting their magnitude, the mole will tend to maintain its straight course. This same physics applies to an impact device when attached to an HDD drill string.
[0034] According to the invention, one, two or preferably all three of these features are incorporated into the back reamer to be used for on-grade boring.
[0035] Devices currently used to back ream generally function to cut the soil about the pilot bore, mix it with a drilling fluid such as bentonite, and flow the mixed cuttings from the bore. This method is very functional for non-precision bores and has been used to install hundreds of thousands of miles of buried pipe within the last fifteen years. However, only a small percentage of these pipes were specified to have a specific and tightly toleranced grade; usually a specification only calls for a range of depth of cover. The pipe in such a loosely specified installation will typically have both positive and negative slopes over a short distance. While pressurized product flows well through these pipes, gravity induced flow (sewer) needs a constant and narrowly defined negative slope in the direction of intended flow. Water flows downhill, any loss in velocity due to a flat or positive slope will result in loss of velocity. Excessive slope will result in a high water velocity. Both are equally deleterious to the ability to carry solid matter and will ultimately result in flow obstruction and system failure. As a result, the typical grade for an on-grade sewer line installation according to the invention is in the range of about 0.1 to 5 degrees, preferably 0.1 to 3 degrees, and remains constant over the entire run of the pipeline. Storm sewers are similarly graded.
[0036] HDD has many benefits, most notably minimal disruption of the surface over which the pipes or utilities are placed. Its weakness has been its inability to install pipes for gravity-induced flow, or on grade bores. The device and method of the invention outlined below eliminates that weakness.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, after completing an on grade pilot bore 11 , preferably using the bit-transmitter housing arrangement described above wherein the bit is the same diameter or only very slightly larger diameter than the sonde housing at the front end of a drill string 12 , an accurate reamer launch pit 13 must be prepared. This pit 13 will be coaxial with the pilot bore 11 and have a slope at the nominal value of the specified slope. The bottom is preferably filled with a compactable material such as gravel, and be compressed and tamped to provide a stable base 14 . The pit 13 will be long enough so that the product pipe 16 (preferable high density polyethylene or HDPE) bend radius is loose enough to not lift the tail of a reamer 17 from the launch pit base 14 . If desired, an angled approach bore 18 can be used to bring the product pipe 16 to the pit 13 at the desired angle.
[0038] The reamer 17 will be an impact device, preferably actuated by compressed air, though a hydraulic or a shaft-powered impactor (driven by rotation of the drill string, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,311, issued Jul. 21, 1998, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein) may also be used to power the impactor. The reamer body will be long, and if the length engaged by the ground is designated the effective length, the ratio of effective length to bore diameter should be at least about 3.5 to 1, with a ratio of in the range of 3.5:1 to 7:1 being preferred.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 - 4 , an expander or head 21 of the impact reamer 17 is preferably made to impact the soil in a manner that is decoupled from the drill rod axially, and only in the direction of intended travel. “Decoupled” in this instance means the head moves forwardly relative to the drill string in response to the impact from the impact tool without transmitting more than a small fraction of the impact to the drill string. The head 21 preferably has an annular stair-stepped front profile 22 . The elongated body, being included in the effective length, may be merely a sleeve 23 comprised of HDPE trailing the head 21 . It can be part of the pipe 24 or fused thereto, and serves as the member that functions to maintain alignment of the impact hole opener. Sleeve 23 is secured to head 21 by shear bolts set through holes 26 at the rear end of head 21 .
[0040] The impact mechanism 27 operates in substantially the same manner as described in commonly-owned U.S. Ser. No. 09/946,081, filed Sep. 4, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. As described therein, mechanism 27 preferably includes a control spool 28 that opens in response to pulling on the drill string ending in starter rod 29 , permitting compressed air from an air passage 31 to enter the mechanism 27 and cause a striker 32 to reciprocate. A pinned joint 33 permits uncoupling of the head 21 from starter rod 29 . Pinned joints and adapters used herein are described in more detail in Wentworth et al. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20010017222, published Aug. 30, 2001, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0041] A further option according to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 - 6 , is to perform a nominal amount of material removal using a cutting reamer 41 that is not unlike those used in conventional methods. This cutting reamer 41 , smaller in diameter than the impact reamer 17 , would be situated slightly in front of impact reamer 17 and be turned (rotated) by the drill string. A swivel connection such as a tapered roller bearing joint 42 is disposed between the rear of the cutting reamer 41 and the front of the impact reamer 17 , preferably ahead of the pinned joint 33 and connected thereto by a bearing adapter 35 . The cutting reamer 41 may represent an enlargement of the starter rod and may replace the starter rod in the end-to-end series of components forming the back reamer or hole opener. A starter rod 51 connects cutting reamer 41 to the leading end of the drill string through a further pinned joint 53 , and these parts cooperate to supply compressed air for the impact mechanism back through lengthwise passage 31 . As an optional component, a sonde 56 may be mounted on the inside of plastic sleeve 31 for measuring the grade angle of the product pipe, and the pipe depth and horizontal position. In this embodiment, exhaust from the impact mechanism passes back through the product pipe 24 , typically a water or sewer line.
[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 8 - 10 , use of cutting or disruption of the soil to one side of the instantaneous path of the impact reamer 17 may be used to correct or deviate the path slightly. While the path may not be severely altered, by using a method similar to that used to steer in rock, a void can be created using a non-concentric or asymmetrical cutting reamer. By using a reamer 51 that has a forwardly angled cutaway face 52 on one side, or is generally off center (as by being non-coaxially mounted relative to the drill string), it is possible to create a void just to one side of the rod axis that will serve to change the path of the impact reamer 17 very slightly. The shape of face 52 can vary substantially; it need not be forwardly tapered. The motion of the rod used to steer would include partial rotation of the cutting reamer 51 (say 270 degrees), then returning to the start position by either rotating backwards or pushing the rod back (thereby shutting off the impact reamer 17 ), and then rotating through the rest of the circle or in the reverse direction. As the impact back reamer 17 always seeks to have a balance of forces acting on it, the partially cut circle, placed off center to the impact reamer, will cause the device to deviate towards the void. This serves to accomplish a minor steering correction.
[0043] Such a system would require a conventional HDD sonde to be placed in or around the cutting back-reamer so that its orientation is known to the operator. A sonde housing 61 is mounted ahead of cutting reamer 51 for holding a second sonde 62 that enables the operator to determine the orientation of the cutting reamer 51 for steering purposes. The first sonde 56 , in addition to performing the functions described above, can be used in combination with second sonde 61 to measure bending of the apparatus in the ground by comparing grade angle at each location.
[0044] The cutting reamer of the invention can also be used by itself, without the aid of an impact reamer, to accomplish on-grade boring. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a rearwardly extending flange 65 on reamer 51 is connected by a U-shaped shackle 66 to a conventional pipe puller, such as an expanded taper pipe puller 67 . Shackle 66 is inserted through an eye 68 in flange 65 and secured by means of a bolt 69 through an eye 71 in a frontwardly extending flange 72 of pipe puller 67 . Shackle 66 could be replaced by a cable or any similar pulling connector used in the industry. Additionally, it may be desirable to supply the cutting reamer 51 with drilling fluid (such as bentonite) through the hollow drill string. The drilling fluid is ejected from a series of holes 74 on the outer surface of the reamer 51 in a manner well known in the art, which holes communicate with the central passage 31 through the drill head. Cutting reamer 51 may also have teeth and/or spiral grooves ( 76 , FIG. 11) which are effective to enhance cutting action.
[0045] If it is desired to use drilling fluid and a pneumatic impact mechanism as well, the apparatus of FIGS. 13 and 14 can be used. In such a case, since the drill string cannot then be used to conduct compressed air, air is conveyed to a modified impact mechanism 27 A from the rear using a hose 77 extending through the product pipe 24 , such as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 20 - 26 in the foregoing U.S. Ser. No. 09/946,081, filed Sep. 4, 2001. Should a cutting reamer be used with the impact reamer, the impact reamer 17 A of this embodiment can make use of an integral, self regulating on-off switch or device 78 that would prevent the impact reamer from overtaking or impacting the cutting reamer. In some cases, the resistance of the ground itself will act to prevent the impact reamer from traveling too far forward. The connection between the cutting reamer 51 and impact reamer 17 A may be designed to permit a certain amount of relative movement, for example, by interposing a shackle, cable or elastomeric link therebetween so that limited forward movement of the impact reamer can occur relative to the cutting reamer.
[0046] It is also advantageous for purposes of the invention to use an active head that is axially decoupled from both the rod and the elongated body of the impact reamer. Since the head moves in small increments per impact and the stroke of the head with respect to the elongated body is limited, eventually the impact is applied to the body, moving it forward to meet the head. This has the advantage of keeping the body static during most of the applied impact, thereby enhancing straight reaming. This is accomplished, for example, by using a tool such as the one described in the foregoing U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,201 as the impact reamer, or one having a similar movable chisel or head.
[0047] A further variant of the invention is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, wherein the cutting reamer is replaced by a can or tubular steerable expander 81 that protects the device from dirt. The front end of expander 81 can have a conical profile 82 with a cutaway steering face 83 , so that expander 81 can be used to steer in much the same manner as reamer 51 , but without a cutting action. A rotary bearing 84 similar to bearing 42 is disposed inside a shaft or mounting adapter 86 connected to the front end of the impact reamer, which in this embodiment has a larger diameter than the steerable reamer. An external hex surface of adapter 86 rotates expander 81 in unison with the sonde housing and drill string.
[0048] In all but one of the concepts described herein, the hole is sized using compaction rather than cutting. Cutting as illustrated above is preferably employed as a means of reducing the amount of work needed to be done by compaction, but ultimately the most stable, straight and accurate bore is made by using impact compaction. The head preferably creates a hole slightly oversize to the product pipe to limit pipe friction. The amount of oversize, derived from experience in pipe bursting activity using impact compaction methods, should produce a hole diameter 12% to 20% greater than the outer diameter of the pipe. An excessively oversize hole will result in loss of grade tolerance, whereas insufficient oversize will limit the length of pipe installed per bore.
[0049] Approximately 80% of the pipe and conduit being placed currently in the U.S. is not grade sensitive. The other 20% is currently normally installed with open digging methods, resulting in disruption, danger and significant surface restoration efforts. The ability to do that 20% within the required tolerances is now possible in accordance with the invention using impact compaction methods coupled with HDD equipment and processes. In particular, the present invention achieves several unique advantages, including:
[0050] (1) hole upsizing while maintaining pilot bore grade and line using impact compaction coupled to a directional drill;
[0051] (2) hole upsizing while maintaining pilot bore grade and line using impact compaction coupled to a directional drill having the impactor decoupled from the drill string in an axial direction and along the direction of intended travel;
[0052] (3) hole upsizing while maintaining pilot bore grade and line using an air impact compaction reamer coupled to a directional drill having a self-regulating valve system.
[0053] (4) hole upsizing while maintaining pilot bore grade and line using impact compaction directly behind a smaller cutting reamer coupled to a directional drill and having a self-regulating valve system;
[0054] (5) hole upsizing while maintaining pilot bore grade and line using impact compaction coupled to a directional drill where the elongated body has a length to diameter ratio of 3.5 to one or more;
[0055] (6) Use of a drill bit that bores a hole diameter 20% or less oversize to the transmitter housing and or rod or rod upset diameters for the purpose of maintaining a straight bore path during creation of the pilot bore without giving up all ability to steer; and
[0056] (7) A method of using a non axi-symmetric shaped reamer rotated through less than 360 degrees and returned to its starting position for one or more cycles, thereby creating a cavity off set to the axis of the drill string, the purpose being to deviate the path of any sort of hole opening device, preferably an impact reamer.
[0057] The invention as such includes the foregoing, as well as those defined more specifically in the claims that follow.
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A method for installation of an underground pipe includes an initial step of boring a pilot hole through the ground at a predetermined grade angle by extending a drill string having a steerable boring bit mounted thereon through the ground. Upon reaching an end location for the pilot hole, the bit is removed from the drill string, and an expander having a diameter greater than the pilot hole is attached to the drill string, which expander is backed by an impact device such as a pneumatic impactor including a striker that delivers repeated impacts to a rearwardly facing surface of the expander, and by a pipe drawn along behind the expander. The expander is pulled back through the pilot hole at the grade angle while the impactor is operated to aid progress of the expander through the ground and pull the pipe into place behind the expander. Typically in this method the replacement pipe is coupled to a rear end of the expander and the boring bit has a sonde housing containing a sonde attached thereto to indicate to an operator the orientation of a steering face on the boring bit.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates generally to methods for monitoring water pipelines and water consuming devices of a home network and systems for operating the same. More particularly, it relates to monitoring water flow of water pipes and detecting leaks therein.
A leaky pipe in a home always occurs at the worst possible moment. The leak may come from any number of devices or pipes in the home. The damage that results varies from no damage at all to major repairs and cost having to be expended. In some instances, water consuming devices in the home have malfunctioned and need to be replaced. When appliances break down that are often part of everyday life, the leak may be quickly noticeable and a fix can be quickly pursued.
For example, water heating storage tanks are used for storing and supplying hot water to households. A typical residential water heater holds about fifty gallons (190 liters) of water inside a steel reservoir tank. A thermostat is used to control the temperature of the water inside the tank. Many water heaters permit a consumer to set the thermostat to a temperature between 90 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (32 to 65 degrees Celsius (C)). To prevent scalding and to save energy, most consumers set the thermostat to heat the reservoir water to a temperature in a range between 120.0 degrees F. to 140.0 degrees F. (about forty-nine degrees C. to sixty degrees C.). As water heating and storage systems typically have a lifespan of about fifteen to twenty years varying upon the type of system. With age, the possibility of a leak in the pipes to the system increases, which potentially cause damage to the surrounding home structure, such as water through a ceiling. In addition, if a leak is not large enough to be immediately noticeable the efficiency of the water heater is compromised, and thus, a homeowner's water cost, heating and storage efficiency can suffer.
When a leak is present within a pipe, however, the leak may not be as noticeable as water dripping from the ceiling or a flooded basement when a hot water heater has broken down. Various pipes are often interlocked throughout a home to supply a continuous supply of water to many various devices (e.g., refrigerator faucets, washers, etc.). Pipeline leaks have the potential to go unnoticed for longer periods of time, if the leak is small. However, over time an equal or greater amount of damage may ensue. Damage includes loss to structure, foundational shifting, water utility cost increases, increased mold and insect infestation, etc. from a continuous flow of water leaking.
Thus, there is a need for a system that can reduce the amount of damage and cost to homes by quickly identifying leaky pipes or devices spilling water into the home and notifying the owner.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure provides a method for use within an energy management system that alerts the homeowner of a potential water leak. A central controller (e.g., a home energy manager) communicates wired/wireless signals to one or more water meters coupled to a main water pipeline and/or to various water consuming devices, such as a washer, dishwasher, sinks, toilet, etc throughout the home. The water consumption for each device and/or pipeline coupled thereto, and if a value that is out of range of the average is detected or exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the home owner is notified via a system display, a text message, or other communication method about the leak.
In one embodiment, a home network with a central controller includes at least one water meter or flow meter for measuring water that is consumed by a water consuming device. The central controller communicates with the water meter to receive information about the water flow. The central controller tracks a total water flow amount of the water pipeline during a period of time. A leak is determined as existing by comparing the total water flow amount through the pipe over the period of time to a predetermined threshold. If the water flow amount is greater than the expected threshold amount over the period of time, a potential leak has been detected. Upon determining the leak as existing, a warning from the central controller of the home is provided to the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a water monitoring system in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates water measuring and communication devices in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram for monitoring water consumption of a home.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1 , illustrated is an exemplary home energy management system 8 for one or more devices 12 , 14 and 16 communicatively linked to a home area network. The devices 12 , 14 and 16 comprise electronic devices, devices that are electronic and water consuming with a water pipeline connected, and devices that are only water consuming without any electronics necessary. For example, the device 12 includes one or more home appliances or processing elements of a home that does not have a water pipeline connected to it and is not a water consuming device. The device 14 includes a water consuming device that is operational with an electronic device control board 26 , (e.g., a dishwasher or refrigerator), and the device 16 comprises one or more water consuming devices, which does not have an electronic control therein, such as a toilet, sink or faucet. For example, the device 14 , and/or 16 , is a water heater, a toilet, a sink, a shower, an outdoor faucet of any kind, a water storage tank, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, any washing machine, and/or any device connected to a water line. The device 12 may also be one or more appliances (e.g., HVAC unit, or other home appliance), or processors, such as a home energy manager or a programmable communicating thermostat, or any other energy consuming devices other than appliances or water consuming devices that are coupled to the home network. The devices within the system 8 , therefore, include both water consuming and electrically operated devices, and combinations thereof.
The home energy management system 8 includes a central controller 10 for managing power consumption and monitoring water consumption within a household. The controller 10 includes a micro processor, which is programmed to selectively send and/or receive signals to a device control board 24 and 26 of devices 12 and 14 , for example, in response to the input signal it receives. The device controllers 24 and 26 , in turn, are operable to manipulate energizing of the power consuming features/functions thereof according to a programming selection.
Within the home management system 8 , the central controller 10 is configured to receive a signal 13 by a receiver and process the signal indicative of one or more energy parameters and/or a utility state of an associated energy supplying utility, for example, including availability and/or current cost of supplied energy. There are several ways to accomplish this communication, including but not limited to power line carrier (PLC) (also known as power line communication), FM, AM SSB, WiFi, ZigBee, Radio Broadcast Data System, 802.11, 802.15.4, etc. The energy signal may be generated by a utility provider, such as a power company or energy provider, and can be transmitted via a power line, as a radio frequency signal, or by any other means for transmitting a signal when the utility provider desires to reduce demand for its resources. The cost can be indicative of the state of the demand for the utility's energy. For example, a relatively high price or cost of supplied energy is typically associated with a peak demand state/period and a relative low price or cost is typically associated with an off-peak demand state/period.
The controller 10 is configured to communicate with, control and/or operate the devices 12 and/or 14 in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. Specifically, the devices 12 and/or 14 can be operated in the normal operating mode during the off-peak demand state or period and can be operated in the energy savings mode during the peak demand state or period. The central controller 10 can be configured to communicate with the devices, in no particular necessary manner or protocol, to precipitate the return of the devices to the normal operating mode after the peak demand period is over. Alternatively, the control board of each appliance could be configured to receive communication directly from the utility, process this input, and in turn, invoke the energy savings modes, without the use of the centralized controller 10 .
The devices 14 and 16 , which are water consuming devices, receive water from a main water inlet pipe 50 for moving water thereto. The main inlet pipe 50 , for example, provides water to all devices of the home that consume water, such as through branch pipelines 60 and 70 that run from the main water inlet pipe 50 to devices 14 and 16 respectively. The device 14 includes the device control board 26 , which communicates through a wired connection or a wireless communication with the central controller 10 . In addition, the branch water pipelines 60 and 70 connected to the devices 14 and 16 are communicatively coupled to the central controller 10 via communication device 66 and 76 , such as through a wired or wireless transmitter device. Water meters or flow meters 62 and 72 are operable to measure an amount of water that flows through the pipelines 60 and 70 and communicate information about the water flow to the controller 10 .
A main water meter 52 is operatively connected to the main water inlet pipe 50 for measuring a total amount of water flow into the home and communicating information gathered to the controller 10 via a communication module 56 . For example, the central controller 10 receives information from the flow meters 52 , 62 and 72 on the total amount of water flowing through pipelines 50 , 60 , and 70 respectively over a period of time, such as in about an hour or less, for example. Each hour or in less time, therefore, the central controller 10 determines the water flow going through the pipe to determine if a leak condition exists in the pipe or device connected thereto. If the water flow exceeds a certain predetermine threshold amount, a leak is determined as existing. The predetermined threshold for determining the presence of a leak may be different for different devices and based on the amount of use a device gets over a period of time, as well as by other factors. For example, whether a water flow is continuous for an extended period of time or sporadic may also be factored into the determination. In addition, if a water flow in the pipe is excessive, a leak may be determined once a certain amount has been exceeded for a given period of time, so that if the pipe is connected to a shower device for bathing, for example, a leak would not be determined until more than an expected amount of water flows through the pipe. This threshold amount is variable depending upon the type of water consuming device. In one embodiment, the predetermined threshold may be an average amount of water based on historical use of the water consuming device with allowance for a standard deviation, for example.
In one example, a typical flow rate of a showerhead is ˜2 gal/min. The homeowner could easily time the length of a typical shower. Assuming his/her average shower length is 12 minutes, this would result in the flow meter measuring 24 gallons over the 12 minutes. The user could then set the predetermined threshold value to 30 gal. If the controller ever saw 30 plus gallons being consumed over 15 minutes, then it could notify the homeowner of a possible leak.
In addition, another option would be for the controller to learn this behavior by monitoring the flow meter over the course of days/weeks. Once it learns the max value that is consumed over a given length of time it could add a buffer, to avoid the nuisance trips, and set this value as the predetermined threshold.
Another example of detecting unintended water usage involves monitoring usage by toilets which occasionally leak in the sense of failing to fully terminate the fill operation after being flushed. A typical toilet holds between 1 and 4 gallons of water. It typically takes 1-2 minutes for a toilet to refill after being flushed. In order to detect such a leak while allowing for back-to-back flushes, a threshold could be set on the order of 10 gallons over a 5 minute period. If the controller detects 10 plus gallons being consumed over 5 minutes it could notify the homeowner of a possible leak.
The controller 10 includes a user interface 20 having a display 22 and control buttons for making various operational selections. The display can be configured to provide active, real-time feedback to the user on the cost of operating each device 12 , 14 , 16 , as well as water consumption information for the water consuming devices 14 and 16 . The costs are generally based on the current operating and usage patterns and energy consumption costs, such as the cost per kilowatt-hour charged by the corresponding utility or a cost per gallon of water, for example. The controller 10 is configured to gather information and data related to current usage patterns and as well as current power costs, and generate historical usage charts therefrom. This information can be used to determine current energy usage and cost associated with using each device and in each mode an electronic device may be in. This real-time information (i.e., current usage patterns, current power cost, current energy usage/cost and water consumption) can be presented to the user via the display.
In one exemplary embodiment, the controller 10 connects via either Ethernet or WiFi to the homeowner's router and to a client application 34 , for example, in a personal computer 36 and/or a mobile device 38 . The controller 10 also has the ability to periodically transmit data to a central server on the Internet 40 . This allows for remote service and monitoring capability. A server 42 can keep records of all homes therein that may be accessed remotely via the Internet.
In another embodiment, the total amounts of water flow through the pipelines 50 , 60 and 70 are provided to the user, such as in the user display 22 . In addition, a warning message can be sent to a user or homeowner about a leak that has been detected within one of the pipelines. For example, if a water flow in pipeline 70 is determined to have a leak, then a text message, email, and/or a user display message may be transmitted via the internet or on the user display 22 to inform the homeowner of a leak. Where multiple meters are placed at the main water inlet pipe 50 with meter 52 and at branch pipelines 60 and/or 70 , the location of the leak or the device, which is the cause or source of the leak, can also be communicated in a message to the user.
In another embodiment, the system 8 includes shut off valves 58 , 68 , and 78 at respective pipelines 50 , 60 and 70 . The central controller 10 may receive input from the user or homeowner in response to the warning or message, and the user, for example, may respond with instructions to shut off the pipelines 50 , 60 , and/or 70 via the respective shut off valve 58 , 68 and 78 . In this manner, leaks are detected within a home and homeowners are informed of the conditions in which the water consuming devices operate. Informed decisions regarding water usage are made by the homeowner and potentially catastrophic water destruction in a home is more easily avoided. The user also has control over the water flow by enabling a shut off of any particular pipeline, such as to the whole home through the main pipeline 50 or at branch pipelines 60 and/or 70 .
For example, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a measuring device, such as a flow meter 216 for measuring the amount of water used by various types of water consuming devices. A central controller of a home network communicates wirelessly, for example, to radios that are connected to various sensors. There are several ways to accomplish this communication, including but not limited to power line carrier (PLC) (also known as power line communication), FM, AM SSB, WiFi, ZigBee, Radio Broadcast Data System, 802.11, 802.15.4, etc. The controller of FIG. 1 may communicate directly therefore via a wired, optical and/or wireless connection, and the present disclosure is not limited to any one specific method for communicating.
Different natural resources may be monitored by the central controller 10 . For example, water measurement may be monitored where the system includes a water meter 216 and a communication module that is a wireless radio module 218 , for example. The water meter 216 is inserted into the home's incoming water line 220 . The water meter 216 gives an output for each gal/liter/etc. of water consumed, for example, over or during a period of time. This output is sent to the radio module 218 that in turn sends the information back to the central controller 10 . In one embodiment, the water utility can directly send the consumption data to the central device controller 10 via any available means, including 802.15.4 Zigbee, the Internet or IP connection 40 .
Local utility and rate information is also broadcast at blocks 234 from the utility or energy provider to the controller 10 directly. The controller 10 can receive rate and schedule information as well as demand side management DSM signals to pass them on to the household appliances, such as devices 232 .
The devices 232 may also transmit energy/power consumption, as well as water consumption information to the central controller 10 . Referring back to FIG. 1 , the controller 10 further comprises a memory 30 having at least table 32 that collects water consumption data, energy consumption, generation and/or storage data for a home or other structure (e.g., warehouse, business, etc.). The table may additionally comprise variables associated with the heating and cooling conditions of the home, for example. A table is generated for each monitored device that includes historical home data and data that is currently updated, which may be used in a client application running on a device, such as a computer or mobile phone, for presenting graphs or other data to the user.
The operation of each device 12 and/or 14 may vary as a function of a characteristic of the utility state and/or supplied energy. Because some energy suppliers offer time-of-day pricing in their tariffs, price points could be tied directly to the tariff structure for the energy supplier. If real time pricing is offered by the energy supplier serving the site, this variance could be utilized to generate savings and reduce chain demand.
Building on the ability of the central controller to periodically upload data to a central server, the system 8 has the capability for the homeowner to log onto a secure web portal and view data from their home. This will allow consumers additional flexibility to monitor their home while away.
Example methodology 300 for monitoring a home for a leak is illustrated in FIG. 3 . While the methods are illustrated and described below as a series of acts or events, it will be appreciated that the illustrated ordering of such acts or events are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. For example, some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events apart from those illustrated and/or described herein. In addition, not all illustrated acts may be required to implement one or more aspects or embodiments of the description herein. Further, one or more of the acts depicted herein may be carried out in one or more separate acts and/or phases.
The method 300 of FIG. 3 allows monitoring of pipelines and/or water consuming devices connected to the pipelines for a leak. The method is provided for a home network at a home that includes at least one water meter for measuring water consumed by water consuming devices within the network. A central controller is communicatively linked to the water meter and includes a memory storing executable instructions for the method. The method begins at start and at 302 a communication is received by the central controller from at least one water meter, which is operatively coupled to a water pipeline for measuring water flow. The water meter can be a flow meter that is inserted in the water line or some other measuring device coupled the water pipe of a home capable of measuring water amounts or water flow amounts in a pipeline. The water pipelines include a main water pipeline and branch pipelines connected to the main pipeline and water consuming devices. Communications are received by the controller for more than one water pipeline and from more than one meter for tracking individual water pipelines and water consuming devices connected thereto. The flow meter at each pipeline, for example, has a communication module connected that wirelessly or in a wired fashion transmits communication data to the controller.
At 304 the controller tracks the information received, such as by storing the information in a memory, and over a period of time the data can be used to calculate a total water flow amount going through the pipeline. A water flow rate, an average water amount, a total water amount, for example, can be calculated by the flow meter. The period of time may vary and could be about sixty minutes or less, for example. Other increments of time are also possible.
At 306 whether a leak exists within the pipelines of the home is determined by analyzing the data received. For example, a total water flow amount over the period of time may be compared to a predetermined amount, which is a maximum threshold designated for the pipeline or may be an average amount with a standard deviation limit set. If the total water flow amount exceeds the predetermined threshold, then a leak is determined as present, for example. At 308 a warning is provided to the homeowner or user, which may be via an internet connection of the home network, via text, email, and/or on a user display at the home. Any means of communication is foreseeable and not outside the scope of this disclosure. At 310 the total water flow amount and/or other measurements gathered regarding the water in the pipelines may be also provided to the user. This can enable better and informed decisions for conserving water at the home. At 312 where the leak is present is determined and the user is provided the particular water consuming device or water pipeline that is experiencing the leak.
At 314 the network may receive a response from the user to shut off different pipelines or the main water inlet pipeline to the home via shut off valve. The controller sends information to the meter for controlling the valve. In one example, a solenoid device may be used for operating the shut off valve and sealing off the pipeline where the leak exists or the main water line pipe to the home.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations.
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Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring water leaks within a home. A home network with various devices monitors these devices with a controller. Information is received from a water flow meter via a transceiver for tracking a total water flow amount through pipelines in the home. By comparing information collected to a predetermined threshold, a leak is determined as present or not within each pipeline. Upon the detection of a leak in the home, a home owner is notified of the condition so that action is taken expeditiously. A shut off valve can be triggered remotely when a request is received from the user, which closes the water pipeline to prevent water damage.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] In the recent years, the frequently occurred flood related problems in the nationally metropolitan areas have indicated that the applied sluicing standards are unable to process the huge water volume caused by heavy rainfalls. Flood has even become inevitable in the low-lying regions, especially in the ground-lever stores, the residences and the basements. It usually causes severe life and property damage as well as makes people extremely panic. Without any efficient method, most people use the sand bags as the means to prevent the flood. However, the sand bags can only block the water up to about 30 to 60 centimeters but they functions poorly for flooded water exceeding one meter height because the higher the flood is, the greater the water pressure will be; failing to resist the water pressure, the embankment built by the sand bags might burst. In addition, to handle the used sand bags after the flood is another troublesome issue. Therefore, to use sang bags is not the preferred method for preventing the flood. The best way to solve the problem is to research and develop efficient equipment for replacement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] An assembled sluice gate for flood-prevention and water-blocking comprises two wall posts, a plurality of sluice gates and a connection plate disposed in an entrance area of a doorframe, wherein the two wall posts respectively and fitly mount with a left and a right grooved boards on a doorframe and with the connected sluice gates; the connection plate is fixed between two sluice gates to form a piece of vertical door wall which is covered by a top cover at the upper aspect thereon. A plurality of tight retaining belts fasten the top cover and a fixed groove at the lower portion of the doorframe thereby enabling the door wall to block the water and resist a huge water pressure so as to prevent the water from flowing into the houses or basements. Furthermore, when not in use, the sluice gates are superposed for storage at a proper and hidden position without occupying the space but allowing the automobiles and motorcycles to freely enter and exit unaffectedly.
[0003] To enable a further understanding of the structural features and the technical contents of the present invention, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] [0004]FIG. 1 is a pictorial and exploded drawing of a water-blocking sluice gate of the present invention.
[0005] [0005]FIG. 2 is a pictorial and assembled drawing of a front view of the water-blocking sluice gate of the present invention.
[0006] [0006]FIG. 2A is a drawing of a fastened state of an upper end of a tight retaining belt of the present invention.
[0007] [0007]FIG. 2B is a drawing of a fastened state of a lower end of a tight retaining belt of the present invention.
[0008] [0008]FIG. 3 is a pictorial and assembled drawing of a rear view of the water-blocking sluice gate of the present invention.
[0009] [0009]FIG. 3A is a drawing of the present invention fastened by a transverse latch.
[0010] [0010]FIG. 4 is a pictorial and exploded drawing of the sluice gate of the present invention.
[0011] [0011]FIG. 5 is a pictorial and assembled drawing of the sluice gate of the present invention.
[0012] [0012]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional drawing of section 6 - 6 of the sluice gate in FIG. 5.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional drawing of a top cover of the present invention.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional drawing of a fixed groove of a doorframe of the present invention.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional drawing of the assembled fixed groove, sluice gate and top cover of the present invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional drawing of a grooved board of the doorframe of the present invention.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional drawing of a wall post of the present invention.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional drawing of section 12 - 12 of the sluice gate in FIG. 5.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 13 a cross-sectional drawing of the assembled grooved board, wall post and sluice gate of the present invention.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional drawing of a connection plate of the present invention.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional drawing of the sluice gate mounted with a connection plate of the present invention.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional drawing of the assembled sluice gate and connection plate of the present invention.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 17 is a pictorial drawing of the doorframe connected with the top cover of the present invention.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional drawing of section 18 - 18 in FIG. 17.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 19 is a drawing of an exemplary embodiment of the water-blocking sluice gate of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] [0026]FIGS. 1 and 2 show the pictorial, exploded and assembled drawings of a water-blocking sluice gate; as indicated, a doorframe ( 1 ) with a height up to 2.5 meters is assembled by a left and a right grooved boards ( 10 ) and a fixed groove ( 20 ) on the lower portion thereof; wherein the grooved boards ( 10 ) fitly mount with two wall posts ( 40 ) and the fixed groove ( 20 ) fitly mounts a door wall assembled by a plurality of sluice gates ( 50 ) and a connection plate ( 60 ); a top cover ( 30 ) covers the top of the door wall; a plurality of tight retaining belts ( 80 ) fasten the front and the back sides of the door wall; the tight retaining belt ( 80 ) is made of a resilient rubber belt or a metal strap ( 81 ) as shown in FIG. 2A; the top end of the tight retaining belt ( 80 ) connects with a lock handle ( 82 ) and the lower end has a through hole ( 83 ) as shown in FIG. 2B. The lateral wall of the top cover ( 30 ) is disposed with a plurality of u-shaped hooks ( 30 ) for hooking the lock handle ( 82 ); the lateral wall of the fixed groove ( 20 ) is disposed with a plurality of n-shaped hooks ( 21 ) for hooking the through holes ( 83 ).
[0027] [0027]FIG. 3 shows the pictorial and assembled drawing of a rear view of the water-blocking sluice gate ( 50 ); as indicated in FIG. 3A, a transverse latch ( 66 ) connects and fastens the connection plate ( 60 ) and the sluice gate ( 50 ); as indicated in FIG. 2, a transverse latch ( 65 ) also connects and fastens the connection plate ( 60 ) and the sluice gate ( 50 ). However, the two transverse latches ( 65 , 66 ) are not symmetrically disposed; they must be preferably disposed diagonally. To assemble the door wall by the wall posts ( 40 ), all of the sluice gates ( 50 ), the connection plate ( 60 ) and the doorframe ( 1 ) finishes the disposition of a flood-preventing and water-blocking sluice gate ( 50 ) structure.
[0028] [0028]FIG. 4 shows the pictorial and exploded drawing of the sluice gate ( 50 ) that is assembled by a plurality of crisscrossed frames ( 51 ) made of squeezed aluminum; in the exemplary embodiment, the sluice gate ( 50 ) is assembled by a bottom frame ( 511 ), a top frame ( 513 ), a left frame ( 515 ), a right frame ( 517 ) and a plurality of transverse frames ( 510 ); two metal facial boards ( 52 ) are respectively and fitly disposed on the front and rear sides of the aluminum frame ( 51 ); furthermore, a waterproof pad ( 53 ) is inserted between the aluminum frame ( 51 ) and the facial board ( 52 ) as well as fastened by a plurality of draw nails ( 54 ), as shown in FIG. 5, to prevent the water from permeating between the frames and the boards.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 6 shows the cross-sectional drawing of section 6 - 6 in FIG. 5; it is also a longitudinally sectional drawing of the sluice gage ( 50 ); as indicated, the bottom frame ( 511 ) of the aluminum frame ( 51 ) is a protruding frame having a waterproof pad ( 55 ) disposed on the bottom side thereof; neck portions ( 512 ) are disposed on two lateral walls of the protruding portion; the top frame ( 513 ) of the aluminum frame ( 51 ) is a concave frame and the top surface thereof is disposed with a waterproof pad ( 56 ) to from a horizontal side; the two outer lateral walls thereof have protruding tenons ( 514 ).
[0030] [0030]FIG. 7 shows the cross-sectional drawing of the top cover ( 30 ); as indicated, the top cover ( 30 ) is a concave frame made of squeezed aluminum; concave necks ( 321 ) are respectively disposed on the two inner lateral walls of a concave opening ( 32 ); a waterproof pad ( 33 ) is disposed inside the concave opening ( 32 ); two u-shaped hooks ( 31 ) are fixed on two outer lateral walls of the concave frame made of squeezed aluminum. Referring to FIG. 9, when the top cover ( 30 ) covers on the sluice gate ( 50 ), the tenons ( 514 ) insert into the concave neck ( 321 ) for fixedly retaining; the upper and lower waterproof pad ( 33 , 56 ) are tightly affixed to each other.
[0031] [0031]FIG. 8 shows the cross-sectional drawing of the fixed groove ( 20 ) of the doorframe ( 1 ); as indicated, the fixed groove ( 20 ) is unitarily molded by a concave frame and a bottom board made of squeezed aluminum disposed with a layer of waterproof pad ( 25 ) on the bottom side for preventing the water permeation. Two lateral sides of the bottom board are fastened on the ground through gecko nails ( 22 ); the two inner lateral walls of the concave opening ( 23 ) of the concave frame are disposed with protruding tenons ( 24 ); a waterproof pads ( 26 ) is disposed on the inner bottom side of the concave frame; two outer lateral walls of the concave frame made of squeezed aluminum are disposed with protruding tenons ( 27 ) and fixed with n-shaped hooks ( 21 ). Referring to FIG. 9, when the bottom frame ( 511 ) of the sluice gate ( 50 ) inserts into the fixed groove ( 20 ), the tenons ( 24 ) insert into the neck portions ( 512 ) for fastening thereby tightly affixing the upper and the lower waterproof pads ( 55 , 26 ) so as to prevent the water permeation.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 9 shows the cross-sectional drawing of the assembled fixed groove ( 20 ), sluice gate ( 50 ) and top cover ( 30 ); as indicated, the tight retaining belt ( 80 ) fastens the n-shaped hooks ( 21 ) on two lateral walls of the fixed groove ( 20 ) and the u-shaped hooks ( 31 ) on two lateral walls of the top cover ( 30 ), wherein, the lock handle ( 82 ) at the upper end of the tight retaining belt ( 80 ) hooks the hook ( 31 ) by a hook ring ( 821 ); the through hole ( 83 ) at the lower end of the tight retaining belt ( 80 ) is hooked by the hook ( 21 ). The tight retaining belt ( 80 ) firmly fastens the sluice gate ( 50 ) and the connection plate ( 60 ) inserted between the fixed groove ( 20 ) and the top cover ( 30 ) thereby increasing the strength of pressure resistance of the entire door wall so as to sufficiently resist the stronger water flow.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 10 shows the cross-sectional drawing of the left and the right grooved boards ( 10 ) of the doorframe ( 1 ); as indicated, the grooved board ( 10 ) is made of squeezed aluminum and the left and the right lateral sides thereof are fastened onto the wall side through a plurality of gecko nails ( 11 ) as shown in FIG. 13. The bottom side thereof is disposed with a waterproof pad ( 12 ) to prevent the water permeation; the inner wall is disposed with a dovetail groove ( 13 ) for guiding and fitly mounting the wall post ( 40 ).
[0034] [0034]FIG. 11 shows the cross-sectional drawing of the wall post ( 40 ); as indicate, the wall post ( 40 ) is also made of squeezed aluminum and divided into an upper groove ( 41 ) and a bottom board ( 42 ); wherein, the cross-section of the upper groove ( 41 ) is almost concave and the bottom board ( 42 ) is of a dovetail shape; a waterproof pad ( 43 ) is disposed on the bottom side of the bottom board ( 42 ) for preventing the water permeation. In addition, a waterproof pad ( 44 ) is disposed also in the upper groove ( 41 ); both of the two inner walls of the upper groove ( 41 ) are disposed respectively with protruding tenons ( 45 ).
[0035] [0035]FIG. 12, shows the transversely cross-sectional drawing of the sluice gate ( 50 ) and it is also the cross-sectional drawing of section 12 - 12 in FIG. 5; as indicated, the left frame ( 515 ) of the sluice gate ( 50 ) is a convex frame and the bottom side thereof is disposed with a waterproof pad ( 57 ); the two lateral walls of the bottom portion are disposed with concaved neck portions ( 516 ); the right frame ( 517 ) of the aluminum frame ( 51 ) is a concave frame and has a waterproof pad ( 58 ) disposed inside the concave opening of the concave frame; protruding tenons ( 518 ) are disposed on two inner walls of the concave opening.
[0036] [0036]FIG. 13 shows the cross-sectional drawing of the assembled grooved board ( 10 ), wall post ( 40 ) and sluice gate ( 50 ); as indicated, the bottom board ( 42 ) of the wall post ( 40 ) is guided into the dovetail groove ( 13 ) of the grooved board ( 10 ); the convex left frame ( 515 ) of the sluice gat ( 50 ) inserts into the upper groove ( 41 ) of the wall post ( 40 ) for fastening; the protruding tenons ( 45 ) insert into the neck portion ( 516 ); two waterproof pads ( 44 , 57 ) connect each other in a sealed contact; the convex left frame of one sluice gate ( 50 ) inserts into the concave right frame ( 517 ) of another sluice gate ( 50 ); the protruding tenons ( 518 ) insert into the neck portion ( 516 ); two waterproof pads ( 57 , 58 ) tightly contact each other. The water permeation is prevented through the disposition of the waterproof pad ( 12 ) inserted between the grooved board ( 10 ) and the wall sides, the waterproof pad ( 43 ) between the grooved board ( 10 ) and the wall post ( 40 ), the waterproof pads ( 44 , 57 ) between the wall post ( 40 ) and the sluice gate ( 50 ) as well as the waterproof pads ( 57 , 58 ) between the sluice gates ( 50 ).
[0037] In order to make the sluice gates ( 50 ) cooperate tightly to increase the function of pressure resistance, it is necessary to dispose a connection plate ( 60 ) between two sluice gates ( 50 ). Since the connection plate ( 60 ) is installed after all of the sluice gates ( 50 ) and the fixed groove ( 20 ) are fitly mounted, it is the last plate to fit with the fixed groove ( 20 ). For an easy installation, the connection plate ( 60 ) is not of a concave-convex structure; therefore, as indicated in FIG. 14, it is made of squeezed aluminum and the left frame ( 61 ) thereof is in an L-shape; a waterproof pad ( 62 ) is fixed at the protruding end thereof; the right frame ( 63 ) is a convex frame with a concave opening disposed with a waterproof pad ( 64 ). In addition, two manual-type transverse latches ( 65 , 66 ) are diagonally disposed on the front and the rear sides of the connection plate ( 60 ).
[0038] For cooperating with the left frame ( 61 ) of the connection plate ( 60 ), the structure of the right frame ( 517 ) of one sluice gate ( 50 ) is changed accordingly. In the structure of a sluice gate ( 50 ′) as indicated in FIG. 15, the structure of a right frame ( 519 ) is of the same L-shape as that of the left frame ( 61 ) of the connection plate ( 60 ); a waterproof pad ( 59 ) is also disposed at the protruding end; latch slots ( 67 ) are disposed diagonally on the front and the rear sides thereof.
[0039] After the connection plate ( 60 ) and the sluice gate ( 50 ′) connect, as indicated in FIG. 16, the left frame ( 61 ) of the connection plate ( 60 ) joins with the right frame ( 519 ) of the sluice gate ( 50 ′) to make two waterproof pads ( 62 , 59 ) tightly contact each other. The front and rear transverse latches ( 65 , 66 ) are manually latched into the latch slots ( 67 ) to firmly connect and fasten the connection plate ( 60 ) and the sluice gate ( 50 ′). The convex right frame ( 63 ) of the connection plate ( 60 ) fitly mounts with the concave left frame ( 515 ) of a reversely disposed sluice gate ( 50 ″), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The convex right frame ( 517 ) of the reversely disposed sluice gate ( 50 ″) fitly mounts with the wall post ( 40 ).
[0040] [0040]FIG. 17 shows the pictorial drawing of the doorframe ( 1 ) structure in a regular state; as indicated, the wall post ( 40 ) of the doorframe ( 1 ), the sluice gate ( 50 ) and the connection plate ( 60 ) are dismounted and only the top cover ( 30 ) covers on the fixed groove ( 20 ) as indicated in FIG. 18 also; the reason is that the covered opening of the fixed groove ( 20 ) prevents the foreign objects from falling in. It is hard to store the top cover ( 30 ) if the length thereof is too long; therefore, the most preferable method for storage is to cover the top cover ( 30 ) on the fixed groove ( 20 ). As shown, the top side of the top cover ( 30 ) is not flush with the ground surface; however, in a real situation, the top cover ( 30 ) has to be flush with the ground level to facilitate the entering and exiting automobiles and motorcycles. Another exemplary embodiment is to pave a slope respectively on the front and the rear sides of the fixed groove ( 20 ) to facilitate the entering and exiting automobiles and motorcycles.
[0041] The implementation of the present invention achieves the following functions:
[0042] 1. Before the flood, the sluice gates are fast assembled to form a door wall to achieve the function of flood-prevention and water-blocking; when not in use, the sluice gate are divided into a plurality of pieces for convenient transportation; with smaller area size, the present invention is very easy for storage without occupying a considerable space.
[0043] 2. During the regular time, the top cover covers on the fixed groove of the doorframe allowing the automobiles and motorcycles to enter and exit safely; for implementing a water-blocking sluice gate, the top cover covers on the door wall and fits with the tight retaining belt to make the door wall a pressure resistant and water-blocking sluice gate.
[0044] 3. All of the seams between the doorframe, the wall post, the sluice gate and the connection plate are disposed with the waterproof rubber pad; therefore, they are connected tightly to prevent any water leakage.
[0045] 4. All of the structures are molded by drawing alloy aluminum; the surfaces thereof has been treated specially to make it weight lightly, easy for processing, have a lower price and a useful life up to thirty years.
[0046] It is of course to be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
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An assembled sluice gate for flood-prevention and water-blocking includes two wall posts, a plurality of sluice gates and a connection plate, wherein the two wall posts respectively and fitly mount with a left and a right grooved boards on a doorframe and with the connected sluice gates; the connection plate is fixed between two sluice gates to form the entire body into a piece of vertical door wall which is covered by a top cover at the upper aspect thereof. A plurality of tight retaining belts fasten the top cover and a fixed groove at the lower portion of the doorframe thereby enabling the door wall to block the water and resist a huge water pressure so as to prevent the water from flowing into the houses or the basements.
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[0001] This application is a continuation application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/689,954 filed on Jan. 19, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present application is related generally to the field of underground directional drilling and, more particularly, to an advanced underground homing system, apparatus and method for directing a drill head to a homing target.
[0003] A boring tool is well-known as a steerable drill head that can carry sensors, transmitters and associated electronics. The boring tool is usually controlled through a drill string that is extendable from a drill rig. The drill string is most often formed of drill pipe sections, which may be referred to hereinafter as drill rods, that are selectively attachable with one another for purposes of advancing and retracting the drill string. Steering is often accomplished using a beveled face on the drill head. Advancing the drill string while rotating should result in the boring tool traveling straight forward, whereas advancing the drill string with the bevel oriented at some fixed angle will result in deflecting the boring tool in some direction. A number of approaches have been seen in the prior art for purposes of attempting to guide the boring tool to a desired location, a few of which will be discussed immediately hereinafter.
[0004] In one approach, the boring tool transmits an electromagnetic locating signal. Above ground, a portable detection device, known as a walkover detector, is movable so as to characterize the positional relationship between the walkover detector and the boring tool at a given time. The boring tool can be located, for example, by moving the walkover detector to a position that is directly overhead of the boring tool or at least to some unique point in the field of the electromagnetic locating signal. In some cases, however, a walkover locator is not particularly practical when drilling beneath some sort of obstacle such as, for example, a river, freeway or building. In such cases, other approaches may be more practical.
[0005] Another approach that has been taken by the prior art, which may be better adapted for coping with obstacles which prevent access to the surface of the ground above the boring tool, resides in what is commonly referred to as a “steering tool.” This term has come to describe an overall system which essentially predicts the position of the boring tool, as it is advanced through the ground using a drill string, such that the boring tool can be steered from a starting location while the location of the boring tool is tracked in an appropriate coordinate system relative to the starting position. Arrival at a target location is generally determined by comparing the determined position of the boring tool with the position of the desired target in the coordinate system.
[0006] Steering tool systems are considered as being distinct from other types of locating systems used in horizontal directional drilling at least for the reason that the position of the boring tool is determined in a step-wise fashion as it progresses through the ground. Generally, in a traditional steering tool system, pitch and yaw angles of the drill-head are measured in coordination with extension of the drill string. From this, the drill-head position coordinates are obtained by numerical integration step-by-step from one location to the next. Nominal or measured drill rod lengths can serve as a step size during integration. One concern with respect to conventional steering tools is a tendency for positional error to accumulate with increasing progress through the ground up to unacceptable levels. This accumulation of positional error is attributable to measurement error in determining the pitch and yaw angles at each measurement location. One technique in the prior art in attempting to cope with the accumulation of positional error resides in attempting to measure the pitch and yaw parameters with the highest possible precision, for example, using an optical gyroscope in an inertial guidance system. Unfortunately, such gyroscopes are generally expensive.
[0007] Another approach that has been taken by the prior art, which is also able to cope with drilling beneath obstacles, is a homing type system. In traditional homing systems, the boring tool includes a homing transmitter that transmits an electromagnetic signal. A homing receiver is positioned at a target location or at least proximate to a target location such as, for example, directly above the target location. The homing receiver is used to receive the electromagnetic signal and to generate homing commands based on characteristics of the electromagnetic signal which indicate whether the boring tool is on a course that would ultimately cause it to be directed to the target location. Generally, identifying the particular location of the boring tool is not of interest since the boring tool will ultimately arrive at the target location if the operator follows the homing commands as they are issued by the system. Applicants recognize, however, that such traditional homing systems are problematic with respect to use at relatively long ranges between the homing receiver and the boring tool, as will be discussed in detail below.
[0008] The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.
SUMMARY
[0009] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.
[0010] In general, a system includes a boring tool that is moved by a drill string using a drill rig that selectively extends the drill string to the boring tool to form an underground bore such that the drill string is characterized by a drill string length which is determinable. In one aspect, a homing apparatus includes a transmitter, forming part of the boring tool, for transmitting a time varying dipole field as a homing field. A pitch sensor is located in the boring tool for detecting a pitch orientation of the boring tool. A homing receiver is positionable at least proximate to a target location for detecting the homing field to produce a set of flux measurements. A processing arrangement is configured for using the detected pitch orientation and the set of flux measurements in conjunction with a determined length of the drill string to determine a vertical homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location such that the vertical homing command is generated with a particular accuracy at a given range between the transmitter and the homing receiver and which would otherwise be generated with the particular accuracy for a standard range, that is different from the particular range, without using the determined length of the drill string. A display indicates the vertical homing command to a user. In one feature, the boring tool is sequentially advanced through a series of positions along the underground bore and, at each one of the positions (i) the pitch orientation is detected by the pitch sensor, (ii) the homing receiver produces the flux measurements and (iii) the drill string is of the determined length such that at least the set of flux measurements is subject to a measurement error and the processing arrangement is configured for determining the vertical homing command, at least in part, by compensating for the measurement error, which measurement error would otherwise accumulate from each one of the series of positions to a next one of the series of positions, to cause the particular range to be greater than the standard range.
[0011] In another aspect, a system includes a boring tool that is moved by a drill string using a drill rig that selectively extends the drill string to the boring tool to form an underground bore such that the drill string is characterized by a drill string length. One embodiment of a method includes transmitting a time varying dipole field from the boring tool as a homing field. A pitch orientation of the boring tool is detected using a pitch sensor located in the boring tool. A homing receiver is positioned at least proximate to a target location for detecting the homing field to produce a set of flux measurements. A length of the drill string is determined. A processor is configured for using the detected pitch orientation and the set of flux measurements in conjunction with the established length of the drill string to determine a vertical homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location such that the vertical homing command is generated with a particular accuracy at a given range between the transmitter and the homing receiver and which would be generated with the particular accuracy for a standard range, that is different from the particular range, without using the determined length of the drill string, and indicating the vertical homing command to a user. In one feature, the boring tool is sequentially advanced through a series of positions along the underground bore and, at each one of the positions (i) the pitch orientation is detected using the pitch sensor, (ii) the flux measurements are produced by the homing receiver and (iii) establishing the determined length of the drill string is established such that at least the set of flux measurements is subject to a measurement error. The vertical homing command is determined, at least in part, by compensating for the measurement error, which measurement error would otherwise accumulate from each one of the series of positions to a next one of the series of positions, to cause the particular range to be greater than the standard range.
[0012] In still another aspect, a system includes a boring tool that is moved by a drill string using a drill rig that selectively extends the drill string to the boring tool to form an underground bore such that the drill string is characterized by a drill string length which is determinable. A homing apparatus includes a transmitter, forming part of the boring tool, for transmitting a time varying electromagnetic homing field. A pitch sensor is located in the boring tool for detecting a pitch orientation of the boring tool. A homing receiver is provided that is positionable at least proximate to a target location for detecting the homing field to produce a set of flux measurements. A processing arrangement is configured for using the detected pitch orientation and the set of flux measurements in conjunction with a determined length of the drill string to determine a vertical homing command and a horizontal homing command such that the vertical homing command has a particular accuracy that is different from another accuracy associated with the horizontal homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location. In one feature, the particular accuracy of the vertical homing command is greater than the other accuracy of the horizontal homing command.
[0013] In yet another aspect, a system includes a boring tool that is moved by a drill string using a drill rig that selectively extends the drill string to the boring tool to form an underground bore such that the drill string is characterized by a drill string length which is determinable. A method includes transmitting a time varying electromagnetic homing field from the boring tool. A pitch orientation of the boring tool is detected. A homing receiver is positioned at least proximate to a target location for detecting the homing field to produce a set of flux measurements. The detected pitch orientation and the set of flux measurements are used in conjunction with a determined length of the drill string to determine a vertical homing command and a horizontal homing command such that the vertical homing command has a particular accuracy that is different from another accuracy associated with the horizontal homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location. In one feature, the particular accuracy of the vertical homing command is generated as being more accurate than the other accuracy of the horizontal homing command.
[0014] In a further aspect, a system includes a boring tool that is moved by a drill string using a drill rig that selectively extends the drill string to the boring tool to form an underground bore such that the drill string is characterized by a drill string length which is determinable and in which the boring tool is configured for transmitting an electromagnetic homing field. An improvement includes configuring an arrangement for using at least the electromagnetic homing field to determine a vertical homing command and a horizontal homing command such that the vertical homing command has a particular accuracy that is different from another accuracy associated with the horizontal homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location. In one feature, the arrangement is further configured for generating the particular accuracy of the vertical homing command as being more accurate than the other accuracy of the horizontal homing command.
[0015] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following descriptions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be illustrative rather than limiting.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view, in elevation, of a region in which a homing apparatus and associated method, according to the present disclosure, are used in a homing operation for purposes of causing a boring tool to home in on a target location.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the region of FIG. 1 in which the homing apparatus and associated method are employed.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view, in perspective, of a portable homing receiver that is produced according to the present disclosure, shown here to illustrate the various components of the homing receiver.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram which illustrates one embodiment of a homing method according to the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of the appearance of a screen for displaying a homing command generated according to the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 6 a is a plot which illustrates a simulated drill path in an elevational view for use in demonstrating the accuracy of vertical homing commands produced according to the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 6 b is a plot of the vertical homing command along the simulated drill path of FIG. 6 a , which vertical homing command is produced according to the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 6 c is a plot of X axis error along the X axis illustrating a difference between actual position along the X axis and determined position for the drill path of FIG. 6 a.
[0025] FIG. 6 d is a plot of Z axis error along the X axis illustrating a difference between actual position along the Z axis and determined position for the drill path of FIG. 6 a.
[0026] FIG. 7 a is a another plot which illustrates another simulated drill path in an elevational view for use in demonstrating the accuracy of vertical homing commands produced according to the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 7 b is a plot of the vertical homing command along the simulated drill path of FIG. 7 a , which vertical homing command is produced according to the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 7 c is a plot of X axis error along the X axis illustrating a difference between actual position along the X axis and determined position for the drillpath of FIG. 7 a.
[0029] FIG. 7 d is a plot of Z axis error along the X axis illustrating a difference between actual position along the Z axis and determined position for the drillpath of FIG. 7 a.
[0030] FIG. 8 a is a plot which illustrates a simulated drill path in a plan view which is used in conjunction with the elevational view of FIG. 6 a to form an overall three-dimensional simulated drill path for use in demonstrating the effectiveness of vertical homing commands produced according to the present disclosure in view of significant yaw and lateral diversion of the boring tool.
[0031] FIG. 8 b is a plot of the vertical homing command along the simulated drill path cooperatively defined by FIGS. 6 a and 8 a , which vertical homing command is produced according to the present disclosure and with the vertical homing command of FIG. 6 b shown as a dashed line for purposes of comparison.
[0032] FIG. 8 c is a plot of Z axis error along the X axis illustrating a difference between actual position along the Z axis and determined position for the drillpath cooperatively defined by FIGS. 6 a and 8 a and with the Z axis error of FIG. 6 d shown as a dashed line for purposes of comparison.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a plot of the vertical homing command along the X axis, shown here for purposes of comparing the accuracy of the homing commands of a conventional homing system with the accuracy of vertical homing commands generated according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles taught herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein including modifications and equivalents, as defined within the scope of the appended claims. It is noted that the drawings are not to scale and are diagrammatic in nature in a way that is thought to best illustrate features of interest. Descriptive terminology such as, for example, upper/lower, front/rear, vertically/horizontally, inward/outward, left/right and the like may be adopted for purposes of enhancing the reader's understanding, with respect to the various views provided in the figures, and is in no way intended as being limiting.
[0035] Turning now to the figures, wherein like components are designated by like reference numbers whenever practical, attention is immediately directed to FIGS. 1 and 2 , which illustrate an advanced homing tool system that is generally indicated by the reference number 10 and produced according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the system, whereas FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the system, each figure showing a region 12 in which a homing operation is underway. System 10 includes a drill rig 18 having a carriage 20 received for movement along the length of an opposing pair of rails 22 which are, in turn, mounted on a frame 24 . A conventional arrangement (not shown) is provided for moving carriage 20 along rails 22 . A boring tool 26 includes an asymmetric face 28 ( FIG. 1 ) and is attached to a drill string 30 which is composed of a plurality of drill pipe sections 32 , several of which are indicated. It is noted that the drill string is partially shown due to illustrative constraints. Generally, the drill rig hydraulically pushes the drill string into the ground with selective rotation. Pushing with rotation is intended to cause the boring tool to travel straight ahead while pushing without rotation is intended to cause the boring tool to turn, based on the orientation of asymmetric face 28 . A path 40 of the boring tool includes a series of positions that are designated as k=1,2,3,4 etc. as the boring tool is advanced through the ground. The current position of the boring tool is position k with the next position to be position k+1. The portion of path 40 along which the boring tool has already traveled is shown as a solid line while a dashed line 40 ′, in FIG. 1 , illustrates the potential appearance of the path ahead of the boring tool resulting from the homing procedure. The increment between the positions k and k+1 can correspond to the length of one pipe section, although this is not a requirement. Boring tool 26 enters the ground at 42 , however, the subject homing process can begin at position k=1 at a depth D 1 below a surface 44 of the ground, where a point 45 on the surface of the ground serves as the origin of a coordinate system. As will be seen, the homing operation can be initiated at point 42 where the boring tool initially enters the ground. While a Cartesian coordinate system is used as the basis for the coordinate system employed by the various embodiments disclosed herein, it is to be understood that this terminology is used in the specification and claims for descriptive purposes and that any suitable coordinate system may be used.
[0036] As the drilling operation proceeds, respective drill pipe sections, which may be referred to interchangeably as drill rods, are added to the drill string at the drill rig. A most recently added drill rod 32 a is shown on the drill rig. An upper end 50 of drill rod 32 a is held by a locking arrangement (not shown) which forms part of carriage 20 such that movement of the carriage in the direction indicated by an arrow 52 ( FIG. 1 ) causes section 32 a to move therewith, which pushes the drill string into the ground thereby advancing the boring operation. A clamping arrangement 54 is used to facilitate the addition of drill pipe sections to the drill string. The drilling operation can be controlled by an operator (not shown) at a control console 60 which itself can include a telemetry section 62 connected with a telemetry antenna 64 , a display screen 66 , an input device such as a keyboard 68 , a processor 70 , and a plurality of control levers 72 which, for example, control movement of carriage 20 .
[0037] Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , in one embodiment, system 10 can include a drill string measuring arrangement having a stationary ultrasonic transmitter 202 positioned on drill frame 24 and an ultrasonic receiver 204 with an air temperature sensor 206 ( FIG. 2 ) positioned on carriage 20 . It should be noted that the positions of the ultrasonic transmitter and receiver may be interchanged with no effect on measurement capabilities. Transmitter 202 and receiver 204 are each coupled to processor 70 or a separate dedicated processor (not shown). In a manner well known in the art, transmitter 202 emits an ultrasonic wave 208 that is picked up at receiver 204 such that the distance between the receiver and the transmitter may be determined to within a fraction of an inch by processor 70 using time delay and temperature measurements. By monitoring movements of carriage 20 , in which drill string 30 is either pushed into or pulled out of the ground, and clamping arrangement 54 , processor 70 can accurately track the length of drill string 30 throughout a drilling operation to within a particular measurement accuracy. While it is convenient to perform measurements in the context of the length of the drill rods, with measurement positions corresponding to the ends of the drill rods, it should be appreciated that this is not a requirement and the ultrasonic arrangement can provide the total length of the drill string at any given moment in time. Further, in another embodiment, the length of the drill string can be determined according to the number of drill rods multiplied by nominal rod length. In this case, the rod length may be of a nominal value subject to some manufacturing tolerance at least with respect to its length. In one version of this embodiment, the drill string measurement arrangement can count the drill rods. In another version of this embodiment, the operator can count the drill rods. Of course, in either case, the number of drill rods that is counted can be correlated to the length that is determined by ultrasonic measurement, although there is no requirement for precision overall drill string length measurement.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 1 , boring tool 26 includes a mono-axial antenna (not shown) such as a dipole antenna oriented along an elongation axis of the boring tool and which is driven to emit a dipole magnetic homing signal 250 (only one flux line of which is partially shown). As an example of a boring tool incorporating such a mono-axial antenna in its transmitter arrangement, see FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,442 (hereinafter, the '442 patent) entitled POSITION AND ORIENTATION LOCATOR/MONITOR and its associated description. This latter patent is commonly owned with the present application and hereby incorporated by reference. As will be described in detail hereinafter, homing signal 250 is monitored by a homing receiver 260 which will be described in detail at an appropriate point hereinafter. The boring tool is equipped with a pitch sensor (not shown) for measurement of its pitch orientation as is described, for example, in the '442 patent. As is also well known, the pitch orientation and other parameters of interest can be modulated onto the homing signal for remote reception and decoding. In other embodiments, measured parameters can be transferred to the drill rig using a wire-in-pipe configuration such as is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,329 entitled AUTO-EXTENDING/RETRACTING ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED CONDUCTORS IN A SEGMENTED DRILL STRING, which is commonly owned with the present application and incorporated herein by reference. The parameters may be used at the drill rig and/or transferred to a remote location, for example, by telemetry section 62 . It is noted, however, that the measurement of yaw is not necessary and, therefore, there is no need for a yaw sensor in the boring tool. It is well known that yaw angle is a parameter that is generally significantly more difficult to measure, as compared to pitch orientation. Accordingly, there is some benefit associated with techniques such as described herein which do not rely on measured yaw orientation.
[0039] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view, in perspective, which illustrates details of one embodiment of portable homing receiver 260 . The homing receiver includes a three-axis antenna cluster 262 for measuring three orthogonally arranged components of magnetic flux in a coordinate system that can be fixed to the homing receiver itself having axes designated as b x , b y and b z and, of course, transformed to another coordinate system such as what may be referred to as a global coordinate system in the context of which the homing operation can be performed. In one embodiment, the global coordinate system can be the X,Y,Z. One useful antenna cluster contemplated for use herein is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,532 entitled ORTHOGONAL ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD which is commonly owned with the present application and is incorporated herein by reference. Antenna 262 is electrically connected to a receiver section 264 which can include amplification and filtering circuitry, as needed. Homing receiver 260 further may include a graphics display 266 , a telemetry arrangement 268 having an antenna 270 and a processing section 272 interconnected appropriately with the various components. The processing section can include one or more microprocessors, DSP units, memory and other components, as needed. It is noted that, for the most part, inter-component cabling has not been illustrated in order to maintain illustrative clarity, but is understood to be present and may readily be implemented by one having ordinary skill in the art in view of this overall disclosure. It should be appreciated that graphics display 266 can be a touch screen in order to facilitate operator selection of various buttons that are defined on the screen and/or scrolling can be facilitated between various buttons that are defined on the screen to provide for operator selections. Such a touch screen can be used alone or in combination with an input device 274 such as, for example, a keypad. The latter can be used without the need for a touch screen. Moreover, many variations of the input device may be employed and can use scroll wheels and other suitable well-known forms of selection device. The telemetry arrangement and associated antenna are optional. The processing section can include components such as, for example, one or more processors, memory of any appropriate type and analog to digital converters. Generally, the homing receiver can be configured for direct placement on surface 44 of the ground, however, an ultrasonic transducer (not shown) can be provided for measuring the height of the homing receiver above the surface of the ground. One highly advantageous ultrasonic transducer arrangement is described, for example, in the above incorporated '442 patent.
[0040] As will be further described, Applicant recognizes that the accuracy of homing commands depends directly on the accuracy of fluxes measured at the homing receiver. Since dipole field signal strength (see item 250 , in FIG. 1 ) decreases in inverse proportion to distance to the third power, homing accuracy can diminish rapidly with relatively larger distances between the homing transmitter of boring tool 26 and homing receiver 260 . In this regard, it should be appreciated that the weakest signal and, hence, the lowest accuracy in a typical homing procedure will be encountered at the start of the operation when separation between the homing transmitter and the homing receiver is usually at a maximum. In a conventional homing system, this initial separation can be beyond the range at which the homing receiver is capable of receiving the homing signal.
[0041] The homing technique and apparatus disclosed herein increases the range over which vertical homing is accurate. Accurate and useful homing commands can be generated over distances much larger than the typical range of 40 feet or so, using a typical battery powered homing transmitter. At a given range between the boring tool and the homing receiver, vertical homing accuracy is remarkably enhanced by using flux measurements in conjunction with integrating pitch for a determined drill string length, as will be further discussed at an appropriate point below.
Nomenclature
[0042] The following nomenclature is used in embodiments of the homing procedure described herein and is provided here as a convenience for the reader.
[0000] b=flux magnitude for unit boring tool transmitter dipole strength
b x ,b z =flux components in the X,Z-directions
D 1 =initial boring tool transmitter depth D T =target depth below homing receiver
H=observation coefficient matrix
I=identity matrix
K=Kalman gain
L R =average drill rod length
P=error covariance matrix=
Q k =discrete process noise covariance matrix
R M =observation error covariance matrix
{right arrow over (R)}=position vector from boring tool transmitter antenna center to the center of the homing receiver antenna
s=arc length along drill string axis
{right arrow over (v)} b =vector of flux measurement error
{right arrow over (v)}=vector of homing receiver position error
{right arrow over (x)}=state variables vector
x hr =homing receiver x-position in boring tool transmitter coordinates
X, Z=coordinate axes of vertical plane in which homing commands are generated or position coordinates in this plane
X hr ,Z hr =homing receiver position
X T ,Z T =target position
{right arrow over (w)} k =process noise vector
{right arrow over (Z)}=measurement vector
∂X, δZ=position state variables
δX hr ,δZ hr =homing receiver antenna position increments
δφ=pitch angle increment
ΔY,ΔZ=horizontal and vertical homing commands
φ=pitch angle
Φ k =discrete state equation transition matrix
σ=standard deviation
σ φ =pitch measurement error
σ b x ,σ b r =flux measurement errors
σ X hr ,σ Z hr =homing receiver position measurement errors
σ X 1 ,σ Z 1 =initial boring tool transmitter position error
σ 2 =variance, square of standard deviation
Subscripts
[0043] est estimated value
ex exact value
hr Homing receiver
k k-th transmitter position
m measured
T target
1 initial position of boring tool where homing is initiated
Superscripts
[0044] {dot over (()}{dot over ( )} d/ds
( ) − indicates last available estimate
( )′ transpose
( )* nominal drill path
{circumflex over ({right arrow over (x)} state variables vector estimate
[0045] Referring to FIG. 1 , prior to homing, the user may place homing receiver 260 on the ground ahead of the homing transmitter and above a specified target location T, pointing in the drilling direction in one embodiment. Note that the receiver x axis faces to the right in the view of FIG. 1 . That is, the x axis of the receiver, along which flux b x is measured, faces away from the drill rig at least approximately in the drilling direction. In another embodiment, the center of tri-axial antenna 262 of the homing receiver may be chosen as a target T′. This set-up procedure determines an X,Z coordinate system used during homing ( FIG. 2 ) where X is horizontal and Z is vertical. A Y axis extends horizontally and orthogonal to the X,Z plane completing a right handed Cartesian coordinate system. The use of this particular coordinate system which may be referred to herein as a master or global coordinate system, should be considered as exemplary and not limiting. Any suitable coordinate system may be used including Cartesian coordinate systems having different orientations and polar coordinate systems. It should be appreciated that the drill path is not physically confined to the X,Z plane such that homing along a curved path can be performed. The technique described herein, however, does not account for divergence of the boring tool out of the X,Z plane or for yaw angles out of the X,Z plane as represented by boring tool 26 ′ (shown in phantom in FIG. 2 ) for purposes of producing enhanced vertical homing commands while still producing remarkable results. At the time of setup, the X,Z axes define a vertical plane that contains the center of the transmitter antenna at the start of homing and the center of antenna 262 of homing receiver 260 . These axes can remain so defined for the remainder of the homing procedure. In the present example, the origin of this system is located at point 45 on the surface of the ground above the center of the homing transmitter antenna in boring tool 26 at position k=1 with the boring tool at a depth D 1 . The depth at D 1 can be measured, for example, by a walk-over locator or using a tape-measure if the initial position of the boring tool has been exposed. Hence, the initial homing transmitter position becomes
[0000] X 1 =0 (1)
[0000] Z 1 =−D 1 (2)
[0046] In an embodiment where the origin of the coordinate system is defined at point 42 , where the boring tool enters the ground, the origin of the coordinate system is at the center of the transmitter antenna with D 1 =0.
[0047] Homing receiver position coordinates designated as X hr ,Z hr can be measured before homing begins. In addition, the average length of drill rods L R can determined for use in embodiments where the drill rig does not monitor the length of the drill string. For purposes of the present description, it will be assumed that drill rods are to be counted and that homing command determinations are made on a rod by rod basis such that the average drill rod length is relevant. The user can specify the depth of the target D T below the homing receiver so that target position coordinates, designated as X T ,Z T , can be obtained from
[0000] X T =X hr (3)
[0000] Z T =Z hr −D T (4)
[0048] During homing, flux components are measured using antenna 262 of the homing receiver for use in conjunction with the measured pitch, designated as φ, of the boring tool at each k position. The homing system utilizes an estimate of pitch measurement uncertainty σ φ and of the measurement uncertainties of the 2 fluxes in the vertical X,Z plane which are denominated as σ b X ,σ b Z , respectively. In addition, measurement uncertainties σ Z 1 ,σ X hr ,σ Z hr are utilized where σ Z 1 is the measurement uncertainty of depth Z 1 at position k 1 , the value σ X hr is the measurement uncertainty of the position of homing receiver 260 on the X axis, and the value σ Z hr is the measurement uncertainty of the position of homing receiver 260 on the Z axis. Note that σ X 1 =0 since X 1 =0 according to the definition above of the selected coordinate system. It should be appreciated that the various measurement uncertainties can be empirically obtained in a straightforward manner by evaluating and comparing repeat measurements of the quantity of interest. The uncertainty of locator position measurements is readily available from the manufacturer of distance measuring devices. Although the position of the homing receiver can be determined in any suitable manner, suitable handheld or tripod mounted laser devices are readily commercially available for measuring the homing receiver position coordinates. For example, the Leica Disto™ D5 can be used which has a range of over 300 feet and a built-in pitch sensor. In other embodiments, standard surveyor instrumentation can be used to determine the homing receiver position/coordinates prior to homing.
[0049] In one embodiment, the method is based on two types of equations, referred to as process equations and measurement equations. The following process equations are chosen where the dot symbol denotes derivatives with respect to arc length s along the axis of the drill rod or drill string:
[0000] {dot over ( X )}=cos φ (5)
[0000] {dot over ( Z )}=sin φ (6)
[0050] For vertical homing, the flux components b X ,b Z induced at the homing receiver are measured. They can be expressed in terms of transmitter position X,Z, homing receiver position X hr ,Z hr and pitch φ. This leads to the following measurement equation written in vector form as
[0000] {right arrow over ( B )}=3 x hr R −5 {right arrow over (R)}−R −3 {right arrow over (u)} (7)
[0000] where
[0000] {right arrow over ( B )}=( b x ,b z )′ (8)
[0000] {right arrow over ( R )}=( X hr −X,Z hr −Z )′ (9)
[0000] R=|{right arrow over (R)} (10)
[0000] {right arrow over ( u )}=(cos φ, sin φ)′ (11)
[0000] x hr ={right arrow over ( u )}′{right arrow over ( R )} (12)
[0051] Above, the prime symbol denotes the transpose of a vector.
[0052] Equations (5) and (6) are ordinary differential equations for the two unknown transmitter position coordinates X,Z. Vector Equation (7) can be written as two scalar equations for the flux components b X and b Z along the X and Z axes. It should be appreciated that these equations represent an initial value problem since Equations (5) and (6) can be integrated along arc length S starting from known initial values X 1 ,Z 1 at k=1. Equations (5), (6) and (7) couple flux measurements at the homing receiver to the transmitter position such that enhanced accuracy homing commands can be generated as compared to homing commands that are generated based solely on flux measurements, as in a conventional homing system.
Nonlinear Solution Procedures
[0053] The foregoing initial value problem can be solved using either a nonlinear solution procedure, such as the method of nonlinear least squares, the SIMPLEX method, or can be based on Kalman filtering. The latter will be discussed in detail beginning at an appropriate point below. Initially, however, an application of the SIMPLEX method will be described where the description is limited to the derivation of the nonlinear algebraic equations that are to be solved at each drill-path position. Details of the solver itself are well-known and considered as within the skill of one having ordinary skill in the art in view of this overall disclosure.
SIMPLEX Method
[0054] The present technique and other solution methods can replace the derivatives {dot over (X)},Ż in Equations (5) and (6) with finite differences that are here written as:
[0000]
X
.
=
X
k
+
1
-
X
k
L
R
(
13
)
Z
.
=
Z
k
+
1
-
Z
k
L
R
(
14
)
[0055] Resulting algebraic equations read:
[0000] f 1 =X k+1 −X k −L R cos φ k =0 (15)
[0000] f 2 =Z k+1 −Z k −L R sin φ k =0 (16)
[0056] The flux measurement Equations (7-12) provide two additional algebraic equations written as:
[0000] f 3 =b X k+1 −3 x hr R k+1 −5 ( X hr −X k+1 )+ R k+1 −3 cos φ k+1 =0 (17)
[0000] f 4 =b Z k+1 −3 x hr R k+1 −5 ( Z hr −Z k+1 )+ R k+1 −3 sin φ k+1 =0 (18)
[0057] Here, transmitter pitch and fluxes are measured at the (k+1) st position. The distance between transmitter and homing receiver is obtained from the corresponding distance vector which reads
[0000] {right arrow over ( R )} k+1 =( X hr −X k+1 ,Z hr −Z k+1 )′ (19)
[0000] Furthermore, we use
[0000] R k+1 =|{right arrow over (R)} k+1 | (20)
[0000] {right arrow over ( u )} k+1 =(cos φ k+1 , sin φ k+1 )′ (21)
[0000] x hr ={right arrow over ( u )}′ k+1 {right arrow over (R)} k+1 (22)
[0058] Starting with the known initial values (Equations 1 and 2) at drill begin, the coordinates of subsequent positions along the drill path can be obtained by solving the above set of nonlinear algebraic equations (15-22) for each new tool position. The coordinates of position k+1 are determined iteratively beginning with some assumed initial solution estimate that is sufficiently close to the actual location to assure convergence to the correct position. One suitable estimate will be described immediately hereinafter.
[0059] An initial solution estimate is given by linear extrapolation of the previously predicted/last determined position to a predicted position. The linear extrapolation is based on Equations 5 and 6 and a given incremental movement L R of the homing tool from a k th position where:
[0000] ( X k+1 ) est =X k +L R cos φ k (23)
[0000] ( Z k+1 ) est =Z k +L R sin φ k (24)
[0060] Where the subscript (est) represents an estimated position. Application of the SIMPLEX method requires definition of a function that is to be minimized during the solution procedure. An example of such a function that is suitable in the present application reads:
[0000]
F
=
∑
p
=
1
4
f
p
2
(
25
)
[0061] As noted above, it is considered that one having ordinary skill can conclude the solution procedure under SIMPLEX in view of the foregoing.
Kalman Filter Solution
[0062] In another embodiment, a method is described for solving the homing command by employing Kalman filtering. The filter reduces the position error uncertainties caused by measurement minimizing the uncertainty of the vertical homing command in a least square sense thereby increasing the accuracy of the vertical homing command. The Kalman filter is applied in a way that couples flux measurements on a position-by-position basis with integration of pitch readings that are indicative of position coordinates in the X, Z plane, while accounting for error estimates relating to both flux measurement and pitch measurement.
[0063] It is worthwhile to note that a Kalman filter merges the solutions of two types of equations in order to obtain a single set of transmitter position coordinates along the drill path. In the present application, one set of equations (Equations 5 and 6) defines the rate of change of transmitter position along the drill path as a function of measured pitch angle. Equation (7) is based on the equations of a magnetic dipole inducing a flux at the homing receiver antenna. The Kalman filter provides enhanced homing commands by reducing the effect of errors in measuring fluxes, pitch, and homing receiver position.
[0064] The homing procedure can be initiated at a known boring tool position, as described above. Advancing the boring tool to the next location by one rod length provides an estimate of the new transmitter position that is limited to the X, Z plane by integrating measured pitch for known drill rod length increment. Consequently, this position estimate is improved by incorporating dipole flux equations. Accordingly, enhanced homing commands are generated responsive to both the flux measurements and the position of the boring tool in the vertical X, Z plane. This process is repeated along the drill path until the drill head has reached the target. It should be mentioned that the strength of the homing signal is generally initially weakest at the start of the homing procedure and increases in signal strength as the boring tool approaches the boring tool. The present disclosure serves not only to increase the accuracy of the homing signal but to increase homing range to distances that are unattainable in a conventional homing system for a given signal strength, as transmitted from the boring tool.
[0065] It is noted that the Kalman filter addresses random measurement errors. Therefore, fixed errors can be addressed prior to homing. For example, any significant misalignment of the pitch sensor in the boring tool with the elongation axis of the boring tool can be corrected. Such a correction can generally be performed easily by applying a suitable level such as, for example, a digital level to the housing of the boring tool and recording the difference between measured pitch and the pitch that is indicated by the pitch signal generated by the boring tool. Systematic error such as pitch sensor misalignment can be addressed in another way by using an identical roll orientation of the boring tool each time the pitch orientation is measured.
Nominal Drill Path
[0066] Assuming that the coordinates X k ,Z k are known for a current position of the boring tool whether by measurement of the initial position or by processing determinations on a position-by-position basis, an estimate for the next position of the boring tool can be obtained by linear extrapolation from k to k+1 for the incremental distance that is being used between adjacent positions. This estimate is a point on what is referred to herein as the nominal drill path, indicated by the superscript (*). In the present example, the incremental distance is taken as the average rod length, although this is not a requirement. The nominal drill path falls within the X,Z plane and ignores any out of plane travel of the boring tool. Hence, the coordinates for the estimated position become:
[0000] X* k+1 =X k +L R cos φ k (26)
[0000] Z* k+1 =Z k +L R sin φ k (27)
[0067] Here, the symbols L R ,φ k denote average rod length and boring tool transmitter pitch at position k, respectively. It is noted that L R can correspond to any selected incremental distance between positions and may even vary from position to position.
[0068] While drill path positions can be found in one way by integrating Equations (5) and (6) starting from a specified initial guess without making use of flux Equation (7), solution accuracy may suffer from the following errors:
[0069] Integration errors due to pitch measurement errors, especially at relatively long ranges between the homing receiver and the initial transmitter position,
[0070] Numerical integration errors, and
[0071] Modeling inaccuracy since process Equations (5) and (6) might serve only as an approximation for some drilling scenarios.
State Variables
[0072] The Kalman Filter adds correction terms δX, δZ to the nominal drill path so that the transmitter position coordinates become:
[0000] X k+1 =X* k+1 +δX k+1 (28)
[0000] Z k+1 =Z* k+1 +δZ k+1 (29)
[0073] The vector containing δX,δZ is denominated as the vector of state variables, given as:
[0000] {right arrow over ( x )}=(δ X,δZ )′ (30)
[0074] The vector of state variables is governed by a set of state equations derived from Equations (5) and (6) by linearization, given as:
[0000] {right arrow over ( x )} k+1 =Φ k {right arrow over (x)} k +{right arrow over ( w )} k (31)
[0000] where
[0000] {right arrow over ( w )} k =L R {right arrow over (G)} k δφ k (32)
[0000] Φ k =I (33)
[0000] {right arrow over ( G )} k =(−sin φ k , cos φ k )′ (34)
[0075] Above, the vector {right arrow over (w)} k of Equation (19) is the process noise that depends on pitch measurement error and on vector {right arrow over (G)} k which in turn is a function of pitch. The covariance of {right arrow over (w)} k is the so-called discrete process noise covariance matrix Q k which plays an important role in Kalman filter analysis, given as:
[0000] Q k =cov ( {right arrow over (w)} k ) (35)
[0000] Q k L R 2 {right arrow over (G)} k σ φ 2 {right arrow over (G)}′ k (36)
[0076] Even though Q k is defined analytically it could be manipulated empirically in order to increase solution accuracy for some applications. One convenient method to achieve this is to multiply Q k by the factor F E whose value is determined empirically by numerical experimentation. The best value of F E provides the most accurate predictions of the vertical homing command.
[0077] Linearization of the flux measurement equations about the nominal drill path results in the so-called observation equations, given in vector notation as:
[0000] {right arrow over ( z )}= H{right arrow over (x)}+{right arrow over (v)} b +{right arrow over (v)} hr (37)
[0078] Application to Equations (7-12) provides the following details of vector Z and matrix H:
[0000] {right arrow over ( z )}=( b X m −b* X ,b Z m −b* Z )′ (38)
[0000] H= 3 x hr R −7 (5 {right arrow over (R)}{right arrow over (R)}′−R 2 I )−3 R −5 ( {right arrow over (R)}{right arrow over (u)}′+{right arrow over (u)}{right arrow over (R)} ′) (39)
[0000] x hr ={right arrow over (u)}′{right arrow over (R)} (40)
[0000] {right arrow over ( u )}=(cos φ, sin φ)′ (41)
[0000] {right arrow over ( R )}=( X hr −X*,Z hr −Z* ) (42)
[0000] R=|{right arrow over (R)}| (43)
[0079] Note that b* X ,b* Z are the fluxes induced at the homing receiver by the transmitter on the nominal drill path X*,Z*. These fluxes can be determined using Equations (7-12) with {right arrow over (R)}=(X hr −X*,Z hr −Z*)′. Fluxes b X m ,b Z m are the actual fluxes measured at the homing receiver with the boring tool transmitter in its actual position along the borehole, which can be yawed and/or positioned out of the X, Z plane.
[0080] The terms {right arrow over (v)} b ,{right arrow over (v)} hr represent vectors of flux measurement errors and homing receiver position errors, respectively. The observation error covariance matrix R M , also used by the Kalman filter loop, is given by:
[0000]
R
M
=
cov
(
v
->
b
+
v
->
hr
)
(
44
)
R
M
=
[
σ
b
x
2
0
0
σ
b
z
2
]
+
H
[
σ
X
hr
2
0
0
σ
Z
hr
2
]
H
′
(
45
)
[0081] State variables {right arrow over (x)} and error covariance matrix P are initialized at the new position along the drill path by setting
[0000] {circumflex over ({right arrow over ( x )} k+1 =(0,0)′ (46)
[0000] P k+1 − =P k +Q k (47)
[0082] Here, the superscript ( ) − indicates the last available estimate of P.
[0083] The process of updating P begins with P 1 at the initial homing position X 1 ,Z 1 . Its value is given as
[0000]
P
1
=
[
σ
X
1
2
0
0
σ
Z
1
2
]
(
48
)
[0084] The classical, well documented version of the Kalman filter loop is chosen as a basis for the current homing tool embodiment. It is made up of three steps:
[0085] Kalman gain is given as:
[0000] K=P − H ′( HP − H′+R M ) −1 (49)
[0000] Update state variables:
[0000] {circumflex over ({right arrow over ( x )}={circumflex over ({right arrow over ( x )}+ K ({right arrow over ( z )}− H{circumflex over ({right arrow over (x)} − ) (50)
[0000] Update error covariance matrix:
[0000] P =( I−KH ) P − (51)
[0086] Above, the symbol {circumflex over ({right arrow over (x)} denotes a state variables estimate.
[0087] Equations (36-38) define a standard Kalman filter loop, for instance, as documented by Brown and Hwang, “Introduction to Random Signals and Applied Kalman Filtering”, 1997.
Homing Commands
[0088] The vertical homing command in this embodiment is given by the vertical distance between transmitter and target:
[0000] Δ Z=Z−Z T (52)
[0089] The horizontal homing command is defined as the ratio of horizontal fluxes measured at the homing receiver.
[0000]
Δ
Y
=
b
Y
m
b
X
m
(
53
)
[0090] Attention is now directed to FIG. 4 which illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure, generally indicated by the reference number 300 . The method begins at step 302 in which various set-up information is provided. It is noted that these items have been described above insofar as their determination and the reader is referred to these descriptions. The information includes the position of the homing receiver, the depth of the target, the average length of the drill rods to be used in an embodiment which relies on the drill rod length as an incremental movement distance; the initial transmitter depth; measurement uncertainties of pitch readings, flux measurements, homing receiver position and the initial transmitter depth; and the pitch bias error, if any.
[0091] At 304 , for the current position of the boring tool, the pitch is measured as well as fluxes at the homing receiver using antenna 262 . Note that the boring tool can be oriented at an identical roll orientation each time a pitch reading is taken if such a technique is in use for purposes of compensating for pitch bias error.
[0092] At 306 , the selected nonlinear solution procedure such as, for example, the aforedescribed Kalman filter analysis is performed for the current position of the boring tool.
[0093] At 308 , the homing commands are determined based on the nonlinear solution procedure and the homing commands are displayed to the user.
[0094] At 310 , a determination is made as to whether the boring tool has arrived at the target position. If not, the boring tool is moved by step 312 to the next position and the process repeats by returning to step 304 . If, on the other hand, the determination is made that the boring tool has arrived at the target, the procedure ends at 314 .
[0095] The homing commands can be displayed, for example, as seen in FIG. 5 where the objective is to minimize ΔY, ΔZ when the target is approached. In particular, a screen shot of one embodiment of the appearance of display 266 is shown having a crosshair arrangement 400 with a homing pointer 402 . In the present example, the boring tool should be steered down and the left by the operator of the system according to homing pointer 402 . That is, pointer 402 shows the direction in which the boring tool should be directed to home in on the homing receiver. The position of the homing indicator on the display is to be established by the determined values of ΔY and ΔZ, as described above. When homing indicator 402 is centered on cross-hairs 404 , the boring tool is on course and no steering is required.
[0096] Numerical simulations of vertical homing, according to the disclosure above, are now presented assuming pitch, fluxes and homing receiver position can be measured with the following accuracies:
[0000] σ φ =0.5 deg (54)
[0000] σ b X =2.4 e− 6 ft −3 (55)
[0000] σ b Z =2.4 e− 6 ft −3 (56)
[0000] σ X hr =0.1 ft (57)
[0000] σ Z hr =0.1 ft (58)
[0097] The chosen initial position accuracy depends on the location where homing begins.
[0000] σ X 1 =0 for X 1 =0 (59)
[0000] σ Z 1 =0 for Z 1 =0 (60)
[0000] or
[0000] σ Z 1 =0.1 ft for Z 1 =−D 1 (61)
[0098] Referring to FIGS. 6 a - 6 d , a numerical simulation is provided based on the Kalman filter embodiment described above and the accuracies set forth by Equations (54-61), as applicable. FIG. 6 a is a plot, in elevation, showing the X, Z plane and an exact path in the plane that is indicated by the reference number 600 . The homing procedure is initiated at coordinates (0,−10) and target T is located at coordinates (100,−4). The equation of this exemplary drill path is given as:
[0000] Z ex =−10+(6 e− 4) X ex 2 ,ft (62)
[0099] Here the subscript (ex) stands for “exact.” The example represents homing with a 100 foot range of effective vertical homing and a ten foot average drill rod length. It should be appreciated that this drill path is representative of a homing distance that is generally well beyond the standard range of a conventional homing system at the start of drilling. The range of a conventional homing system is typically about 40 feet with a typical transmitter and a typical receiver. FIG. 6 b is another plot of the X, Z plane showing a plot 602 of the value of the vertical homing command. It should be appreciated that the magnitude of the homing command controls the amount of steering that is needed. Thus, the magnitude of the homing command starts decreasing significantly at around X=40 feet and has the value zero at X=100 feet, where the boring tool arrives at the target. FIG. 6 c shows a plot of the value of X error 604 along the length of the drill path. The X error is the difference between the actual position of the boring tool along this axis and the determined position of the boring tool along the X axis. FIG. 6 d shows a plot of Z error 606 along the length of the drill path. The Z error is the difference between the actual position of the boring tool along this axis and the determined position of the boring tool along the Z axis. It is noted that a negative going peak 610 is present in plot 606 at X=60 feet, representing a maximum vertical position error of approximately 7 inches at a distance equivalent to 4 rod length laterally away from the target. This distance provides sufficient steering reserves to accurately reach the target. The X position error along the drill path is less than 1 inch. Note in this example that homing started at a depth of 10 ft. At X=100 feet, the Z error value is near zero.
[0100] Referring to FIGS. 7 a - 7 d , another numerical simulation is provided based on the Kalman filter embodiment described above and the accuracies set forth by Equations (54-61), as applicable. FIG. 7 a is a plot, in elevation, showing the X, Z plane and an exact path in the plane that is indicated by the reference number 700 . The homing procedure is initiated at coordinates (0,0) and target T is located at coordinates (80,−10). Again, at the incept of drilling, this example illustrates a range that is generally well beyond the range that is available in a conventional homing system. The equation of this exemplary drill path is given as:
[0000] Z ex =−0.25 X ex +0.0015625 X ex 2 (63)
[0101] Where the subscript (ex) again stands for “exact.” The example represents homing with an 80 foot range of effective vertical homing and a five foot average drill rod length. FIG. 7 b is another plot of the X, Z plane showing a plot 702 of the value of the vertical homing command. As is the case in all of the examples presented here, the magnitude of the homing command controls the amount of steering that is needed. Thus, the magnitude of the homing command starts decreasing significantly at around X=50 feet and has the value zero at X=80 feet, where the boring tool arrives at the target. FIG. 7 c shows a plot of the value of X error 704 along the length of the drill path. It is noted that the X error is less than approximately 2 inches for the entire length of the drill path. FIG. 7 d shows a plot of Z error 706 along the length of the drill path. It is noted that a negative going peak 710 is present in plot 706 at X=48 feet representing a maximum Z error of about 6 inches at around 30 feet from the target. At X=80 feet, the Z error value is near zero.
[0102] The previous examples assume that during the homing process the transmitter moves in the vertical X, Z plane and that any three-dimensional effect on vertical homing commands is negligible. In the next example, it will be shown that homing commands remain accurate even when the transmitter leaves the vertical plane and/or yaws with respect to the vertical plane. The lateral offset may reduce lateral homing effectiveness at initial, greater range from the target but lateral effectiveness improves when the transmitter approaches the target, as will be seen.
[0103] Turning to FIGS. 8 a - d , a three-dimensional test case will now be described. FIG. 8 a illustrates a plot of a horizontal drill path 800 that is added to the vertical drill path of FIG. 6 a and given by Equation (49). A ten foot average drill rod length is used in the present example. The lateral drill path is given by:
[0000] Y ex =0.2 X ex −(2 e− 3) X ex 2 (64)
[0104] The three-dimensional effect is mainly due to changes in transmitter yaw and to the lateral offset resulting in slightly different fluxes measured by the homing receiver antennas. Minor changes of measured pitch can also contribute to this effect. The lateral offset reaches a maximum of five feet at a point 802 in plot 800 . FIG. 8 b is a plot of the vertical homing command 806 as further influenced by the lateral deviation in FIG. 8 a . For purposes of comparison, homing command plot 602 of FIG. 6 b is shown as a dashed line. It is noted that the difference between plots 602 and 806 is not viewed as significant in terms of overall results of the homing procedure. FIG. 8 c illustrates the Z error 810 along the X axis which includes the effects of yaw and lateral deviation from the X, Z plane with Z error plot 606 of FIG. 6 d shown as a dashed line for purposes of comparison. Even for a significant 5 foot lateral deviation, as seen in FIG. 8 a , the accuracy of the vertical homing command is near that of the two-dimensional test case of FIG. 6 a , as is evidenced by FIG. 8 c . That is, the maximum Z error is approximately 7 inches in each case but the three-dimensional effect of the lateral transmitter offset, shown in FIG. 8 a , causes the maximum Z error to move closer to the target. Thus, the present example confirms that homing according to the present disclosure is highly effective with relatively large amounts of yaw and lateral deviation from the X,Z plane. Accordingly, a relatively reduced accuracy of the horizontal component of the homing command at long range is confirmed by this example as acceptable.
[0105] FIG. 9 illustrates the vertical homing command, ΔZ versus X based on the drill path depicted in FIG. 6 a . A first plot 900 , shown as a dotted line, illustrates the vertical homing command for the exact drill path (see also, plot 602 of FIG. 6 b ). A second plot 902 , shown as a dashed line, illustrates the vertical homing command derived based on a conventional system which generates the homing command based solely on flux measurements. A third plot 904 , shown as a solid line, illustrates the homing command based on the use of the Kalman filter. It should be appreciated that the homing receiver is located at X=100 feet such that positions to the left in the view of the figure are relatively further from the homing receiver. It can be seen that the Kalman filter plot 902 and the conventional plot 904 agree well with the exact homing command plot 900 when the transmitter is within 40 feet or so of the homing receiver. That is, the value of X is greater than 60 feet in the plot. At larger distances from the homing receiver (i.e., below X=60 feet, the conventional system becomes increasingly unreliable and eventually fails to provide any meaningful homing guidance, for example, proximate to X=40 feet. Kalman filter plot 904 , however, closely tracks the exact homing command values of plot 900 along the entire drill path, even at greater distances from the homing receiver, including proximate to X=40 feet at which the conventional system is essentially unusable. It should be appreciated that attempting to use the conventional system at long range would result in dramatically oversteering the boring tool upward.
[0106] In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that a homing apparatus and associated method have been described which can advantageously use a measured parameter in the form of the drill string length in conjunction with measured flux values to generate a vertical homing command. Further, a nonlinear solution procedure can be employed in order to remarkably enhance vertical homing command accuracy and homing range as compared to conventional homing implementations that rely only on flux measurements.
[0107] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.
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A boring tool that is moved by a drill string to form an underground bore. A transmitter transmits a time varying dipole field as a homing field from the boring tool. A pitch sensor detects a pitch orientation of the boring tool. A homing receiver is positionable at a target location for detecting the homing field to produce a set of flux measurements. A processing arrangement uses the pitch orientation and flux measurements with a determined length of the drill string to determine a vertical homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location such that the vertical homing command is generated with a particular accuracy at a given range between the transmitter and the homing receiver and which would otherwise be generated with the particular accuracy for a standard range, different from the particular range. An associated system and method are described.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to connections for joining linear, structural elements capable of carrying tension and compression loads that comprise double-layer-grid, three-dimensional trussed structures and braced planar truss systems. The most common application of such connections is in double-layer-grid space frames. Therefore, the connection hereof is named after the acronym for double-layer-grid—the DLG Connector (DLGC).
BACKGROUND ART
Current connections designed for double-layer-grids receive linear, structural elements that, most commonly, are either round or square in cross-section. In such grids, the places where plural linear elements are interconnected are known as “nodes”. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional node connector 2 for square cross-section framing members 3 , 4 . Note that the adjacent diagonal strut members at 4 the connection reside in different planes. That is, the non-vertical surfaces 5 of each diagonal strut member 4 lie in (or are parallel to) a plane diagonal to the common plane of the adjacent horizontal chord members 3 which is different from the diagonal plane of each other diagonal strut member associated with the connector.
Bolted connections are easily effected using these systems that accommodate square linear, tubular structural elements. The use of a square cross-section for the framing is advantageous since the fabrication of the framing member consists simply of drilling or punching holes at both ends after the member is cut to length. Ball-node systems are designed for the use of round cross-sections (pipes) in double-layer-grids and involve a more expensive design and fabrication process.
A double-layer-grid is understood to be a structure with a horizontal, square grid of framing elements that serve as the top chords and is the top “layer” of the DLG space frame. Similarly, there are the bottom chords with the same square grid that is offset horizontally by one-half the bay width in both directions. This bottom “layer” is also offset downwardly from the top “layer” by a set distance and is held in position by the use of diagonal (strut) framing elements. FIGS. 2 , 3 & 4 show a typical double-layer-grid space frame 6 , six bays long by five bays wide; an end view of frame 6 is similar to FIG. 4 . There are several disadvantages of the connection systems of the prior art when applied to double-layer grids as described with square cross-section framing elements. First, these systems are restricted to square, double-layer-grids only. Second, these systems can only produce flat double-layer grids. Third, contoured (free-form) footprints are difficult to design and construct. Fourth, vertical sidewall and/or end wall framing is difficult to design and construct. These disadvantages are resolved with the DLGC design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The DLGC takes advantage of natural planes formed by the double-layer grid. When studying a double-layer-grid, the observer will see in FIG. 4 that the diagonal members in each half-bay all lie in the same plane. As long as the diagonal framing elements have flat surfaces, such as square/rectangular tubes, angles, channels and I-beams (wide flanged sections as in steel construction), these strut framing elements can be rotated so that the non-vertical surfaces of the strut framing elements become parallel to the diagonal plane. Once the framing element is oriented so that the non-vertical flat surface(s) are in plane with the diagonals, the problem of attachment is immensely simplified. In current systems as shown in FIGS. 1 , 5 , 6 and 7 ( FIGS. 5 , 6 and 7 are simplified, and idealized, depictions of the substance of FIG. 1 ), opposing diagonal elements have their major axes (webs) residing in vertical planes. The present DLGC system makes adjacent diagonal elements have their non-vertical surface features co-planar, as shown in FIGS. 8-10 , e.g. When these surface features are oriented in the same plane, they become parallel to the plane defined by the row of diagonal elements. Once this is accomplished, adjacent diagonals can be connected to the joint by the same structural plates. Sharing structural plates at the connection as seen in FIGS. 8 , 9 and 10 creates the simplified connection. The members comprising the horizontal grid attaching to the diagonal elements can also be connected together with plates following the direction of the diagonal plane. This allows for a system of plate flanges with parallel centerlines that is ideal for fabrication as aluminum extrusions or welded steel plates that comprise a DLGC joint (see FIGS. 11 , 12 and 13 ).
The DLGC can be made of any structural material such as, but not limited to, aluminum, steel, fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) and plastics. Fabrication of the DLGC can use any process suitable to the material used such as extruding or casting aluminum and welding steel plates. Linear members connected by the DLGC can be made of any structural material such as, but not limited to, aluminum, steel, FRP, plastic or wood.
Generally speaking, a node connector according to this invention is useful for interconnecting plural structural framing members at a node in a double-layer space frame which has spaced major surfaces. The major surfaces are defined by substantially orthogonally disposed chord members. The major surfaces are spaced from each other by struts. The node connector comprises an elongate body which has a substantially constant transverse cross-sectional configuration along its length. The connector body defines an elongate open-ended passage which has side walls and which is configured and sized to enable a first chord to be engaged in and along the passage between the side walls in one major surface of the frame. The connector body also defines at least first and second pairs of spaced parallel diagonal surfaces. Each pair of diagonal surfaces is associated with a respective one of two diagonal planes which intersect at a line parallel to the elongate extent of the passage. The diagonal surfaces in each pair are parallel to a respective diagonal plane. The ends of a pair of frame struts can be connected to the connector between each pair of diagonal surfaces.
Another aspect of this invention pertains to a double layer space frame which has longitudinal and transverse chord structural framing members which are orthogonally disposed in spaced major surfaces of the frame. The chord members are connected relative to each other by connectors at connection nodes in the frame major surfaces. The frame also includes pairs of strut structural framing members which lie in diagonal planes oblique to the frame's major surfaces and which connect a node in one major surface to four adjacent nodes in the other major surfaces. A connector at such a node has at least two pairs of struts connected to it. In that context, a connector comprises a body which has a passage through it which receives a first frame chord member. The connector has lateral surfaces which extend away from opposite sides of the passage; to each lateral surface is connected a further chord member which is disposed substantially orthogonally to the first chord member. The connector body also has at least two diagonal surfaces which extend along the body parallel to the passage and respectively parallel to a respective one of two diagonal planes associated with that node. The ends of a pair of struts in the related diagonal plane are connected to each diagonal surface to connect the node to two adjacent nodes in the other major surface of the frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The aforementioned features and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional features and advantages thereof, will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective depiction of a prior art node connection using conventional connection technology where the diagonal members' non-vertical surfaces lie in different planes in order to maintain their respective vertical orientations;
FIGS. 2 , 3 and 4 are isometric, plan and side views, respectively, of a conventional (prior art) double layer grid that is six bays long and five bays wide;
FIGS. 5 , 6 and 7 are simplified isometric, bottom and side views, respectively, of a conventional (prior art) node connection, generally like that shown in FIG. 1 , in a double layer grid;
FIGS. 8 , 9 and 10 are conceptual (simplified and idealized) isometric, bottom and plan views, respectively, of a node connection of a double layer grid according to the present invention;
FIGS. 11 , 12 and 13 are isometric, bottom, and cross-section views, respectively, of a first embodiment of a DLGC node connection of the invention in which the framing members of the DLG are defined by WF (wide flange) shapes;
FIGS. 14 and 15 are bottom and transverse cross-section views, respectively, of a version of the invention in which the grid framing elements are defined by square tubes;
FIGS. 16 , 17 and 18 are isometric, bottom and transverse cross-sectional elevation views, respectively, of a version of the invention in which the strut framing members are back-to-back angle pairs and the chord framing members are squares tubes;
FIG. 19 is an illustration of a connection of the invention which incorporates a mullion/rafter system for glazing with glass, polycarbonate or acrylic sheets;
FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the connector of FIG. 19 with a glass sheet shown on one side only;
FIGS. 21 and 22 are side and isometric views, respectively, of a DLG in arch or vaulted shape;
FIGS. 23 , 24 and 25 are isometric, bottom and transverse sectional elevation views, respectively, of an extruded aluminum node of a vaulted DLG in which the framing elements are defined by square tubes; and
FIGS. 26 , 27 , 28 and 29 are isometric, top, side and end views, respectively, of a DLG with variable bay spacing in one direction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 5 through 7 depict a simplified representation of prior art node connector joint 2 (see FIG. 1 ) and illustrate the existing convention for member orientation in conventional double-layer-grids. Wide-flanged (WF) members are shown for grid framing members 3 , 4 in FIGS. 5-7 to help visualize strut member orientation. As seen in FIG. 5 , the diagonal member in the foreground has the web oriented vertically as do the other diagonal members connected to that node connection joint. FIG. 6 shows the same joint 2 in a bottom view in which the intersections of the diagonal struts 4 trace a cruciform which indicates that the flat flange surfaces of the WF diagonals are in separate planes. FIG. 7 is a close-up of a joint from space frame 6 (see FIG. 4 ) which illustrates that the flanges of the strut 4 members are not parallel to the plane defined by the row of diagonals in each half-bay.
A simplified depiction of a DLGC joint 8 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 8 which reveals that the webs of WF strut members 9 in a DLG node connection of the present invention are not in a vertical orientation; chord framing members 10 are also involved in joint 8 . FIG. 9 demonstrates that opposite pairs of diagonal strut 9 have a strut member orientation that makes their flange surfaces co-planar as evidenced by a straight line at the intersection of the four struts—two intersecting planes make a straight line. FIG. 10 verifies that the flanges of each pair of adjacent strut members 9 on one side of the node connection are oriented so that they are now parallel to the diagonal plane. This way of orienting diagonal elements makes the DLGC possible. Working joint designs based on this innovation are presented next.
Shown in FIGS. 11 through 13 is one working embodiment of the present DLGC. This node connector 12 is designed to be extruded aluminum for the joining of aluminum chords 13 , 14 and strut 15 members; in this example, those chords and struts are WF aluminum shapes. FIGS. 14 and 15 show a preferably extruded connector 18 with square aluminum tubes as chords 19 , 20 and struts 21 . FIGS. 16-18 illustrate a similar preferably extruded connection 24 with back-to-back angles used to define struts 25 ; chord members 26 and 27 are defined by square tubes. Similar constructions can be produced in steel with the DLGC consisting of welded steel plates instead of an extrusion. The DLGC also provides for using engineered wood and sawn lumber as strut members.
FIG. 19 illustrates that the DLGC can incorporate a mullion/rafter system 40 for glazing with panels 41 of glass, polycarbonate or acrylic. FIG. 20 is an isometric view with glass shown only on one side for clarity. Additionally, similar attachments can be integrated with the DLGC system that would allow for the batten engagement of sheet metal panels. In all these cases, the cladding engagement mechanism can be produced integrally with the rafters of the top chords in one or both directions. Once the cladding engagement mechanism is made integrally with the rafter, no secondary framing is required to support the cladding. The top chord members can serve as mullions.
An inspection of FIGS. 11-13 concerning node connector 12 , of FIGS. 14-15 concerning node connector 18 , and of FIGS. 16-18 concerning node connector 24 reveals that connectors 12 , 18 , and 24 have certain structural features and properties in common with each other. Those common features and properties are discussed herein principally with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 and connector 18 . Connector 18 is comprised by an elongate body 30 which preferably has a constant transverse cross-sectional configuration and which, more preferably, is created by an aluminum extrusion process. Body 30 includes a pair of spaced parallel flanges 31 oriented along the length of the body to form an open ended passage 32 in which is received a chord member 19 of the pertinent space frame. Passage 32 has side walls defined by the opposing surfaces of flanges 31 . As received in the passage, the chord extends along the passage and, in some instances as shown 14 , through the passage in a continuous manner to extend beyond the opposite ends of the passage. In connector 30 , the passage has a bottom and an open side opposite that bottom so that the connector can be engaged laterally with chord 19 where desired along the length of the chord, with the chord engaging the passage bottom; the body 30 can be secured to chord 19 by pins 33 , e.g., passed through flanges 31 and the chord as shown in FIG. 15 .
Also by inspection of FIGS. 14 and 15 , body 30 of connector 18 defines surfaces 34 extending laterally in the body away from passage 32 in preferably coplanar relation, preferably from the lower ends of flanges 31 as seen in FIG. 15 . The ends of chords 20 , disposed orthogonally to chord 19 as shown in FIG. 14 , can be connected to surfaces 34 by pins 35 , e.g. Further, in connectors 12 and 14 , the connector body defines two pairs 36 , 37 of diagonal flanges. The flanges 36 and 37 in each diagonal flange pair have opposing diagonal surfaces which extend along the length of passage 32 (i.e., the length of body 30 ) parallel to the length of the passage; they also extend away from the passage parallel to each other and diagonally relative to the adjacent lateral surface 34 to, in effect, define a space frame diagonal plane in which lie the two struts 21 disposed on one side of chord 19 as received in connector passage 32 . Flange pairs 36 , 37 extend as described and shown from opposite sides of passage 32 . The ends of struts 21 which extend away from one side of chord 19 are disposed between the flanges of one flange pair 36 , and the ends of the struts which extend away from the other side of chord 19 are disposed between the flanges of the other flange pair 37 , the pairs of struts lying in their respective diagonal planes in the space frame. The end of each of strut 21 can be secured to the connector by a single pin 38 passing through aligned holes in the adjacent flanges 36 , 37 and through the chord preferably perpendicularly to the flanges. The diagonal flange pairs 36 , 37 preferably are located and oriented in connector 18 relative to passage 32 so that the diagonal planes defined by (associated with) flanges 36 , 37 intersect at a line within and extending along passage 30 . The line of intersection of the diagonal planes preferably coincides with the centerline (axis) of passage 32 . The struts preferably are so located along the length of their respective diagonal flanges, in combination with the included angle between the struts in each strut pair, that the axes of the struts intersect at a common point on that line of diagonal plane intersection. Regardless of the angle of a given strut relative to connector body 30 , the strut will be in the diagonal plane defined by the diagonal flange pair (or single diagonal flange in the case of connector 24 shown in FIGS. 16-18 ) to which the strut is connected.
It is apparent from the content of the proceeding two paragraphs that connectors 12 , 18 and 24 have an aspect of directionality to them. The direction of a connector according to this invention is the direction along the connector passage and along the lengths of the diagonal flanges along the connector body. Also, the fact that a strut connected to such a connector will always lie in the diagonal plane defined by, or associated with, the diagonal flange(s) to which it is connected makes it possible to construct DLG space frames having variable bay spacing in one direction of the frame, as shown in FIGS. 26-29 discussed more fully later in this description.
FIGS. 21 and 22 show a double layer grid space frame that is shaped as an arch or vault. FIG. 21 shows the end view which demonstrates that the diagonal planes in the direction of that view are straight and uninterrupted which allows for the use of the DLGC in that direction. Note that the DLGC works easily in a direction at right angles to the direction of curvature for a vault. FIGS. 23 through 25 show an extruded DLGC aluminum node connector 44 joint used to create the shape of the vault. The joint is designed to create curvature by orienting the lateral surfaces and diagonal flanges at the needed angle—off from the 180 plane used in a flat double-layer-grid; compare FIG. 25 to FIG. 15 . Again, such a joint could be produced with welded steel plates or pultruded FRP. The same joint design can be used throughout the structure with no change to the DLGC profile or to the bolt or pin patterns.
FIGS. 26 through 29 show a double-layer-grid space frame 46 with variable bay spacing in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 29 shows the end view which demonstrates that the longitudinal diagonal planes are straight and uninterrupted which allows for the use of the DLGC in that longitudinal direction. However, the bays running at 90 degrees from this view, as shown in FIG. 28 , can be set at any regular or irregular spacing. As seen in FIG. 27 , the grid forms rectangles with the long sides in the longitudinal direction starting from either end. The bay spacing progressively changes (reduces) going towards the center of the frame until the long direction of the rectangles follows the transverse direction of the frame. This does not effect any change in the end view; the diagonals all lie in the same plane. Again, the DLGC would be oriented in this longitudinal direction without change in profile. However, the drilled bolt or pin patterns in the diagonal flanges of the node connectors would require adjustment in the bolt pattern orientation and the diagonal strut lengths would change. The last set of diagonal struts at each end of frame 46 are brought up vertically in their diagonal planes to form frame end walls as seen in FIG. 28 . A significant advantage to this feature (variable bay spacing) is that double-layer-grid space frames are no longer forced into square bay spacing which creates modular inflexibility in the structure. This allows the width and length of the double-layer-grid frame to be independent resulting in infinitely adjustable lengths versus widths. Also, as seen in FIG. 27 , interesting architectural effects can be achieved by varying the bay spacing in the one direction. From a structural engineering point of view, this is an easy way to increase the framing member density in high stress areas of the frame. A variation of this is a tapered 3-sided tower.
Having thus disclosed various preferred working and other embodiments of the present invention, it will now be apparent that many additional node connector configurations and grid and truss system configurations can be achieved by virtue of and consistent with the advantageous teaching provided herein. Accordingly, the scope hereof will be limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A connection node for a double layer grid or truss system has at least one diagonal flange receiving a pair of diagonal framing members having surfaces that lie in a single diagonal plane parallel to the flange(s). Use of co-planar diagonal members that can be at various diagonal angles or vertical, simplifies node connections and permits variations in bay spacing to produce interesting architectural effects and to provide greater member density where structural loads are greater.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
[0001] This application is a divisional of allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/423,286, filed Apr. 24, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/150,465, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,090, filed May 17, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/093,292, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,683, filed Mar. 6, 2002, all pending patent applications and issued patents being incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to building components, and more specifically composite lightweight building panels which can be interconnected to build structures such as modular buildings or applied as cladding to building frames.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Due to the high cost of traditional concrete components and the extensive transportation and labor costs associated therein, there is a significant need in the construction industry to provide a lightweight, precast, composite building panel which may be transported to a building site and assembled to provide a structure with superior strength and insulative properties. Previous attempts to provide these types of materials have failed due to the extensive transportation costs, low insulative values and thermal conductivity associated with prefabricated concrete wire reinforced products. Further, due to the brittle nature of concrete, many of these types of building panels become cracked and damaged during transportation.
[0004] More specifically, the relatively large weight per square foot of previous building panels has resulted in high expenses arising not only from the amount of materials needed for fabrication, but also the cost of transporting and erecting the modules. Module weight also placed effective limits on the height of structures, such as stacked modules, e.g. due to limitations on the total weight carried by the foundations, footings and lowermost modules. Furthermore, there is substantial fabrication labor expense that can arise from efforts needed to design reinforcement, and the materials and labor costs involved in providing and placing reinforcement materials. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a system for modular construction which is relatively light, can be readily stacked to heights greater than in previous configurations and, preferably, inexpensive to design and manufacture.
[0005] Further, in many situations panels or modules are situated in locations where it is desirable to have openings therethrough to accommodate doorways, windows, cables, pipes and the like. In some previous approaches, panels were required to be specially designed and cast so as to include any necessary openings, requiring careful planning and design and increasing costs due to the special, non-standard configuration of such panels. In other approaches, panels were cast without such openings and the openings were formed after casting, e.g. by sawing or similar procedures. Such post-casting procedures as cutting, particularly through the thick and/or steel-reinforced panels as described above, is a relatively labor-intensive and expensive process. In many processes for creating openings, there was a relatively high potential for cracking or splitting of a panel or module. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide panels and modules which can be post-fitted with openings such as doors and windows in desired locations and with a reduced potential for cracking or splitting.
[0006] One further problem associated with metallic wire materials used in conjunction with concrete is the varying rates of expansion and contraction. Thus with extreme heating and cooling the metallic wire tends to separate from the concrete, thus creating cracks, exposure to moisture and the eventual degradation of both the concrete and wire reinforcement.
[0007] One example of a composite building panel which attempts to resolve these problems with modular panel construction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,375 to Kleinschmidt (the '375 patent). In this invention, a building system is provided which utilizes an insulative core with an interior and exterior sheet of concrete and which is held together with a metallic wire mesh positioned on both sides of an insulative core. The wire mesh is embedded in concrete, and held together by a plurality of metallic wires extending through said insulative core at a right angle to the longitudinal plane of the insulative core and concrete panels. Although providing an advantage over homogenous concrete panels, the composite panel disclosed in the '375 patent does not provide the necessary strength and flexure properties required during transportation and high wind applications. Further, the metallic wire mesh materials are susceptible to corrosion when exposed to water during fabrication, and have poor insulative qualities due to the high heat transfer qualities of metallic wire. Thus, the panels disclosed in the '375 patent may eventually fail when various stresses are applied to the building panel during transportation, assembly or subsequent use. Furthermore, these panels have poor insulative qualities in cold climates due to the high heat transfer associated with the metallic wires.
[0008] Other attempts have been made to use improved building materials that incorporate carbon fiber. One example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,465 to Messenger, et al. which utilizes carbon fiber in combination with a steel reinforced precast frame with concrete. Unfortunately, the insulative properties are relatively poor due to the physical nature of the concrete and steel, as well as the excessive weight and inherent problems associated with transportation, stacking, etc. Further, previously known prefabricated building panels have not been found to have sufficient tensile and compressive strength when utilizing only concrete and insulative foam materials or wire mesh. Thus, there is a significant need for a lightweight concrete building panel which has increased tensile and compressive strength, and which utilizes one or more commonly known building materials to achieve this purpose.
[0009] Accordingly, there is a significant need in the construction and building industry to provide a composite building panel which may be used in modular construction and which is lightweight, provides superior strength and has high insulative values. Further, a method of making these types of building panels is needed which is inexpensive, utilizes commonly known manufacturing equipment, and which can be used to mass produce building panels for use in the modular construction of warehouses, low cost permanent housing, hotels, and other buildings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is thus one aspect of the present invention to provide a composite wall panel which has superior strength, high insulating properties, is lightweight for transportation and stacking purposes and is cost effective to manufacture. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, a substantially planar insulative core with interior and exterior surfaces is positioned between concrete panels which are reinforced with carbon fiber grids positioned substantially adjacent the insulative core and which is interconnected to a plurality of diagonal carbon fiber strands. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior layer of concrete is comprised of a low-density concrete.
[0011] It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a superior strength composite wall panel which utilizes carbon fiber materials which are oriented in a novel geometric configuration which interconnects the insulative core and both the interior and exterior concrete panels. In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of carbon fibers are oriented in a substantially diagonal orientation through the insulative core and which may be operably interconnected to carbon fiber mesh grids positioned proximate to the interior and exterior surfaces of the insulative core and which operably interconnect both the interior and exterior concrete panels to the insulative core. Preferably, the carbon fiber mesh grid is comprised of a plurality of first carbon fiber strands extending in a first direction which are operably interconnected to a plurality of second carbon fiber strands oriented in a second direction. Preferably, the carbon fiber mesh grids are embedded within the interior and exterior concrete panels.
[0012] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a composite wall panel with an insulative core which has superior compressive strength than typical composite materials comprised of styrofoam and other similar materials. Thus, in another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of anti-compression pins are placed throughout the insulative core and which extend substantially between the interior and exterior surfaces of the insulative core. Preferably, these pins are comprised of ceramic, fiberglass, carbon-fiber or other materials which are resistant to compression and do not readily transfer heat.
[0013] It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a composite wall panel which can be easily modified to accept any number of exterior textures, surfaces or cladding materials for use in a plurality of applications. Thus, the present invention is capable of being finished with a brick surface, stucco, siding and any other type of exterior surface. In one embodiment of the present invention, a paraffin protective covering is provided on the exterior surface for protection of the exterior surface during manufacturing. The paraffin additionally prevents an excessive bond between the individual bricks and exterior concrete wall to allow the removal of a cracked or damaged brick and additionally has been found to reduce cracking in the bricks due to the differential shrinkage of the exterior concrete layer and clay brick. Furthermore, other types of materials such as drywall and other interior finishes can be applied to the interior concrete panel as necessary for any given application.
[0014] It is yet a further aspect of the present invention to provide a novel brick configuration which allows broken or cracked bricks to be quickly and effectively replaced. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a beveled brick design is provided wherein a rear portion of the brick has a greater diameter than a front end, and is embedded into the exterior concrete layer during the forming process. This design provides superior strength, and allows a damaged brick to be chiseled free and quickly replaced with a new brick by applying a glue or epoxy material.
[0015] It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a composite modular wall panel which can be used to quickly and efficiently construct modular buildings and temporary shelters and is designed to be completely functional with regard to electrical wiring and other utilities such as telephone lines, etc. Thus, the present invention in one embodiment includes at least one utility line which may be positioned at least partially within the composite wall panel and which accepts substantially any type of utility line which may be required in residential or commercial construction, and which can be quickly interconnected to exterior service lines. This utility line may be oriented in one or more directions and positioned either near the interior concrete panel, exterior concrete panel, or both.
[0016] It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a novel surface configuration of the insulative core which assures a preferred spacing between the surface of the insulative core and the carbon fiber grid. This surface configuration is applicable for a front surface, a rear surface, or both depending on the application. More specifically, the spacing is designed to provide a gap between the interior and/or the exterior surface of the insulative core and the carbon fiber grids to assure that concrete or other facing materials become positioned between the surface of the insulative core and the carbon fiber grid. This improved and consistent spacing enhances the strength and durability of the insulative panel when interconnected to the facing material, carbon fiber grids and transverse fibers and/or steel prestressing strands.
[0017] Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention the insulative core may have an interior and/or an exterior surface which is undulating, i.e., wavy alternative embodiments may have channels or protruding rails, spacer “buttons”, a “waffleboard” configuration, or other shapes which create a preferred spacing between the surface of the insulative material and the fiber grids. Preferably, the spacing apparatus, channels, rails or other spacers are integrally molded with the insulative core to reduce labor and expenses. Alternatively, these spacing apparatus may be interconnected to the insulative foam after manufacturing, and may be attached with adhesives, screws, nails, staples or other interconnection means well known by one skilled in the art.
[0018] Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, a reinforced insulative core which adapted for use with at least one facing material is provided, and which comprises:
an insulative material having a front surface, a back surface, a top side, a bottom side and a pair of opposing lateral edges extending there between; a first plurality of fibers positioned proximate to said front surface and extending substantially between said top side, said bottom side and said pair of opposing lateral edges; a second plurality of fibers positioned proximate to said back surface and extending substantially between said top side, said bottom side and said pair of opposing lateral edges; at least one interwoven fiber grid extending from said back surface to said front surface of said substantially insulative planar material, and interconnecting said first plurality of fibers to said second plurality of fibers; wherein said substantially planar insulative material, said interwoven fiber grid and said first and said second plurality of fibers are operatively interconnected; and a plurality of protuberances extending outwardly from said front surface and said back surface of said insulative material, wherein a space is provided between said first and said second plurality of fibers, respectively, and said front surface and said back surface.
[0024] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a lightweight, durable building panel which utilizes concrete and expanded polystyrene materials, along with a unique geometry of carbon fiber, steel reinforcing rods, and wire mesh to create a building panel with superior strength and durability. The building may utilize one or more reinforcing materials such as carbon fiber, wire mesh or steel reinforcing bars positioned along 1) a perimeter edge; 2) an interior portion within the perimeter edge; or 3) both along the perimeter edges and within a predetermined interior portion of the building panel. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a lightweight, durable concrete building panel is provided, comprising:
a substantially planar concrete panel comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, an upper end and a lower end, and a substantially longitudinal axis defined between said upper end and said lower end; a first carbon fiber grid positioned within said substantially planar concrete panel between said upper end and said lower end and positioned proximate to said inner surface; a foam core having an inner surface and an outer surface positioned within said substantially planar concrete panel and extending substantially between said upper end and said lower ends of said substantially planar concrete panel; at least one carbon fiber shear strip extending through said foam and oriented in a substantially linear direction between said upper end and said lower ends of said substantially planar concrete panel; at least one first reinforcing bar positioned proximate to said at least one carbon fiber shear strip, and extending substantially between said upper end and said lower end of said substantially planar concrete panel; and a wire mesh material positioned above said upper surface of said foam core and proximate to said outer surface of said substantially planar concrete panel.
[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insulative core is comprised of a plurality of individual insulative panels. The seam of the insulative panels preferably has a cut-out portion which is used to support reinforcing materials such as rebar, carbon fiber or other material.
[0032] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating an insulative concrete building panel in a controlled manufacturing facility which is cost effective, utilizes commonly known building materials and produces a superior product. It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a manufacturing process which can be custom tailored to produce a building panel with custom sizes, allows modifications for windows and doors, and which utilizes a variety of commonly known materials without significantly altering the fabrication protocol.
[0033] Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a method for fabricating a lightweight, durable concrete building panel is provided, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a form having a first end, a second end, and lateral edges extending therebetween; b) pouring a first layer of concrete material into a lower portion of said form; c) positioning a first grid of carbon fiber material into said concrete material; d) positioning a layer of foam core onto said first layer of concrete material, said layer of foam core having a plurality of reinforced sections extending substantially between said first end and said second end, said reinforced sections comprising:
1) a second grid of carbon fiber extending substantially between said first end and said second end of said foam core; 2) at least one metallic reinforcing bar positioned proximate to said second grid of carbon fiber and extending between said front end and said second end of said foam core;
e) pouring a second layer of concrete over said layer of foam core and said plurality of reinforced sections; f) positioning at least one of a wire mesh material and a carbon fiber material into said second layer of concrete; g) allowing said first layer and said second layer of concrete to cure; and h) removing said concrete building panel from said form, wherein said lightweight concrete building panel is available for transportation and use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a composite building panel which represents one embodiment of the present invention;
[0045] FIG. 2 is a left elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0046] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view identifying an outer concrete layer and a novel brick cladding material embedded therein;
[0047] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a carbon fiber tape which is positioned within an insulative core of the composite building panel of the present invention;
[0048] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the composite building panel of the present invention, wherein the insulative core has a waffleboard design;
[0049] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the composite building panel of the present invention, where the insulative core comprises a plurality of spacing members;
[0050] FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6 , wherein the insulative core has a tapered geometric profile; and
[0051] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the composite building panel of the present invention wherein the insulative core has vertically oriented protruding strips as spacing members.
[0052] FIG. 9 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention which identifies a building panel with a plurality of reinforcing strips positioned therein;
[0053] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 ;
[0054] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the right hand corner of FIG. 10 , and depicting the components provided therein;
[0055] FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a reinforcing strip of the present invention;
[0056] FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the reinforcing strip shown in FIG. 12 ;
[0057] FIG. 14 is a cross sectional elevation view taken at line AA of the reinforcing strip shown in FIG. 13 ;
[0058] FIG. 15 is a plan view of one embodiment of a reinforcing strip of the present invention;
[0059] FIG. 15A is a cross sectional elevation view taken at line AA in FIG. 15 ;
[0060] FIG. 15B is a cross sectional elevation view taken at line BB of the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 ;
[0061] FIG. 15C is a cross sectional elevation view taken at line CC of the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 ;
[0062] FIG. 1 SD is a cross sectional view taken at line DD of the invention shown in FIG. 15 ;
[0063] FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of one type of lifting anchor which is interconnected to the insulative building panel of the present invention;
[0064] FIG. 17 is one embodiment of a lifting anchor and associated carbon fiber mesh material which may be interconnected to an interior or exterior surface of the insulative building panel of the present invention;
[0065] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
[0066] FIG. 19 is an exploded view of one portion of the invention shown in FIG. 18 , and more specifically identifying a rebar-spacer positioned between two individual panels of insulative core materials;
[0067] FIG. 20 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention and depicting additional detail;
[0068] FIG. 20A is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 20 taken at line “AA”;
[0069] FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional elevation view of the invention shown in FIG. 20 shown at line “BB”;
[0070] FIG. 20C is a cross-sectional elevation view taken at line “CC” of the invention shown in FIG. 20 ;
[0071] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional front elevation view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 20 ; and
[0072] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0073] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention and which generally identifies a novel composite building panel 2 . The building panel 2 is generally comprised of an insulative core 4 which has an interior and exterior surface and a substantially longitudinal plane extending from a lower portion to an upper portion of said insulative core 4 . The interior surface of the insulative core 4 is positioned immediately adjacent an interior concrete layer 14 , while the exterior layer of the insulative core 4 is positioned substantially adjacent an exterior concrete layer 16 . An interior carbon fiber grid 6 and an exterior carbon fiber grid 8 are additionally positioned substantially adjacent the interior and exterior surfaces of the insulative core 4 , respectively, and which are preferably embedded within the interior concrete layer 14 and the exterior concrete layer 16 . These carbon fiber grids are connected to a plurality of carbon fiber strands 10 which are oriented in a substantially diagonal configuration with respect to the longitudinal plane of the insulative core 4 . The plurality of carbon fiber strands extend from the exterior concrete carbon fiber grid 8 through the insulative core 4 and are interconnected to the interior carbon fiber grid 6 on the opposing side. To assure proper spacing of the interior carbon fiber grid 6 and exterior carbon fiber grid 8 , a plurality of spacers 28 may be employed in one embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, plastic or metallic connector clips 32 are preferably used to interconnect the carbon fiber strands 10 to the interior carbon fiber grid 6 and exterior carbon fiber grid 8 .
[0074] As further identified in FIG. 1 , in one embodiment of the present invention a utility conduit 20 is provided which is at least partially embedded in the insulative core 4 while partially embedded in the interior concrete layer 14 and which is used to contain electrical wiring, cabling, telephone wiring, and other types of utility lines commonly used in the construction of interior walls and building panels. The conduit is preferably comprised of a PVC plastic based on the cost, flexibility and low heat transfer properties, but as appreciated by one skilled in the art may also be a clad metal, fiberglass, or other materials. Furthermore, the utility conduit 20 may be positioned in the center of the insulative core 4 , within the exterior concrete layer 16 or interior concrete layer 14 , or may be oriented in a vertical as well as horizontal direction.
[0075] As additionally seen in FIG. 1 , an exterior cladding material 22 is provided which in this particular example comprises a plurality of bricks 24 . Alternatively, stucco, vinyl or wood siding may additionally be used as well as other materials commonly known in the construction industry. Additionally, when a plurality of bricks 24 are employed, a paraffin protective coating material 26 may be applied on the exterior surface of the bricks 24 prior to placement and casting. Upon completion of casting of the modular panel, the paraffin coating 26 or other protective coating may be removed by hot steam to provide a clean surface.
[0076] In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of compression pins 18 may be positioned throughout the insulative core 4 to provide additional compressive strength to the composite panel 2 . Thus, as identified in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the compression pins 18 are generally positioned at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the substantially planar insulative core 4 , and may be comprised of ceramic, fiberglass, carbon fiber or other materials which are resistant to compression and have low heat transfer properties and are not susceptible to corrosion and rust when exposed to water. In one embodiment, the compression pins are comprised of a plastic PVC material having a length based on the thickness of the insulative core 4 , and which is generally between about 1.5 inches and 3 inches and a diameter of between about 0.25 inches to 1 inch.
[0077] Referring now to FIG. 2 , a left elevation end view is provided of the panel shown in FIG. 1 , and which provides additional detail regarding the various components utilized in the composite wall panel 2 . As depicted, the central portion of the composite wall panel 2 comprises an insulative core 4 . This insulative core is generally comprised of styrofoam or other similar lightweight material and has a width of between about 1 to 4 inches, and more preferably about 2.5 inches. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the thickness of the insulative core 4 is dependent upon the specifications of the building structure and the application for use, including average local outside air temperature, building height, anticipated wind forces, etc.
[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulative core 4 is manufactured in a unique process with a plurality of carbon fibers strands 10 positioned in a ribbon/tape pattern 30 which extends through the insulative core 4 and which protrudes beyond both the interior and exterior surfaces to accommodate interconnection to the interior and exterior carbon fiber grids. Alternatively, metallic materials such as wire and mesh comprised of steel or other similar materials may also be used as appreciated by one skilled in the art.
[0079] A depiction of one embodiment of the carbon fiber strands 10 and their orientation and interconnection may be seen in FIG. 4 . These carbon fiber strands 10 generally have a thickness of between about 0.05 inches to 0.4 inch, and more preferably a diameter of about 0.15 inches. As more typically referred to in the art, the carbon fiber strands 10 have a given “tow” size. The tow is the number of carbon strands, and may be in the example between about 12,000-48,000 individual strands, i.e., 12 K to 48 K tow. The intersection points of the carbon fiber strands which are required to make the tape pattern are interconnected with a strong resin such as a thermoset which si applied under a predetermined heat and pressure. In another embodiment, the individual strands of carbon fiber may be “woven” with other strands to create a stronger ribbon/tape material 30 .
[0080] As shown in FIG. 2 , the carbon fiber strands 10 are interconnected to the interior carbon fiber grid 6 positioned substantially adjacent to the interior surface of the insulative core and with the exterior carbon fiber grid 8 positioned substantially adjacent the exterior surface of the insulative core 4 . One example of a carbon fiber grid ribbon 30 which may be used in the present invention is the “MeC-GRID™” carbon fiber material which is manufactured by Hexcel Clark-Schwebel. The interior and exterior carbon grid tape is comprised generally of looped or crossed weft and warped strands, that run substantially perpendicular to each other and are machine placed on several main tape “stabilizing strands” that run parallel to the running/rolling direction of the tape. The carbon fiber tape is then. used in a totally separate process by casting it transversely through the insulating core 4 , to produce an insulated structural core panel that links together compositively the interior concrete layer 14 and exterior concrete layer 16 of the composite wall panel 2 .
[0081] After manufacturing, the insulative core 4 can be interconnected to the interior carbon fiber grid 6 and exterior carbon fiber grid 8 and the utility conduit 20 is placed in position along with any of the compression pins 18 , and other spacers 28 , to assure the proper positioning of the wall panel components prior to pouring the interior concrete layer 14 or exterior concrete layer 16 . The insulative core 4 is then positioned in a form, wherein the interior concrete layer 14 is poured as well as the exterior concrete layer 16 as necessary. Once the interior and exterior concrete layers are cured and set, the composite wall panel 2 is removed from the form and is subsequently ready for transportation. Alternatively exterior cladding materials 22 such as bricks or form liners may be positioned prior to pouring the exterior concrete layer 16 to allow the bricks 24 to be integrally interconnected to the concrete.
[0082] Referring now to FIG. 3 , a front perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention is shown herein, wherein an exterior cladding material 22 of brick 24 is shown embedded in the exterior concrete layer 16 . In this particular embodiment the plurality of bricks 24 are embedded into the exterior concrete layer 16 to provide a finished look and which may include a variety of other materials such as stucco, vinyl siding, and others as previously discussed. In a preferred embodiment, the outermost optional cladding layer is placed on the casting form face down during the manufacturing process and which may additionally be made of tile, brick slips, exposed aggregate or a multitude of other exterior finish components as is required. The exterior cladding 22 typically adds ¼ to 5/8 inch to the overall wall thickness and must be able to withstand moisture and water penetration, ultraviolet and sunlight exposure, and a full range of potentially extreme surface temperature changes as well as physical abuse, all without the danger of deterioration or delamination of the exterior cladding material 22 from the exterior concrete layer 16 .
[0083] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bricks 24 are provided with a rear end having a greater diameter than a forward end, and thus creating a trapezoidal type profile as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . By utilizing this shape of brick 24 , the bricks are integrally secured to the exterior concrete layer 16 . Further, if one or more bricks become damaged or chipped during manufacturing or transportation, they may be chiseled out and a replacement brick glued in its place with an epoxy or other type of glue commonly known in the art.
[0084] With regard to the concrete utilized in various embodiments of the present application, the interior wall may be comprised of a low density concrete such as Cret-o-Lite™, which is manufactured by Advanced Materials Company of Hamburg, N.Y. This is an air dried cellular concrete which is nailable, drillable, screwable, sawable and very fire resistant. In a preferred embodiment, the exterior concrete layer 16 is comprised of a dense concrete material to resist moisture penetration and in one embodiment is created using VISCO CRETE™ or equal product which is a chemical that enables the high slumped short pot life liquification of concrete to enable the concrete to be placed in narrow wall cavities with minimum vibration and thus create a high density substantially impermeable concrete layer. VISCO—CRETE™ is manufactured by the Sika Corporation, located in Lyndhurst, N.J. The exterior concrete layer 16 is preferably about ¾ to 2 inches thick, and more preferably about 1.25 inches thick. This concrete layer has a compression strength of approximately 5000 psi after 28 days of curing, and is thus extremely weather resistant.
[0085] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vapor barrier material 12 may be positioned next to or on to the exterior surface of the insulative core 4 , or alternatively on the interior surface of the insulative foam core 4 . The vapor barrier 12 impedes the penetration of moisture and thus protects the foam core from harsh environmental conditions caused by temperature changes. Preferably, the vapor barrier 12 is comprised of a plastic sheet material, or other substantially impermeable materials that may be applied to the insulative core 4 during manufacturing of the foam core, or alternatively applied after manufacturing and prior to the pouring of the exterior concrete layer 16 .
[0086] Referring now to FIG. 5 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein, wherein the insulative core 4 has an exterior surface and an interior surface with a specific geometric profile to provide sufficient spacing between the adjacent carbon fiber grids. More specifically, in this embodiment the insulative core 4 has a “waffleboard” profile which comprises a plurality of vertical and horizontally oriented rails which provide spacing between the surface of the insulative core 4 , and the interior carbon fiber grid 6 or exterior carbon fiber grid 8 . In a preferred embodiment the protruding rails extend outwardly about 1/4 inch, but may vary between ⅛ and 1.5 inches depending on the application. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the extruding rails are positioned on both an exterior surface of the insulative core 4 and in interior surface. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, depending on the application the spacing means may be provided on an exterior surface, an interior surface or both.
[0087] Referring now FIG. 6 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein, wherein spacing between the insulative core 4 and carbon fiber grids are provided with a plurality of “buttons” 34 or other types of protuberances which selectively raise the interior and exterior carbon fiber grids a preferred distance with respect to the interior and exterior surface of the insulative core 4 . In this particular embodiment, the spacing buttons 34 are positioned at approximately four inch intervals, in both a horizontal and vertical direction, but as appreciated by one skilled the art may have any variety of spacing configurations between about 2 inches and 2 feet. Furthermore, the spacing buttons 34 , rails or protuberances provided in FIG. 6 are preferably integrally molded with the insulative core 4 during manufacturing, although this type of spacing apparatus 34 may be selectively interconnected after manufacturing by means of adhesives, nails, screws, or other apparatus commonly known in the art.
[0088] Referring now to FIG. 7 , an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6 is provided herein. More specifically, the insulative core 4 of FIG. 7 has a tapered geometric profile as viewed from a top plan view, wherein the transversely oriented carbon-fiber strands 10 penetrate through the insulative core 4 at a location with a reduced thickness. This tapered profile repeats itself in between each of the transversely oriented carbon fiber ribbon/tape strands 10 to provide a somewhat arcuate or tapered shape. Preferably, the distance between the widest and narrowest portion of the insulative core 4 has a difference in width of between about 0.25 and 1.5 inches, and more preferably about ⅜ of inch.
[0089] Referring now to FIG. 8 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein, wherein the insulative core 4 has a tapered, arcuate shaped profile, and further includes a plurality of spacing rails 34 oriented in a substantially vertical direction and with a preferred spacing. Thus, the width of the insulative core 4 is greatest at the location of the spacing rails 34 , and is at a minimum at the positioning of the transverse oriented carbon fiber strands 10 . As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the spacing apparatus may have any possible shape or dimension, as long as space is provided between the front surface or back surface of the insulative core, respectively and the interior and exterior grids to allow room for a cladding material such as concrete.
[0090] Referring now to FIG. 9 , an alternative embodiment of a composite building panel 2 of the present invention is depicted. More specifically, the composite building panel 2 comprises a building panel upper end 60 , a building panel lower end 62 and a plurality of reinforcing strips 48 which support an insulative core 4 with both an interior concrete layer 14 and an exterior concrete layer 16 . A reinforced window/door frame 42 may also be provided which allows for customizing a given building panel 2 . As further seen in FIG. 9 , a plurality of lifting anchors 40 may be selectively provided on an interior or exterior surface of the concrete, as well as on either a building panel upper end 60 or a building panel lower end 62 . The lifting anchors 40 on either the interior or exterior surface are used to remove the composite building panel 2 from the form during manufacturing, while the lifting anchors 40 positioned on the building panel upper end 60 are used during transportation and erection of the building panel. Referring now to FIG. 10 , a cross-section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is provided herein. FIG. 10 identifies the insulative core 4 and the interior concrete layer 14 and exterior concrete layer 16 . FIG. 11 provides an expanded view of FIG. 10 , and shows in significant detail the various components in one embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, an exterior concrete layer 16 is provided which includes an interior carbon fiber grid 6 which extends substantially from the building panel upper end to the building panel lower end 62 . An interior portion of the building panel 2 is comprised of an insulative core 4 which is positioned between the exterior concrete layer 16 and the interior concrete layer 14 . Positioned between the interior concrete surface and the insulative core 4 in one embodiment is a wire mesh material 38 which extends substantially from the building panel upper end 60 to the building panel lower end 62 . Alternatively, a carbon fiber material, fiberglass, plastic or other material commonly known in the art could be used to enhance strength and durability. In a preferred embodiment, the wire mesh 38 is positioned above the insulative core 4 by a plurality of wire mesh/foam spacers 46 to assure that a substantially constant thickness of concrete is provided between the insulative core 4 and the building panel interior surface 14 .
[0091] As additionally identified in FIG. 11 , a “cutout portion” of the insulative core 4 is provided and which is referred to herein as a reinforcing strip 48 . The reinforcing strip 48 may be installed independently during manufacturing and positioned between a plurality of insulative core panels 4 , or may be integrally molded into the insulative core 4 during manufacturing of the insulative core 4 . More specifically, the reinforcing strip 48 is generally comprised of a carbon fiber sheer strip 30 which extends through the reinforcing strip 48 and runs in a substantially linear direction from the building panel upper end 60 to the building panel lower end 62 . Alternatively, fiberglass, wire mesh, or other materials commonly known in the art could be used to increase tensile and compressive strength and based on the specific design criteria.
[0092] Positioned proximate to the carbon fiber sheer strip 30 is one or more reinforcing bar 36 , which are generally “rebar” materials manufactured from carbon steel or other similar metallic materials. Preferably, the reinforcing bar 36 has a diameter of at least about 0.5 inches, and more preferably about 0.75-1.00 inches. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the reinforcing bars 36 may be any variety of dimensions or lengths depending on the length and width of the building panel 2 , and the strength requirements necessary for any given project. As additionally seen in FIG. 11 , a third reinforcing bar 36 may additionally be positioned proximate to the wire mesh 38 adjacent the building panel interior surface 14 to provide additional strength and durability.
[0093] Referring now to FIG. 12 , a front perspective view is provided of the reinforcing strip 48 depicted in FIGS. 9-11 . More specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, individual reinforcing strips 48 are used during manufacturing and placed between a plurality of insulative core panels 4 . The reinforcing strips 48 are installed to provide additional tensile and compressive strength for the composite building panel 2 .
[0094] As shown in FIG. 12 , the reinforcing strip 48 is generally comprised of a one piece foam material comprised of an expanded polystyrene type material, and which includes a plurality of support braces 50 . The support braces support one or more reinforcing bars 36 which extend substantially along the longitudinal length of the reinforcing strip 48 . Additionally, a reinforcing material such as a carbon fiber sheer strip 30 is provided which extends through the reinforcing strip 48 in a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to the longitudinal orientation of the reinforcing strip 48 , and is designed to be in contact with both the interior concrete layer 14 and exterior concrete layer 16 . Although in this particular example the sheer strip 30 is comprised of a carbon fiber material, other material such as fiberglass, plastic, or a metal mesh material may additionally be used to provide additional reinforcement between the rebar, the insulative core 4 , and the concrete materials used in the fabrication of the building panel 2 .
[0095] Referring now to FIG. 13 , a top plan view of the reinforcing strip 48 shown in FIG. 12 is provided herein. More specifically, FIG. 13 depicts a plurality of support braces 50 , as well as the carbon fiber sheer strip 30 extending substantially through the interior of the reinforcing strip 48 and extending substantially along the entire length of the reinforcing strip 48 . In this particular drawing, the reinforcing bars 36 are not shown for clarity, but as identified in FIG. 12 are generally supported by the plurality of support braces 50 positioned at predetermined intervals along the length of the reinforcing strip 48 .
[0096] Referring now to FIG. 14 , a cross sectional, front elevation view taken along line AA at FIG. 13 is provided herein, and which depicts the reinforcing strip 48 in greater detail. More specifically, the insulative core 4 is comprised in one embodiment of a substantially “v”-shaped member which has a plurality of support braces 50 positioned at predetermined intervals to support one or more reinforcing bars 36 . As stated before, the reinforcing bars 36 are typical steel rebar materials commonly known by those skilled in the art, and which could have any varying number of dimensions based on the strength requirements of the composite insulative panel 2 . As additionally shown in FIG. 14 , the carbon fiber sheer strip 30 is shown penetrating the insulative core material 4 , as well as the plurality of support braces 50 . Thus, the carbon fiber sheer strip 30 extends through the reinforcing strip 48 and is embedded in both the interior concrete layer 14 and exterior concrete layer 16 upon completion of the manufacturing process.
[0097] Referring now to FIGS. 15-15D , additional detail is provided with regard to the reinforcing strip 48 and more specifically identifying the construction therein. As shown in FIG. 15 , a plan view of the reinforcing strip 48 is provided, with detailed sectional views taken at line “AA” shown in FIG. 15A , section “BB” shown in FIG. 15B , section “CC” shown in FIG. 15C , and section “DD”, as shown in FIG. 15D . More specifically, FIGS. 15A and 15B identify the positioning of the support brace 50 as well as a reinforcing strip “cut out” 54 which is positioned below the braces and which allow for the penetration of concrete around and below the reinforcing strip 48 member. Thus, the concrete during fabrication is positioned both above the reinforcing strip 48 , below the reinforcing strip 48 , and substantially around the carbon fiber sheer strip 30 and below the support braces 50 . This design assures that there are substantially no voids or air bubbles in the concrete, thus improving the strength and durability of the composite building panel 2 .
[0098] Referring now to FIG. 16 , a front perspective view of a lifting anchor 40 is provided herein, and which is generally comprised of an interior end 56 , an exterior end 58 , and including a plurality of apertures 52 positioned therebetween. More specifically, the lifting anchor is generally positioned on the building panel upper end 60 , as shown in FIG. 9 , but alternatively may be put on the building panel lower end 62 . During manufacturing the lifting anchor 40 is positioned in a cut out portion of the insulative core 4 and in a preferred embodiment a reinforcing bar 36 is extended through one or more of the lifting anchor apertures 52 and embedded in concrete during manufacturing. Further, the lifting anchor exterior end 58 may include a plastic insert on the exterior end 58 , which is positioned during manufacturing to substantially prevent concrete from filling the void portion which is used for lifting during construction. The lifting anchor interior end 56 is merely positioned more towards an interior portion of the building panel 2 and is used to provide support for lifting. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the lifting anchor 40 is generally comprised of a metallic material such as carbon steel, but could alternatively be constructed of other durable materials which have an extremely high tensile strength.
[0099] Referring now to FIG. 17 , an alternative embodiment of a lifting anchor 40 is provided herein, and which is surrounded with a lifting anchor reinforcing mesh material 44 such as carbon fiber. Alternatively, the mesh material could be steel, fiberglass, or other reinforcing materials commonly known in the art. The lifting anchor 40 shown in FIG. 17 is generally positioned on an interior or exterior concrete layer during manufacturing, and is positioned at a predetermined location at one or more locations once the interior concrete layer 14 has been poured. Preferably, the lifting anchor 40 and associated lifting anchor reinforcing mesh material 44 are positioned at least about ½ to 1 inch deep in the interior concrete layer, and are used to lift the composite building panel 2 from the form during manufacturing and after the concrete has cured. Alternatively, nylon rope or other materials may be used as lifting anchors 40 , and which can be quickly removed by using a knife or other sharp cutting instrument after the building panel 2 is removed from the fabrication form 68 , or installed at the building site.
[0100] Referring now to FIG. 18 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein. More specifically, the embodiment of FIG. 18 shows a cross-sectional elevation view of a composite building panel 2 , and generally depicting an insulative core 4 which is sandwiched between an interior concrete layer 14 and an exterior concrete layer 16 . The building panel 2 is fabricated by utilizing a fabrication form 68 which has a predetermined size and shape, and which supports the concrete and other building materials during fabrication. These forms are typically made of steel or other metallic materials, but may be made from wood, fiberglass or other materials well known in the art.
[0101] Preferably, the exterior concrete layer 16 includes an exterior carbon fiber grid 8 which is sandwiched between two layers of concrete. Further, the interior concrete layer 14 has a wire mesh material 38 positioned therein, and which may additionally be interconnected to a reinforcing bar 36 . Furthermore, a perimeter edge of the composite building panel 2 may include one or more reinforcing bars 36 , as well as a carbon fiber ribbon/tape sheer strip 30 . In an alternative embodiment not shown in the drawings, the entire interior concrete layer 14 may be omitted, along with carbon fiber or wire mesh material. This provides additional reductions in weight and expense. In this embodiment, drywall or other clodding materials may be installed after erection of the building panel 2 .
[0102] As further depicted in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 , the composite building panel 2 of the present invention may be comprised of a plurality of individual insulative core panels 64 , which have at least one beveled edge which adjoin to create a substantial “v” or “y” shape. This geometric configuration is adapted for supporting one or more reinforcing bars 36 , in combination with a carbon fiber sheer strip 30 or a wire mesh material 38 . More specifically, and referring now to FIG. 19 , a cross-sectional front elevation view is shown which depicts a reinforcing bar 36 interconnected in a preferred embodiment to a rebar spacing ring 66 . The spacing ring 66 is designed to support the reinforcing bar 36 at a predetermined distance from the insulative core panels 64 , and which allows for the penetration of concrete behind the reinforcing bar 36 . Generally, the rebar spacing ring 66 is comprised of a pliable plastic material which may be pulled apart to receive the reinforcing bar 36 , and is applied as necessary during fabrication of the building panel 2 at predetermined intervals.
[0103] Referring now to FIGS. 20-21 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein. More specifically, FIG. 20 represents a top plan view, while FIGS. 20A, 20B , and 20 C represent cross sectional elevation views taken at the respective lines designated in FIG. 20 , i.e. line “AA”, line “BB”, and line “CC”. FIG. 21 represents a front elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20 , and depicts various features of this particular embodiment. More specifically, the insulative composite building panel 2 shown in FIGS. 20-21 includes a plurality of insulative core panels 64 which are positioned in an abutting relationship with a beveled edge. The beveled edges of the insulative core panels 4 create a “v” or “y” shape, which is adapted to receive one or more metallic reinforcing bars 36 , and preferably a carbon fiber sheer strip 30 . Alternatively, other materials such as fiberglass, plastic, or wire mesh materials may be used as opposed to the carbon fiber. A further detailed embodiment of this particular invention is shown in FIGS. 18-19 . Alternatively, and as depicted in FIG. 22 , two or more reinforcing bars may be positioned within the “y” shaped cut-out formed by the abutment of the individual core panels 64 . Further, a third reinforcing bar 36 is preferably positioned immediately above the reinforcing bars 36 positioned in the “y” cut-out, and more preferably is interconnected to the sheet of wire mesh material 38 .
[0104] In another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing the composite building panel 2 of the present invention is provided herein. More specifically, the manufacturing process is generally initiated by providing a form having a first and a second end and lateral edges extending therebetween, the form providing a shell for receiving the concrete materials and other components. Initially, a first layer of concrete material is poured into a lower portion of the form. Once a substantially uniform thickness is obtained, a first grid of reinforcing materials is positioned into the concrete material. Preferably, the first grid of reinforcing materials comprises a carbon fiber grid. Once the carbon fiber grid is positioned within the first layer of concrete material, a layer of insulative core 4 is provided onto the concrete material. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insulative core 4 is comprised of a plurality of individual insulative core panels 4 which have been cut to the preferred dimensions of the composite building panel form. Further, at predetermined widths and on the exterior edges of the composite building panel, a reinforcing strip 48 is provided which includes a second grid of reinforcing materials such as carbon fiber, and which extends substantially between the first and second end of said insulative core 4 .
[0105] The reinforcing strip 48 may include one or more reinforcing bars 36 which extend substantially from the first end to the second end of the insulative core 4 , and which is positioned proximate to the carbon fiber reinforcing grid 30 . Once the insulative core 4 and associated reinforcing strip 48 are positioned on top of the first layer of concrete, a second layer of concrete is poured on top of the layer of insulative core 4 . Additionally, further reinforcing bars may be positioned proximate to the reinforcing strip 48 and in the same longitudinal direction to provide additional strength. Once the second layer of concrete has been poured, a reinforcing grid is positioned within the concrete which is preferably comprised of a metallic mesh material 38 , or alternatively carbon fiber, fiberglass or plastic materials. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, prior to pouring the second layer of concrete over the insulative core 4 , a plurality of spacers 46 are provided on top of the insulative core 4 to support the wire mesh grid 38 , and to provide a substantially uniform thickness of concrete 14 between the insulative core 4 and the wire mesh grid 38 .
[0106] Once the second layer of concrete has been poured and a uniform thickness achieved, one or more lifting anchors 40 and associated lifting anchor reinforcing mesh materials 44 may be positioned within the second layer of concrete. As previously stated, these particular lifting anchors 40 are used to remove the concrete panel from the form after the concrete is allowed to cure. Furthermore, lifting anchors 40 as shown in FIG. 16 may be provided on the building panel upper end 60 or building panel lower end 62 prior to the pouring of the second layer of concrete. These lifting anchors are used during transportation and erection of the building panel 2 .
[0107] To assist in the understanding of the present invention, the following is a list of the components identified in the drawings and the numbering associated therewith:
# Component 2 Composite building panel 4 Insulative core 6 Interior carbon fiber grid 8 Exterior carbon fiber grid 10 Carbon fiber strands 12 Vapor barrier 14 Interior concrete layer 16 Exterior concrete layer 18 Compression pins 20 Utility conduit 22 Exterior cladding 24 Bricks 26 Paraffin Coating 28 Spacers 30 Carbon fiber ribbon/tape shear strip 32 Connector clip 34 Spacing buttons or rails 36 Reinforcing bar 38 Wire mesh 40 Lifting anchor 42 Reinforced window/door frame 44 Lifting anchor reinforcing mesh material 46 Wire mesh/foam spacer 48 Reinforcing strip 50 Support brace 52 Lifting anchor aperture 54 Reinforcing strip cut-outs 56 Lifting anchor interior end 58 Lifting anchor exterior end 60 Building panel upper end 62 Building panel lower end 64 Insulating core panel 66 Rebar spacing ring 68 Fabrication form
[0143] The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commenced here with the above teachings and the skill or knowledge of the relevant art are within the scope in the present invention. The embodiments described herein above are further extended to explain best modes known for practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other, embodiments or various modifications required by the particular applications or uses of present invention. It is intended that that dependent claims be construed to include all possible embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
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An insulative, lightweight concrete building panel is provided with one or more fiber or steel reinforcements which are manufactured in a controlled environment and can be easily transported and erected at a building site.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a grille shelter and particularly to a grille shelter capable of moving from a closed position for use in storing a grille to an open position that allows a user to use the grille for cooking while the grille remains positioned inside the grille shelter.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Barbecue grilles are a popular cooking device used to prepare and cook food outdoors. Typically, they are stored outdoors due to their style and weight, and to make them convenient for use. To reduce the grille's exposure to the weather, many types of covers are available. Some grille covers are made of nylon, canvas or other suitable fabric material. Unfortunately, these types of covers often tear or become damaged after prolonged exposure to the effects of sun, rain or snow. Other types of grille covers are constructed with rigid materials such as plastic or other suitable materials to provide a more robust and weather resistant cover. Although more durable, they tend to be heavy and difficult to lift and place over a grille for storage and to remove from a grille for use.
In addition to the aforementioned shortcomings of grille covers currently available in the art, there are no known covers capable of providing a storage facility for a grille that will also allow for use of the grille while positioned within that storage facility. When a user desires to use the grille for cooking, he or she must either remove the cover from the grille, or remove the grille from its storage location. Often, even when a grille is covered with a grille cover, the user must also move the grille to a suitable location for use in order to accommodate for smoke and heat that is generated when cooking on a grille.
Thus, there is a desire and need in the art to provide a grille cover or storage facility configured to provide for storage and protection of the grille while not in use, and with the ability to allow for use of the grille while it remains located within the grille storage facility.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a grille shelter configured to store an outdoor cooking device, such as a barbecue grille, to protect it from the effects of weather and other damaging elements while providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The grille shelter of the present invention is also configured to allow for use of the grille to cook food while the grille remains positioned within the grille shelter.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a grille shelter includes a housing comprising a rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. A roof member is pivotally connected to a top edge of the housing. At least one pivoting panel is pivotally connected to at least one of the first side walls and is moveable between a first position, wherein a user may access the grille within the shelter, and a second position wherein the shelter conceals a grille contained therein.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a grille shelter includes a rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall connected to opposing ends of the rear wall. A roof member is pivotally connected to a top edge of the rear wall and at least one pivoting panel is pivotally connected to at least one of the side walls. The roof member is moveable between a first position and a second position. The pivoting panel is moveable between a first position and a second position.
Other features of the present invention will become more apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The foregoing features, as well as other features, will become apparent with reference to the description and figures below, in which like numerals represent like elements, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a grille shelter of the present invention in a first position;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a grille shelter of the present invention in a first position;
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a grille shelter of the present invention in a second position;
FIG. 5 is a top view of a grille shelter of the present invention in a first position with the sides fully pivoted outward;
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a grille shelter of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention provides a grille shelter configured to store a barbecue grille to protect it from the effects of weather and other damaging elements and provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The grille shelter of the present invention includes one or more moveable panels and a moveable roof, which allow the user to reconfigure the grille shelter between a first (open) and second (closed) position to permit use of the grille to cook food while the grille remains positioned within the grille shelter.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , in one embodiment of the present invention, a grille shelter 20 may include a frame assembly 22 , a rear wall 24 , a first side wall 26 , and a second side wall 28 forming a housing 32 , and a roof member 30 . Frame assembly 22 may include a plurality of frame members constructed with conventional materials such as steel, aluminum, fire retardant wood beams or other suitable structural framing materials. Frame assembly 22 may be bolted, nailed, threadably fastened together, or connected by any other suitable attachment method known in the art. Depending on the type of material used to construct the various walls of grille shelter 20 , frame assembly 22 may not be necessary. In such a configuration, the walls 24 , 26 and 28 of grille shelter 20 may be connected directly to each other and the roof member 30 may be connected directly to one or more of the walls 24 , 26 and 28 . Alternatively, rear wall 24 and first and second side walls 26 and 28 may be formed as one unit. These alternative embodiments may work best with sheet metal, plastic or other strong light-weight material. Such materials may be provided with a decorative surface layer, for example, wood grain or decorative enamel.
It is also noted that the embodiment of grille shelter 20 illustrated in the figures envisions a grille shelter 20 constructed primarily of wood. It is to be understood, however, that grille shelter 20 may alternatively be constructed of other materials such as masonry, steel or plastic. Other materials may be desired to achieve a specific aesthetic appearance, but will not affect the functional benefits provided by the present invention.
For the illustrated embodiment, rear wall 24 and first and second side walls 26 and 28 may be connected to frame assembly 22 such that first and second side walls 26 and 28 are positioned on opposite ends and adjacent to rear wall 24 . As stated, rear wall 24 and first and second side walls 26 and 28 may be constructed of wood or any other suitable material such as plastic or steel. In the embodiment shown in the figures, rear wall 24 and first and second side walls 26 and 28 may be connected to frame assembly 22 utilizing a variety of attachment methods, such as a threaded connection using screws or bolts, nails, straps, pins or any other variety of known attachment means. As shown in the figures, first and second side walls 26 and 28 only extend forwardly to about the middle of the width of the grille shelter.
A first pivoting panel 34 and a second pivoting panel 36 may be pivotally or hingedly attached to first and second side walls 26 and 28 respectively with first hinged attachment 27 as shown in FIG. 1 . If a relatively small grille is to be sheltered, a single pivoting panel may suffice. First and second pivoting panels 34 and 36 may include a first section 38 and second section 40 configured to enclose the front corners of grille shelter 20 as shown in FIG. 4 . First and second sections 38 and 40 may alternatively be pivotally or hingedly connected at the corners to allow for even more flexibility when opening grille shelter 20 as shown at connection 39 in FIGS. 6 and 7 . In an embodiment where the housing 32 is formed with the walls 24 , 26 and 28 as a single sheet, panels 34 and 36 may be attached to the forward edges thereof.
First and second panels 34 and 36 allow grille shelter 20 to be repositioned from a first position as shown in FIG. 1 , to a second position as shown in FIG. 4 . In the second position, first and second pivoting panels 34 and 36 form the front corners of grille shelter 20 and come together at a location in the front of grille shelter 20 as shown in FIG. 4 . A latch assembly 42 may be used to securely connect first and second pivoting walls 34 and 36 in the second position. A variety of latch assemblies known and available in the art may be incorporated and used as latch assembly 42 . Latch assembly 42 may also be configured to accept a conventional lock to further secure the grille within grille shelter 20 . As many grilles available in the art are very expensive, it may be desirable to protect the grille or other items placed within the grille shelter from potential theft.
A cover such as roof member 30 may be pivotally or hingedly attached to frame assembly 22 , adjacent to rear wall 24 with a third hinged attachment 29 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 . Other suitable attachment methods may be utilized that allow roof member 30 to pivot upwardly and rearwardly above rear wall 24 and side walls 26 and 28 . At least one support member 44 may be connected to the housing 32 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to hold roof member 30 in the first/second position. Support member 44 may include a typical hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder similar to those used to hold the hood of a vehicle in an open position. Roof member 30 may alternatively be hingedly attached directly to one of the walls 24 , 26 and 28 in an embodiment where no frame assembly 22 is utilized. Likewise, support member 44 may alternatively be connected to first and second side walls 26 and 28 as opposed to frame assembly 22 .
To place first and second pivoting panels 34 and 36 in the first position, the user may move first and second pivoting panels 34 and 36 outwardly away from each other to the desired open position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 . The pivoting relation between first and second pivoting panels 34 and 36 and side walls 26 and 28 allow first and second front pivoting panels 34 and 36 to be easily moved to the first position. The first position may include any of a variety of configurations of first and second pivoting panels 34 and 36 depending on the needs of the user. In one embodiment, pivoting panels 34 and 36 may be moved to a fully opened position to allow the greatest possible access to the grille as shown in FIG. 5 . This type of positioning may be desirable to provide additional space for persons working with the grille or standing nearby, particularly in situations such as parties and cookouts. Also, in an embodiment where first and second sections 38 and 40 are pivotally or hingedly attached to one another, pivoting panels 34 and 36 may be positioned in a variety of additional orientations.
With roof member 30 and pivoting panels 34 and 36 moved to the first position, a user may access the barbecue grille contained inside grille shelter 20 and use the grille for cooking. Thus, the user may access the grille for cooking purposes without having to move the grille out of its stored position. The positioning of roof member 30 in the first position may be specifically designed to meet standard clearance requirements to protect grille shelter 20 from damage due to smoke and heat.
Other components may be attached to grille shelter 20 to further add to its functionality and convenience. As shown in FIG. 1 , a platform 48 may be connected to frame assembly 22 (or to side walls 26 and 28 and rear wall 24 when no frame assembly is used) to provide a floor for which the grille may be positioned within grille shelter 20 . Platform 48 is configured to attach to housing 32 whereby the grille shelter 20 is secured from toppling in adverse weather or during use of the grille as shown in FIG. 4 . In addition, grille shelter 20 may include a at least one accessory item mounted to an interior surface of the grille shelter 20 , such as one or more hooks 54 mounted on side panel 28 as shown in FIG. 1 . Hooks 54 may be used to hang barbecue tools, cooking aprons or other desired tools. One or more shelves 60 may also be mounted on the interior surface of grille shelter 20 as shown in FIG. 1 to provide further storing capabilities within grille shelter 20 .
Another feature that may be included on grille shelter 20 is a handle 58 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 . Handle 58 may be constructed of a variety of different materials including, but not limited to, wood, metal or plastic, and may be attached to roof member 30 by any of a variety of attachment means known in the art. Handle 58 provides a firm grip location to assist the user with opening and closing roof member 30 . A pull cord 52 may also be connected to roof member 30 to further assist the user in moving roof member 30 between the first and second positions as shown in FIG. 3 . Pull cord 52 may alternatively attach to handle 58 as shown in FIG. 1 . Pull cord 52 may include a section of chain (as shown in the figures), a rope, strap, or other suitable component configured to attach to roof member 30 (or handle 58 ) to assist an individual who may be unable to reach handle 58 when roof member 30 is in the first position.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, the present invention attempts to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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A grille shelter includes a housing comprising a rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. A roof member is pivotally connected to a top edge of the housing and at least one pivoting panel is connected to one of the first side wall and second side wall. The pivoting panels are moveable between a first (open) position, wherein a user can access the grille within the shelter, and a second (closed) position, wherein the shelter conceals a grille contained therein. The roof member is also moveable between a first and second position. The grille shelter is configured to allow use of the grille while the grille remains positioned within the grille shelter and may optionally include a floor platform and other accessories to assist the user.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an inductive safety sensor for monitoring doors and gates and, more particularly, of elevators and/or lifts.
Two-channel inductive safety sensors are used for monitoring electrically and mechanically actuated revolving doors, sliding doors, rolling gates, flaps and hatches. Safety sensors ensure a secure monitoring of the open and closed position of doors and gates. Whereas commercially available inductive proximity switches can be actuated by means of virtually all metallic objects, the invention starts with the idea of further developing the proximity switch such that it emits a signal only by means of an especially constructed actuating element. It is an object of the invention to provide such an inductive proximity switch which has a constructively simple design.
The invention achieves this task by a safety sensor for monitoring the condition of doors and gates, particularly of elevators, that has a sensor device, which emits a signal only when sensing a target made of a defined material and switches from a first constant current to another constant current.
In contrast to the single-channel mechanical safety switches of the prior art, the safety sensors according to the invention, in particular, have the following advantages:
The sensor and the target operate in a contactless manner.
No mechanical wear occurs as a result of friction or burn-up at the contacts.
The sensor and the target can have a two-channel construction.
The sensor and the target can be mutually adapted. As a result of suitable measures, it can be ensured that a manipulation by foreign targets (non-ferrite) is excluded. A manipulation by magnets, jumpers and similar materials is, therefore, not possible. An internal signal evaluation takes place by way of interference-immune phase demodulation.
Protection Type IP67 can be implemented.
Several switch points can be securely monitored.
Changes of the distance between the sensor and the target by material fatigue are detected and are reported by the safety bus system to, for example, a control unit (preventive maintenance).
As a result of the linkage to a safety bus system, such as the applicant's (CAN OPEN SAFETY), the output signals are monitored in a redundant manner. The signal transmission to the bus node takes place by interference-immune current loops.
The fastening of the safety sensor can take place in a simple manner by thread bolts or internal threads.
According to a variant, a balancing of the operating data of the sensor (switching interval) can be implemented by an advantageously uncomplicated construction of the sensor coil.
According to an embodiment, the sensor reacts only to ferrite, for example, and, in the event of a detection, switches from one constant current to another constant current. This permits line monitoring because operating currents other than the defined currents indicate a cable interference.
For safety-related reasons, the sensor has a redundant construction; that is, each sensor housing contains two sensor systems which are mutually, completely separated, with the exception of the positive supply voltage. The two systems are identical, with the exception of the excitation frequency, which must differ slightly in order to prevent a mutual influencing. In the further course, only one system which therefore be discussed.
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, when considered in conjunction with accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an inductive sensor according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an oscillator for an inductive sensor according to the invention.
FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are diagrams which reflect the behavior of the impedance when various targets are used in the resonant proximity.
FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are diagrams which reflect the behavior of the phase angle when various targets are used in the resonant proximity.
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a coil for the sensor according to the invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a zero crossing detector for a sensor according to the invention.
FIG. 7 a is a schematic diagram of a phase comparator for a sensor according to the invention.
FIG. 7 b is a truth table for a phase comparator.
FIG. 7 c is a graph of various phase diagrams.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a threshold value switch for a sensor according to the invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a voltage regulator for a sensor according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
First, a block diagram of the sensor S with the target T according to FIG. 1 will be described. A sensor S is arranged, for example, in a part of a door (not shown here), and the target—if it is to be monitored whether the door is open or closed—is arranged in a second part of the door which is movable relative to the first part. The construction of this sensor S is as follows.
An oscillator 1 generates a crystal-precise rectangular oscillation which is supplied to two additional modules. By way of a resistor R 5 , the signal drives an oscillating circuit 2 consisting of capacitor C 1 and indicator L 1 , which reacts to field changes by external objects. The signal from the oscillator 1 is also supplied to a phase comparator 3 which compares the phase of this signal with the phase of the oscillating circuit 2 .
Since the phase comparator 3 processes only digital signals, the sinusoidal oscillation of the LC circuit 2 is first fed to a zero crossing detector (comparator) 4 , which converts the sinusoidal oscillation into a square wave signal. The phase comparator 3 is designed such that it reacts only to negative phase angles. On the output of the phase comparator 3 , a PWM signal is generated whose pulse to separation ratio is a measurement of the change of the LC circuit.
The PWM signal is transformed by an integrator 5 into a direct voltage following the pulse/separation ratio and is fed to a threshold switch 6 . The threshold switch 6 is dimensioned such that only the change of the oscillating circuit which is caused by a special material (ferrite, for example) at a precisely defined interval from the sensor results in a switching of this switch. As a result of this operation, another current is added to the operating current by a connected resistor. Because the entire circuit is maintained at a constant voltage by a controller 7 , the voltage change before the threshold value switch 6 has therefore become a current change by a voltage to current transformation.
Additional figures illustrate, among others, additional details of the above-explained components of the sensor according to the invention. The individual circuit components will be explained in detail with reference to the additional figures.
FIG. 2 shows the detailed construction of the oscillator 1 . A precision oscillator 1 includes the following components: inverters IC 3 and IC 4 , frequency divider IC 5 , crystal X 1 , capacitors C 10 and C 11 and resistor R 6 . The combination with the frequency divider IC 5 is based on cost because, as a result, very inexpensive quartzes in the megahertz range can be used. Also, it offers a maximum of flexibility with respect to the frequency selection. A last reason is the absolute symmetry (pulse to separation ratio=1) of the square wave signal. Because the inputs of the frequency divider IC 5 , for example, an HC4040, are edge-triggered, the signal of gate or inverter IC 4 is buffered by the gate or inverter IC 3 .
According to FIG. 1, the rectangular oscillation is supplied by the resistor R 5 to the oscillation circuit 2 with the capacitors C 1 and the coil L 1 . The size of the resistor R 5 is in the order of the active resistance of the LC circuit at resonance.
The rough position of the excitation frequency depends on the size of the ferrite coil or the quality maximum (parameter of the ferrite coil independently of the resonance of the LC circuit) of this coil in order to achieve maximal sensitivity.
The position of the excitation frequency with respect to the resonance frequency decisively determines the behavior of the sensor with respect to the different materials (targets). In principle, several different detection behaviors can be achieved. In order to differentiate ferrite from other materials according to the demands, an excitation frequency must be selected at which, for all proximity distances, phase angles occur for just this material which are achieved in no other damping situation. The precise position of this point can be determined in that, above the frequency, impedances |Z| and phase angles Phi are measured in the case of different damping materials (ferrite, iron, nonferrous heavy metals) at different distances (0<s<sn).
FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show graphs for undamped or no target, ferrite, steel and aluminum, within the resonance of the coil, at various frequencies for the impedance in resonance and the phase angle in resonance. The impedance is maximum at a zero phase angle for no target, ferrite or steel. The maximum for aluminum at zero phase angle is at a substantially lower frequency off the chart of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b.
FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show the materials at a distance SN, and FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show the impedance and phase angle over the same frequency range at a distance of zero. The distance for 3 a is 6 millimeters. In FIG. 4 a , the undamped impedance or no target is not shown since it is off the chart and is the same as in FIG. 3 a . With respect to the ferrite, it is barely visible, but it has a constant 90 degree phase angle.
The adjoining phase comparator 3 is designed such that it can react only to negative phase angles which are caused by materials of a high magnetic permeability. The resonance frequency of the LC circuit 2 is usefully designed such that the excitation frequency is situated on the trailing edge of the resonance curve. Here, the sensor exhibits its highest sensitivity. Because of the very narrow bandwidth of the LC circuit, these two frequency values differ only by several Hertz. Consequently, the oscillating circuit 2 has to be balanced because the precise position of the resonance cannot be achieved with the usual component tolerances.
Furthermore, this results in the demand to balance the LC circuit 2 as such. This led to the construction of coils which can be balanced according to FIG. 5 .
Deviating from the conventional coils for proximity switches, in this construction, the wound body 100 was designed to be slightly flatter, and the coils can be adjusted in its position by an adjusting mechanism. Only one of a pair of coils is shown in FIG. 5 . The wound bodies 100 are inserted into a housing 102 . They have terminal pins 103 , and their height can be adjusted by the spring 104 and the screw 105 . The pot core 101 , the printed circuit board 106 as well as the wound body 100 are fixed at the housing by a fixing pin 107 .
As a result, inductivity changes of 10% can be achieved which are sufficient for balancing the tolerances to be expected in the winding and in the core material. The balancing will then take place as follows: The sensor is damped by a desired target at the nominal switching interval. The winding body 100 position is adjusted by screw 105 until the output signal changes (switches). After the adjusting, the complete sensor is sealed by epoxy resin in order to ensure a durable stability and resistance with respect to environmental influences.
According to the definition, the sensor should react only to a certain counterpart or target. The target is naturally accommodated in a separate housing and electronically consists only of two pot cores of the same construction, as those used in the sensor. Under defined installation conditions, the pot core halves are situated opposite one another in pairs. The line-of-force path of the LC circuit is now drastically reduced, which results in an increase of inductivity and therefore in a lowering of the resonance frequency.
In the following, the zero crossing detector (comparator) 4 will be described by means of FIG. 6 . The base of the LC circuit from C 1 and L 1 is on half the operating voltage. This point is also situated on the non-inverting input of the comparator 4 (IC 6 ). This voltage is generated by the resistors R 1 , R 8 connected in series between ground and Vcc.
With respect to the phase comparator 3 , it should be noted that normally EXCLUSIVE-OR gates are used for the phase detection. The basic circuit application also uses this possibility which in this application would, however, be difficult, because it cannot differentiate between phase angles with respect to the sign.
If, instead of the EXCLUSIVE-OR gate, a D Flip-Flop in a suitable arrangement is used, as shown in FIG. 7 a , it is possible to completely extract the reaction to the undesired positive phase angles. Under the condition that the clock inputs and data inputs of the delay element are constantly on a high potential, the truth table can be shown in a simplified manner as follows:
Set
Reset
Q
L
L
H
L
H
H
H
L
L
H
H
No Change
The pulse diagrams (FIG. 7 c ) will now illustrate that only negative phase angles cause a change of the pulse separation ratio. For negative phase angles of ferrite, the pulse width is greater than that of the set signal, or, for metal, the pulse width of the output Q is the same as that of the set signal from the oscillator 1 . If the reset signal from the oscillator 1 has a 1:1 ratio of pulse to separation from the desired target, the pulse to separation ratio of the sensor is greater than the pulse to separation ratio of the oscillator 1 , as shown in the top FIG. 7 c . For metal, the pulse to separation ratio of the oscillator 1 is equal to that of the pulse to separation ratio of the sensor.
The PWM signal from phase comparator 3 is integrated by resistor R 2 and capacitor C 4 of integrator 5 . A time constant of approximately 1 ms is far above the period of the oscillator, but is still fast enough in order to achieve the required switching frequency. A direct voltage, which can vary between 2.5 V (corresponds to 0°) and 5 V (corresponds to −90°), is outputted which is proportional to the phase angle.
The following is achieved by the threshold value switch 6 of FIG. 8 . By means of the two comparators IC 1 A and IC 1 B of the IC 1 , in addition to the operating current, is almost constant, two more currents are produced and added to the operating current. One current is produced when the nominal or designed target switching interval is reached. A second current is produced when a slightly lower diagnostic switching interval (yellow or warning state) is reached. This second switching interval can be used for detecting a mechanical wear of the system. The threshold of the nominal switching interval results directly from the phase position or the frequency spacing which is necessary for detecting the target or ferrite. It is defined by resistors R 7 and R 9 /R 10 for each comparator. Switching hystereses are generated by resistors R 4 or R 12 , respectively. The outputs appear across resistors R 3 and R 11 .
The voltage controller or regulator V_REG of FIG. 9 provides a constant operating voltage of the entire sensor circuit. The entire sensor circuit operates completely with relative levels and would therefore be able to operate within wide ranges without such a precise voltage control. However, with the constant voltage, constant currents are generated which are independent of the input voltage. Thus, by means of this circuit arrangement, a controllable current source is implemented.
Landing Entrance Door and Cage Door Monitoring
The safety door switches are installed, for example, on an elevator landing entrance door and an elevator cage door for monitoring the locking and the closed position.
In the normal operation, it should not be possible to open a landing entrance door when the elevator cage is not situated behind this door or is situated within the unlocking zone. The safety door switches are used, for example, in the case of power-operated landing entrance doors driven jointly with the elevator cage door.
The mounting of the safety door switch on the landing entrance door takes place according to EN81 7.7.3.1. In the case of this application, the mechanical locking element is monitored by the safety door switch. The effective locking of the closed landing entrance door must precede the movement of the elevator cage. The elevator cage should not start before the locking device has engaged at least 7 mm. The safety door switch and target S-T monitors the position of the locking device in a two-channel manner. The required redundancy is ensured by the sensor node. The sensor node reports the position of the locking device to the bus master.
Closed Position
The safety door switches are used for monitoring the closed position according to EN 81 7.7.4.1, 7.7.6.2 and 8.9.2.
According to EN 81, the gap between the door blades or leaves should not be larger than 10 mm. If the distance between the door blades is larger than 10 mm, the elevator system should be brought into a secure condition. Should the gap, for example, be larger than 7 mm, this condition is detected by the safety door switch and by way of the safety bus additional information is supplied for adjusting the door.
By linking the elevator cage signals and the landing entrance door signals, it can, for example, be detected that, when the landing entrance door is opened (by an emergency unlocking), the elevator cage door or the elevator cage is not behind the landing entrance door. As a result of this analysis, the elevator system is brought into a secure condition.
When a mechanic opens the landing entrance door at the lowest stop in order to carry out maintenance work in the elevator shaft pit, he should actuate the emergency brake switch for safety purposes. Should the landing entrance door close before the emergency brake switch was actuated, the elevator system can start when an external call is present.
By analyzing the landing entrance door signals and the cage door signals, it is detected that a manipulation is present (landing entrance door was open; cage door closed). When this combination is present, a starting of the elevator system is prevented by the analysis of the signals in the control.
As a result of this combination, it is also ensured that a surfing on the cage roof as a result of the manipulation of the door switches is not possible.
In the case of mechanical door switches, such a logical linking of signals is not possible.
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
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Inductive safety sensor for monitoring the condition of doors and gates, particularly of elevators, having a sensor device for sensing a target which is designed such that it emits a signal only when sensing a target made of a defined material and switches from a first constant current to another constant current when the target is sensed.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a modular floating construction, comprising a plurality of floating bodies including platforms having removable latching or locking means.
[0002] Said removable locking means are coupled to one another by metal constructions, thereby providing floating boats, wharfs, working stages to be used on sea, rivers and water surfaces in general.
[0003] The floating constructions according to the invention, as suitably coupled to one another, may also be used for supporting barring dams, for controlling the diffusions through water of polluting liquids.
[0004] Those same floating constructions may moreover be used for testing cables and pipes, and have the main characteristic that they can adjust, depending on the contingent requirements, their floating force.
[0005] If the floating construction according to the invention is used for installing pipes and cables on deep waters, then it is necessary to provide a plurality of floating bodies, having corrosion resistant properties, and including supporting and releasing means for supporting and releasing the above mentioned cables and pipes, and further having high stability properties, even in a rough see condition.
[0006] The subject floating constructions can be coupled to one another, thereby providing wharfs for unloading goods from vessels and for supporting cables and pipes for connecting vessels and other boats to the ground, if harbours and mooring means are lacking in shallow waters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Thus, the aim of the present invention is to provide such a modular floating construction which allows to adjust the floating force, thereby fitting the contingent requirements.
[0008] Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the invention is to provide such a modular floating construction which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled, thereby providing composite floating constructions of the above mentioned type.
[0009] In particular, the engagement of the subject floating constructions is facilitated also in relationship to cables and pipes to be supported and optionally to be lowered into the water, thereby simplifying all the related operating steps.
[0010] Moreover, the subject floating construction, owing to its specifically designed structural features, is very reliable and safe in operation.
[0011] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a floating construction for supporting and testing or launching cables and pipes which can be easily made and which, moreover, is very competitive from a mere economic standpoint.
[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a floating construction, characterized in that said floating construction comprises at least a hollow floating body, made of a plastics material, and connectable to a metal construction, for connecting a plurality of plastics material floating elements, thereby providing modular floating constructions adapted to operate as decks, loading wharfs, working platforms, and also adapted to support cables and pipes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of some preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of a modular floating construction according to the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the floating body of the modular floating construction according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an elevation view showing that same floating body;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the floating body;
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a floating construction, supporting a pipe;
[0018] FIG. 5 shows the subject floating construction, as it is disengaged from the pipe;
[0019] FIG. 6 shows, on an enlarged scale, the coupling means for removably coupling a pipe, and related locking or latching removable means;
[0020] FIG. 7 shows, on an enlarged scale, the pipe disengaging operation;
[0021] FIG. 8 shows a side perspective view of the top portion of a structural element of the modular floating construction according to the invention;
[0022] FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the constructional elements comprising a plastics material floating member and related metal members which can be coupled to the metal modular constructions associated with other adjoining floating components;
[0023] FIGS. 10 and 11 show two different views, respectively a perspective view and a top plan view, of a floating body constituting an integrating part of the modular floating construction according to the invention;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectioned side perspective view, showing the plastics material floating body construction, constituting an integrating part of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of that same plastics material modular element shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 ;
[0026] FIG. 14 shows a further side perspective view of four floating plastics material elements associated with connecting metal constructions, which are mutually coupled to one another;
[0027] FIG. 15 shows a further perspective view of six plastics material floating elements, having coupling constructions and seen from the bottom;
[0028] FIG. 16 shows a further upper side perspective view of a plastics material floating element, and clearly shows the elliptical structure of the crossed tubular compartments, forming said plastics material floating body;
[0029] FIG. 17 shows an enlarged-scale partial perspective view, illustrating a section of an approximately elliptical compartment forming an integrating part of the plastics material floating element; and more specifically in FIG. 17 are clearly shown housing recesses for pivot pins allowing to connect a plastics material element to the fitting upper metal construction for coupling a plurality of modular floating constructions according to the invention;
[0030] FIG. 18 schematically shows the above mentioned pivot pins to be engaged in cavities formed in the plastics material floating body, a detail of which is shown in FIG. 17 ;
[0031] FIG. 19 is an upper side perspective view showing a detail of coupling elements for connecting the plastics material floating body to the top or upper constructional elements forming a fitting element for fitting and coupling structural elements, to be associated with one another thereby simultaneously providing an upper platform; and
[0032] FIG. 20 shows a floating construction including auxiliary ring elements for anchoring said floating construction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] With reference to the number references of FIGS. 1-7 , the modular floating construction according to the invention, in an embodiment thereof designed for testing or launching pipes, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1 , comprises a plurality of floating bodies 2 which have advantageously a substantially flat configuration and are made of a polyethylene material, by spin-molding operations.
[0034] The thickness of the used materials is so designed as to resist against the hydrostatic force.
[0035] The hollow floating body 2 is provided, at the bottom thereof, with resting or bearing projections 3 and, at the top thereof, with recesses 4 for engaging with a supporting framework 5 which will be disclosed in a more detailed manner hereinafter.
[0036] More specifically, the floating body 2 , as stated, is hollow and comprises a lead-in element 10 for introducing water thereinto, said lead-in element 10 having a check valve and a quick attachment or fitting.
[0037] Moreover, a counter-pressure valve 11 which is adjusted to a preset pressure level is moreover provided.
[0038] On the top surface of the floating body an air inlet 12 is arranged, which also comprises a quick type of coupling.
[0039] The framework 5 is advantageously provided with top cross members 6 , which are housed in their respective recesses 4 and comprise a plurality of vertical restraining elements 7 laterally engaging with the floating bodies 2 , thereby allowing to practically sling said floating bodies, to easily support them.
[0040] Said framework 5 comprises moreover coupling means for removably coupling a pipe, said coupling means being indicated generally by the reference number 20 , and comprising a plurality of recessed portions 21 , made of a metal sheet material, connected to a cross member 6 thereby defining a coupling seat for a pipe generally indicated by the reference letter T.
[0041] Removable latching means for removably coupling said pipe are moreover provided, said removable latching or locking means being adapted to be operated from outside and being advantageously arranged at said removable coupling means 20 .
[0042] The removable locking or latching means, in particular, comprise a hydraulic cylinder 30 , driving a locking pin 31 , engaging in a respective seat 32 defined on a gusset element 33 , directly welded on the pipe.
[0043] An outer central unit drives said hydraulic cylinder 30 which, by driving in turn said pin, allows to perform an unlocking operation, with the consequent launching of the pipe or cable to be lowered into the sea.
[0044] In this connection it should be apparent that it is further possible to provide other removable latching or locking means, without directly welding the gusset 33 on the pipe, and by using, for example, very simple systems, such as calandered metal sheet material ties, coupled by bolt elements.
[0045] Thus, the provision of the above mentioned water lead-in element 10 , allows to modulate or finely adjust the floating force, by introducing a desired amount of water.
[0046] The subject system, accordingly, provides the possibility of properly adjusting the floating force or pushing, by loading, through a pump system, the chamber defined inside the floating body.
[0047] Water is introduced through a water loading manifold, also including the above mentioned counter-pressure or check valve.
[0048] To empty the chamber, air is pumped from the air inlet duct 12 thereby providing a pressure in the inside of said floating body, allowing the check valve 11 to be opened, while allowing water to exit.
[0049] The air inlet 12 also operates as a bleeding element.
[0050] In other words, that same valve allows air to exit the chamber, as the vessel is filled-in by water.
[0051] In this connection it should be apparent that, if desired, it is possible to use the above disclosed inlets, to supply a polyurethane foam, thereby providing a stable floating characteristic.
[0052] It is moreover desired to point out that a main feature of the present invention is the provision of a plastics material body 2 including bulged ridges providing, the thickness being the same, said plastics material floating element, with a very high mechanical strength against impacts and a larger resistance against air or other gas pressures supplied into the duct arrangements coupled to each plastics material floating element.
[0053] With reference to FIGS. 8-18 , it should be apparent that the subject modular floating construction 75 comprises a floating body 50 , made of a plastics material, including a plurality of longitudinal recesses 54 for housing therein corresponding longitudinal bars 52 having anchoring brackets for coupling to the floating body 50 a plurality of longitudinal section members 51 , cooperating to form the metal material top platform 62 .
[0054] Said floating construction 75 comprises moreover a plurality of longitudinal elements 51 cooperating to form, jointly with said longitudinal bars 52 including corresponding anchoring brackets 74 , the top metal platform 62 applied to the plastics material floating body 50 .
[0055] Said top platform 62 comprises moreover a plurality of cross bars 53 , clearly shown in FIG. 9 .
[0056] The plastics material floating body 50 comprises moreover a plurality of throughgoing holes 55 .
[0057] The top metal platform 62 of the modular floating construction according to the invention comprises a plurality of longitudinal bars 51 , having corresponding brackets 74 matching with plate-like elements 73 rigid with the pins 72 , said pins 72 being received in corresponding cavities 71 formed in the plastics material floating bodies 50 .
[0058] More specifically, the longitudinal bars 51 are coupled to cross section members 81 cooperating to form the top platform 62 of the subject modular floating construction.
[0059] As shown, the plastics material floating body 50 has a complex construction including longitudinal floating compartments 59 and cross floating compartments 48 , of elliptical cross-sections, providing a complex construction having a great mechanical strength against the air pressure, the air being supplied inside the floating body 50 thereby suitably changing its floating force.
[0060] As a further feature, the modular floating construction 75 according to the invention can also comprise suitable side latching or locking elements 80 , comprising, for example, ring members, for anchoring the individual modular floating constructions 75 .
[0061] As shown, the plastics material floating body 50 shown in FIGS. 9 to 20 comprises, in its inside, a plurality of structural elements or ribs 57 , providing said floating body 50 with a great mechanical strength.
[0062] If desired, it is possible to use the above mentioned inlets to supply a polyurethane foam, thereby providing floating properties which will be stable in the time.
[0063] From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
[0064] In particular, the invention provides a hollow floating body including a plurality of water and air inlets and outlets, which allows to change in a very broad range, the pushing force.
[0065] The invention, as disclosed, is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all coming within the scope of the invention.
[0066] Moreover, all the constructional details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.
[0067] In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes can be any, depending on requirements.
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A modular floating construction comprises one or more floating bodies having platforms including removable latching means, thereby providing floating stages, wharfs, working platforms to be used on water surfaces in general.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. This invention relates to a lightweight, transportable, lowprofile automobile enclosure or garage and more particularly to one of low height yet of unobstructed ingress-and egress.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often desirable to protect an automobile from the elements and from theft or vandalism. In many circumstances, permanent garages are not available; for example, in apartments, in many condominiums, at work, even at some homes.
Heretofore, none of the various attempts made to design a automobile enclosure have arrived at a suitable solution to the following problems.
Preferably, the enclosure is relatively lightweight and easily transportable s that it may be easily transported to and installed at the place of use: apartment, condominium, work, etc. Yet, the enclosure must be strong enough and heavy enough to prevent entry by theives or vandals.
Preferably, the enclosure is as small as possible so as to be unobtrusive. Preferably, a person of average height can look over the top of the enclosure so that there is no blocking of views and that persons do not feel claustrophobic being between several such enclosures.
Preferably, also, the enclosure permits a driver to ingress and egress from the automobile in a normal, full standing manner.
Preferably, the enclosure doors do not open upward, where they may encounter a carport roof or the like nor outward where they my be obstructed by another automobile.
Preferably the doors of the enclosure are easily opened by hand or by an electric motor.
It will be seen that the device of the present invention satisfys these and other criteria in a new and novel manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a portable, strong, lightweight, low-height automobile enclosure encloses an automobile on five sides. A roll up rear door provides for entry of an automobile. The driver side wall and roof include have a side access opening extending through them such that a driver taller then the roof of the enclosure can ingress and egress the driver door in a normal standing manner. A roll up side door is moveable between an closed position closing the side access opening to an open position disposed under the roof and along the passenger side wall. Side and rear doors opens simultaneously.
The door opening, closing, and locking mechanism is a pair of cable winches mounted on a shaft, each with a cable attached to the door. One winch for opening and one for closing a door. The cables are counter wound on the drums so that as one cable is played out as the other is taken in. Thus the door may not move in either direction unless the cable drums are turned.
Other features and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description together with the drawings, in which like references numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the automobile enclosure of the present invention shown with the side and rear roll-up doors open.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the door movement mechanisms in phantom.
FIG. 3 is a left side view of the automobile enclosure showing an enclosed automobile in phantom.
FIG. 4 sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3 showing the side door in the fully up position and with an automobile in the enclosure and a driver standing in the side opening.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line line 4--4 showing the side door in the fully down position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3 thereof, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the automobile enclosure, denoted generally as 10, of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of enclosure 10. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the enclosure 10 of FIG. 1 with roll up side door 27 closed and with an added enclosed automobile 3 shown in phantom.
Enclosure 10 surrounds an automobile 43 on five sides and generally includes a pair of spaced opposed upright side walls, such as driver side wall 20 and passenger side wall 30, roof 40, front closure 50, roll up rear door 23, and roll up side door 27.
Driver side wall 20 and passenger side wall 30 are joined by roof 40 to form a substantially square inverted U-shaped structure and define a rear opening 12 dimensioned for accepting automobile 43 and an opposite front end. Driver side wall 20 and roof 40 have an access opening 16 extending therethrough at a position adjacent the driver door of an automobile in the enclosure. Access opening 16 includes a side wall portion 17 which passes through driver side wall 20 and a roof portion 18 which passes through roof 40. Side access opening 16 divides side wall 20 into front and rear portions 22,21 respectively.
A front closure, denoted generally as 50, joins side walls 20,30 and roof 40 and encloses the front end of enclosure 10.
A roll-up side door 27 is moveable between an open position, as shown in FIG. 1 in phantom, opening the side access area 16 whereby free and normal access is provided via side access opening 16 to the driver door 42 of an enclosed vehicle 43, and a closed position closing side access opening 16, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the open position as shown in FIG. 1 in phantom, side door 27 is disposed directly under roof 40 and extends down adjacent the inside of passenger side wall 30.
A roll-up rear door 23 is moveable between an open position where it is disposed under the rear portion of roof 40, as shown in phantom in FIG. 1, for opening rear opening 12 such that automobile 43 may pass through rear opening 12, and a closed position whereby it closes rear opening 12, as seen in FIG. 2. Both roll up doors 23,27 are of well-known construction comprising a series of rigid horizontal panels hingedly connected along the long sides with some or all having a friction reducing means, such as a wheel, mounted on the outer ends.
Side door guide means, such as side door roller channels 28, provide a path of travel for side door 27. Side door roller channels 28 are mounted to enclosure 10 adjacent the front and rear sides of access opening 16 where they hold side door 27 in the closed position and they cross under roof 40 and partially down the inside of passenger side wall 30 for holding side door 27 in the open position. Channels 28 are typically made of steel channel and receive the rollers of the roll up door.
Rear door guide means, such as rear door roller channels 24, are similar in structure to the side door roller channels 78 and provide a path of travel for rear door 23. Rear door roller channels 24 are mounted to enclosure 10 adjacent each side of rear opening 12 for holding rear door 23 in the closed position and proceed forward under roof 40 for holding rear door 23 in the open position.
In the preferred embodiment, an internal frame structure, for the most part not shown, comprising mainly one and one-half inch square steel tubing one-eighth inch thick, is disposed at the periphery of the walls. Preferable, the front and rear portions 22,21 of driver side wall 20 are connected below access opening 16, by a side base connecting member, such as by steel flat stock member 19. And also preferably, driver side wall 20 and passenger side wall 30 are connected below rear opening 12, by a rear base connecting member, such as by steel flat stock member 14. Base connecting members 14,19 add considerable strength and rigidity to to the structure. Rear base connecting member 14 should be low enough in height so as to not interfere with passage of an automobile. Side base connecting member 19 should be low enough in height so as to not interfere with ingress and egress of the driver and additionally preferable is low enough so that a driver's door can open over it, as seen in FIG. 4.
Side walls 20,30, roof 40 and front closure 50 are constructed of suitable materials so as to prevent easy forced entry into enclosure 10 when doors 23,27 are down and locked. Walls of three-eighths to one half inch plywood covered with fiberglass have proven satisfactory; although, other materials are suitable. A roof of plywood covered with nineteen thousandths thick aluminum has been satisfactory. Fiberglass sheets may also be used.
Front closure 50 may be of similar materials to those described above or may be molded from glass fiber or plastic. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the exemplary embodiment, front closure 50 is designed to project over a curb or a wheel stop 59 and therefore includes a curb riser portion, denoted generally as 58. Front closure 50 includes a front wall, denoted generally as 51 which, includes wall/roof portion 52, a front portion 53, a flat storage portion 54, and curb rise portion 55. Curb riser portion 58 allows enclosure 10 to fit in many common parking spaces where there is a curb or tire stop 59. The height of enclosure 10 is intended to be kept to a minimum. Preferably, the average person can look over the top. This is partially out of deference to aesthetics but also to promote safety and wellbeing as a person using the enclosure will be able to see other persons in the vicinity. Slanted front wall 52 also serves this purpose by not creating a blind corner and by allowing the driver to see traffic or persons before exiting next to the front of the enclosure. Flat portion 54 of front wall 51 provides an amount of off-the-ground storage depending on the particular vehicle housed.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3 with the inclusion of a driver 48 exiting automobile 43 and with the driver door 42 open. Driver 48 is taller than the height of enclosure 10 and is standing such that his head passes through the roof portion 18 of side access opening 16. Driver door 42 opens through the side wall portion 17 of side access opening 16. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, side access opening 16 extends well into the roof 40 of enclosure 10 so as to provide free and normal access to the driver door 42 of an enclosed automobile 43, even for a driver 48 taller than enclosure 10.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the door movement mechanisms in phantom. As seen in FIG. 2, rear door 23 has opening, closing, and locking means for opening and closing it and for locking it in the closed position. Rear door opening means includes a rear door opening winch, denoted generally as 85, comprising rear door opening cable 80 and rear door opening cable drum 86. Cable 80 has a first end 81 connected to the top center of rear door 23 and a second end 82 attached to drum 86. Cable 80 passes around change-of-direction pulley 83 which is mounted to the bottom of roof 40. Drum 86 is mounted on rotatable rear door shaft 89 mounted in journals (not shown) attached to enclosure 10 in the juncture corner of the roof 40 and passenger side wall 30.
Means for activating rear door shaft 89 and thus winch 85 so as to open rear door 23 include crank 32 and crank shaft 33 journally mounted to enclosure 10. Crank shaft 33 terminates in a reduction gear assembly 34 which powers rear door shaft 89. Others are prevented from using crank 32 by making it removable or by including means for locking it from turning.
Means for locking rear door 23 in the closed position includes a rear door locking winch, denoted generally as 95, comprising rear door locking cable 90 and rear door locking cable drum 96. Cable 90 has a first end 91 connected to the top center of rear door 23 and a second end 92 wound to drum 96. Cable 90 passes around change-of-direction pulley 93 which is mounted to the bottom of roof 40 and around reverse direction pulley 94, also mounted on bottom of roof 40. Tensioner pulley 97 and spring 98, mounted from the roof 40, take up slack in cable 90. Cable 90 is wound on drum 96 counter to cable 80 wound on drum 86 so that upon rotation of shaft 89 cable 80 is wound on drum 86 to open rear door 23 while cable 90 is unwound from drum 96 thus allowing door 23 to open. Reversing rotation of shaft 89 reverses this process and cable 90 closes door 23 while cable 80 serves as a brake. As can be seen, locking cable 90 prevents rear door 23 from being opened and rear door 23 cannot be opened without turning shaft 89.
Alternative means for locking rear door 23 in the closed position and for closing rear door 23 are also shown and include locking pin 99 passing through enclosure 10 and into rear door roller channel 24 and secured in position by means such as a key lock. Associated rear door opening means include biasing means, such as spring biasing means 46 attached to the underside of roof 40, for getting the door started closing, that is getting part of door 23 into opening 12 so that the remainder will feed by the force of gravity to totally close rear door 23.
Side door 27 has opening, closing, and locking means for opening and closing side door 27 and for preventing the door form being opened from the outside and for locking it in the closed position. These are best seen in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. In the preferred embodiment shown, the side door opening, closing and locking features are shown as a pair, one set of the pair being attached to each side, i.e. frontmost and rearmost, of side door 27. In the following detailed description, the suffix "f" denotes the frontmost one of the pair and the suffix "r" denotes the rearmost on of the pair. The paired system shown is preferable in some substantiations of the enclosure as it prevents the door from binding. However, it can be seen that a single opening, closing and locking system attached say to the center of side door 27 can be substituted for the paired system, illustrated.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3. showing side door 27, in bold dashed lines, in the fully up position. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line line 4--4 showing side door 27, in bold dashed lines, in the fully down position.
Side door opening means includes a side door opening winch, denoted generally as 65f, comprising side door opening cable 60f and side door opening cable drum 66f. Cable 60 has a first end 61f connected to side door 27 and a second end 62f attached to drum 66f. Cable 60f is wound on drum 66f so as to feed off the top near to the underside of roof 40. Drum 66 is mounted on rotatable side door shaft 69f mounted in journals (not shown) attached to enclosure 10 in the juncture corner of the roof 40 and passenger side wall 30. Rotation of shaft 69f rotates drum 66f for opening side door 27.
Means for activating side door shaft 69f and thus winch 65f so as to open side door 27 include connecting shaft 69 connected to the rear door opening means, namely to winch 85, journally mounted to enclosure 10. Shafts 69f, 69, and 89 may be a single shaft.
Means for locking side door 27 in the closed position includes a side door locking winch, denoted generally as 75f , comprising side door locking cable 70f and side door locking cable drum 76f. Cable 70f has a first end 71f connected to the top of side door 27 and a second end 72f wound to drum 76f counter to the direction that opening cable 60f is wound on drum 66f. Cable 70f passes around change-of-direction pulley 73f which is attached to roof 40 for getting cable 70f to travel above the door travel position. Cable 70f passes around reverse direction pulley 74f , also mounted on bottom of roof 40. Tensioner pulley 77f and spring 78f , mounted from the roof 40, take up slack in cable 70f . Shaft 69f couples side door opening drum 66f with side door closing drum 76f for turning both in unison. Cable 70f is wound on drum 76f counter to cable 60f wound on drum 66f so that upon rotation of shaft 69f cable 60f is wound on drum 66f to open side door 27 while cable 70f is unwound from drum 76f thus allowing door 27 to open. Reversing rotation of shaft 69f reverses this process and cable 70f closes door 27 while cable 60f serves as a brake. As can be seen, locking cable 70f prevents side door 27 from being opened and side door 27 cannot be opened without the turning shaft 69f .
The rearmost set of the side door opening, closing and locking members are a mirror image of the above-described frontmost members and are designated on the drawing by the same number with the suffix "r".
Biasing means, such as torsion spring 36, on shaft 69 is approximately neutrally biased when door 27 has no gravitational open or close biasing force and is biased toward opening door 27 from the fully closed position and toward closing door 27 from the fully open position.
An alternative method of activating the door open/close elements is driving shaft 89 with an electric motor (not shown). The electric motor could be powered by a battery and the battery could be charged by a solar panel on roof 40. Radio activation means, such as commonly used on electric garage door openers, attached to the electric motor could activate the motor for opening and closing the doors.
From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the present invention provides a lightweight, easily transportable, and compact housing for an automobile.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein without sacrificing any of its advantages. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims such modification and changes as as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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A portable, strong, lightweight, low-height automobile housing or garage encloses an automobile on five sides. A roll up rear door provides for entry of an automobile. The driver side wall and roof include have a side access opening extending through them such that a driver taller than the roof of the enclosure can ingress and egress the driver door in a normal standing manner. A roll up side door is moveable between an closed position closing the side access opening to an open position disposed under the roof and along the passenger side wall. Side and rear doors opens simultaneously. The door opening, closing, and locking mechanism is a pair of cable winches mounted on a shaft, each with a cable attached to the door. One winch for opening and one for closing a door. The cables are counter wound on the drums so that as one calbe is played out as the other is taken in. Thus the door may not move in either direction unless the cable drums are turned.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a drill pipe bushing for use in limiting the lateral movement of drill pipe as it rotates and translates into and out of a well. More particularly, the invention relates to rotational mechanism to translate rollers into and out of contact with a drill pipe bushing.
PRIOR ART
Drilling of blast holes for surface mining operations and drilling or reworking of oil and gas wells, involves rotation and vertical translation of a string of drill pipe which is caused to penetrate the earth formations. Drill pipe is rotated by transmitting rotary motion to the upper end of the last section of drill pipe or by means of a rotary table which applies a rotational force along the drill pipe length intermediate of the ends of the pipe section. In either case the pipe passes through a bushing located near the entry of the pipe into the formation being drilled. The bushing stabilizes the pipe by limiting lateral movement during the drilling operation.
Heretofore, such bushings have comprised a rigidly supported steel sleeve closely conforming to the outer circumference of the drill pipe to prevent lateral movement of the pipe. Such rigid sleeve type support structures have been found to be unsatisfactory for several reasons. Because the sleeve is fixed, substantial friction results between the sleeve and the drill pipe resulting in excessive wear. Such bushings have only limited life. Wear resulting from the continuous sliding and rotating contact between the drill pipe and the sleeve type bushing often results in wearout of the sleeve within a matter of days. Friction further causes wear on the drill pipe thereby limiting its life.
Proper stabilization of the pipe during the drilling operations requires the bushing to closely conform to the outer circumference of the drill pipe. Due to the varying diameters of drill pipe used and because the drill bit and stabilizers between pipe sections are necessarily larger than the diameter of the drill pipe, the stabilizing bushing must be capable of adjustment or removal in order to accommodate the varying diameters of drill pipe and to permit the passage of the drill bit and stabilizers therethrough. Thus, the conventional sleeve type bushing must be repeatedly removed and remounted in order to permit the drill bit or stabilizers to be drawn past the bushing. This naturally slows the drilling process thereby adding additional expense to the operation.
Improvements to the fixed sleeve type bushings for controlling the lateral movement of the drill pipe include the application of contoured cylinders mounted around the drill pipe to restrain the lateral movement of the pipe as it enters the formation to be drilled. Examples of these systems are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,611 to P. M. Mahoney and 1,366,571 to L. Larsen. These systems have generally been unsatisfactory in that their design requires the independent adjustment of each contoured cylinder thereby requiring prohibitive amounts of time to adjust the bushing to permit the passage of joints or the drill bit through the bushing during removal or insertion of the drill pipe. Prior art systems have further been limited to providing contoured rollers which rotate about a fixed axis thereby introducing resistance, and resultant friction therefrom, to rotation of the drill pipe during drilling.
Thus, there is apparent the need for a drill pipe bushing capable of providing lateral stability to the drill pipe as it moves into the formation with the capability of being quickly and easily adjusted to the outer circumference of the drill pipe and capable of being quickly retracted in order to permit the passage of enlarged portions of the drill string past the bushing during the drilling operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a drill pipe bushing for laterally stabilizing the drill pipe at the mouth of the well during the drilling operation. The bushing is readily adjustable to conform to the outer circumference of varying drill pipe sections. Castering rollers preferably are employed to facilitate both rotation and translation of the pipe along its drill axis during the drilling operation. In one embodiment, the drill pipe bushing included a frame surrounding the drill pipe and a plurality of support arms supported from the frame in a circular array about the drill pipe. The support arms pivot about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the drill pipe. Rollers are attached to each support arm with the axis of the rollers normally parallel to the axis of the drill pipe. Structure is provided for simultaneously rotating the support arms to force the rollers against the drill pipe thereby supporting the pipe against lateral movement.
Structure for rotating the support arms includes a rotatable ring encircling the rollers and a plurality of toggle arms each secured between the ring and the end of a corresponding support arm remote from the connection of the support arm to the frame. Structure is provided for rotating the ring relative to the frame thereby moving the toggle arm to effect the geometry of the support arm and toggle arm combination. In this way, the rollers attached to the support arm may be simultaneously moved toward or away from the drill pipe by rotating the ring relative to the frame.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, hydraulic cylinders, attached between the ring and the frame, upon extension rotate the ring in a first direction. Contraction of the cylinders rotates the ring in a reverse direction. As the ring is rotated in the first direction, the support arms are rotated inwardly about their point of connection to the frame, thereby engaging the array of rollers against the side wall of the drill pipe. As the ring is rotated in the reverse direction, the rollers are withdrawn from the side wall of the drill pipe thereby permitting the passage of enlarged portions of the drill string, such as the drill bit or joints, therethrough.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the support arms are supported on the frame from points on a circle having its center on the drill axis. The rollers are attached to the support arms an equal distance from the point of support of the support arms from the frame. With this geometry and by simultaneously rotating the support arms, as by using the ring and toggle arm arrangement, the rollers are maintained at an equal distance from the axis of the drill pipe throughout their movement toward or away from the drill pipe. Thus, as the rollers of the bushing are engaged against the outer wall of the drill pipe, the drill pipe is automatically aligned along a predetermined drill axis.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further details and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a bushing mounted on a drill rig;
FIG. 2 illustrates a partially broken away plan view of a bushing embodying the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a partially broken away side elevation view of the drill pipe bushing of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a drilling rig incorporating a guide bushing. Drilling rig 20 includes a mast 22 mounted on a main deck 24. Rig 20 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a movable unit capable of being relocated from one area to another by a prime mover enclosed in housing 26 which drives tracks 28. A power swivel 30 is mounted for movement on a platform 32 which moves vertically within mast 22. Power swivel 30 engages drill pipe 34 and transmits rotation to the drill pipe for the drilling operation. Platform 32 translates within mast 22 along its longitudinal axis to control the movement of drill pipe 34 into and out of the well. A drill pipe bushing assembly 40 is mounted on deck 24 near the mouth of the well. While FIG. 1 illustrates the drill pipe bushing being positioned on deck 24, it will be understood that the bushing may be positioned below deck 24 and immediately at the mouth of the well being drilled or at some position above deck 24.
The function of bushing 40 can be readily appreciated by referring to FIG. 1. Rotation of the drill pipe is transmitted at the upper end of drill pipe 34 by power swivel 30. Thus, bushing 40 is positioned a distance from the rotational power unit and adjacent the mouth of the well in order to provide lateral stability to the drill pipe and to guide the pipe as it progresses into the well.
FIG. 2 is a partially broken away plan view of bushing 40, and FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of bushing 40. Bushing 40 includes a frame 42 having an upper plate 44 with a circular opening 46 therein. Frame 42 further includes a lower plate 48 having a circular cutout therein corresponding to cutout 46 therein. Opening 46 and the corresponding opening in lower plate 48 are of sufficient size to receive the drill string including the drill pipe, stabilizers and drill bit therethrough. Upper and lower plates 44 and 48 are maintained in a parallel spaced relationship by side members 50 and 52 secured therebetween.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, bushing assembly 40 includes a support arm 60 having one end attahced to frame 42 and the opposite end attached to a toggle arm 62. Toggle arm 62 is in turn attached at its end opposite attachment to support arm 60 to a ring assembly 64 extending around the drill pipe 34 and outside of each support arm 60. A roller assembly 66 is attached to each support arm 60 which engages drill pipe 34 by the adjustment of ring assembly 64 relative to frame 42 as will hereinafter be described in greater detail. A pair of double acting hydraulic cylinders 67 are attached between ring assembly 64 and frame 42 in order to control the rotation of the ring assembly relative to frame 42.
Referring still to FIGS. 2 and 3, it may be seen that support arms 60 include a plate 68 attached at one end to a sleeve 70. A shaft 72 extends upwardly from lower plate 48 or frame 42 through sleeve 70 of arm 60 and through an aperture 74 in upper plate 44. A collar 76 mates over the upper end of shaft 72. Collar 76 has an aperture 78 which aligns with an aperture 80 through the upper end of shaft 72 for receiving a pin 82 therethrough to secure the shaft 72 to upper plate 44. Thus, arm 60 is rotatable relative to frame 42 about the vertical axis of shaft 72.
As may be seen from FIG. 2, shafts 72 are equally spaced one from the other and, in the embodiment illustrated, are spaced on a circle 84 having its center 86 aligned with the predetermined drill axis of pipe 34.
As is best shown in FIGS. 2 - 4, each arm 60 includes a pair of cup-like housings 90 integral with plate 68 for rotatably receiving roller assemblies 66 therein. Support arm 60 is further adapted with ribs 96 which extend from sleeve member 70 across support arm plate 68. Ribs 96 are attached to sleeve member 70 and plate 68 by suitable means such as by welding. Ribs 96 further extend beyond plate 68 to receive one end of a toggle arm 62.
Referring to FIGS. 3 - 5, ring assembly 64 consists of a pair of ring members 100 having a number of apertures 102 therein equal to the number of support arm and toggle arm assemblies attached thereto. Apertures 102 are equally spaced about ring assembly 64. Ring members 100 are maintained in a parallel spaced apart relationship by toggle arms 62. As can be seen in FIG. 5, each toggle arm 62 consists of cylindrical sleeves 104 and 106 connected by a rigid web 108. Sleeves 104 and 106 are fitted with bushings 110 and 112, respectively. Each sleeve 104 and bushing 110 is alignable with apertures 102 in ring members 100 and is suitably engaged thereto by bolt and nut assembly 118. Likewise, sleeve 106 and bushing 112 on the opposite end of each toggle arm are alignable with apertures 120 through the ends of ribs 96 of support arms 60 and are attached thereto by a suitable bolt and nut assembly 122.
The connection of support arms 60 and ring members 100 of ring assembly 64 by toggle arms 62 is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a toggle arm 62 is shown interconnecting the ends of ribs 96 of support arm 60 to ring members 100 of ring assembly 64. Therefore, it will be appreciated that ring assembly 64 is suspended between upper and lower frame plates 44 and 48 by its connection through toggle arms 62 and support arms 60 to upper and lower frame plates 44 and 48.
FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 2 and shows roller assembly 66 as it mates with housing 90 integral with support arm 60. It will be understood that the roller assembly 66 illustrated in FIG. 6 is typical of the two roller assemblies attached in spaced apart relation along the axis of the drill pipe to each of support arms 60. Housing 90 includes a casing 130 which receives a trunnion 132 rotatable on a bushing 134 positioned between trunnion 132 and casing 130. Casing 130 has an aperture in the wall thereof for receiving the extended end 136 of trunnion 132. End 136 is adapted with an annular groove 138 which receives a snap ring 140 for retaining trunnion 132 within casing 130. Spacer rings 142 and 144 are positioned on either side of the back wall of casing 130 and between snap ring 140 and trunnion 132. These rings facilitate the rotation of trunnion 132 within casing 130.
Trunnion 132 has a lubrication port 146 formed therein for carrying lubricant to bushing 134 thereby facilitating the rotation of trunnion 132. A lubrication fitting 148 is received within lubrication port 146 and is adapted to permit the injection of lubricant into port 146. Seals 150 and 152 positioned between casing 130 and trunnion 132 seal the annular area filled by bushing 134 and retain the lubricant within the area.
Roller assembly 66 includes parallel arms 160 which extend from and are attached to trunnion 132. Arms 160 are formed with apertures 162 and 164, respectively. A roller 166 is positioned between arms 160 and is retained for rotation therebetween by an appropriate nut and bolt assembly 168. Roller 166 is fitted with a bearing 169 on which roller 166 rides. A spacer 170 is positioned between aperture 162 and nut and bolt assembly 168 and bears between the nut of bolt assembly 168 and bearing 169.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotation of ring assembly 64 relative to frame 42 is controlled by the extension and retraction of hydraulic cylinders 67. Cylinders 67 include a cylinder housing 180, a piston 182 and a piston rod 184 attached to piston 182 and extending from cylinder housing 180. A fitting 186 is attached to the end of each piston rod 184 remote from cylinder housing 180. Each fitting 186 includes a sleeve portion 188 which receives a shaft 190 extending upwardly from lower ring member 100. Shafts 190 are attached at their lower ends to the upper surface of lower ring member 100 by any suitable means such as welding. Upper ring member 100 is formed with apertures therein for receiving the upper end of each shaft 190. A collar 192 is positioned over the upper end of each shaft 190 and a pin 194 (FIG. 2) is received through apertures in collar 192 and the upper end of shafts 190 to secure the shafts and sleeves 188 between ring members 100. Thus, fittings 186 are free to rotate about shafts 190 as hydraulic cylinders 67 are actuated. Hydraulic cylinder housings 180 are similarly rotatably attached to frame 42 by a fitting 198 and bracket 200. FIG. 2 illustrates the use of two hydraulic cylinders 67 spaced on opposite sides of the bushing assembly. However, it will be understood that one or more hydraulic cylinders may be employed to rotate ring 64 relative to frame 42 as desired.
Hydraulic lines 202 and 204 carry hydraulic fluid to and from hydraulic cylinders 67 in order to selectively extend and retract piston rods 184. As piston rods 184 are extended, ring assembly 64 is rotated relative to frame 42 shortening the distance between the point of attachment of toggle arm 62 and the point of attachment of the corresponding support arm 60 to frame 42. As rotation progresses, support arms 60 are rotated inwardly toward drill pipe 34 until rollers 166 of roller assemblies 66 engage the outer surface of the drill pipe.
The engagement of rollers 166 against the outer surface of drill pipe 34 is illustrated in FIG. 7. During normal operation, rollers 166 of roller assemblies 66 are engaged against the outer circumference of the drill pipe 34. It will be noticed that the spaced apart relationship of the roller assemblies on each support arm provides for bridging grooves in the drill pipe. During initial drilling phases where the drill pipe is rotating with little vertical movement, the axes of the rollers 166 will generally be vertical as illustrated in FIG. 7. As downward movement of the drill pipe occurs, roller assemblies 66 are free to caster or rotate relative to support arms 60 about the axes of trunnions 132 in order to track the downward movement of the drill pipe. This castering reduces or eliminates the sliding friction which would otherwise occur between the drill pipe and rollers 166 of roller assemblies 66. The canted angle which roller assemblies 66 will assume is illustrated by the dotted lines shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the roller assemblies not only facilitate the rotation of the drill pipe but also caster to track the surface of the drill pipe as the pipe is lowered and raised along its drill axis.
At times lateral support available from bushing 40 is not desired. For example, enlarged sections must pass the bushing assembly 40, i.e. collar 210 of FIG. 7. In such a case, the hydraulic cylinders 67 are actuated to retract piston rods 184 thereby rotating ring assembly 64 relative to frame 42. This reverse rotation of ring assembly 64 increases the distance between the point of connection of toggle arms 62 to ring assembly 64 and support arms 60 to frame 42. As a result, support arms 60 are rotated away from drill pipe 34 and roller assembly 66 are retracted from drill pipe 34 as shown in the dotted configuration illustrated in FIG. 7. In this way, the enlarged sections of the drill string may pass bushing assembly 40 without difficulty.
It may now be further appreciated that in bushing 40 illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, the points of connection of support arms 60 to frame 42 are equally spaced about the circumference of ring members 100. Likewise, with respect to each support arm and roller assembly combination, the dimension between this point of connection and the corresponding roller 166 are equal. Thus, by simultaneously rotating support arms 60, as by the ring assembly and toggle arm configuration hereinabove described, the roller assemblies converge equally toward drill pipe 34 and function to center drill pipe 34 on a predetermined axis center 86. Thus, there is no need for individual adjustment of the separate support arm and roller assembly combinations in order to appropriately position drill pipe 34. Likewise, the lateral support pressure applied by the roller assemblies against drill pipe 34 may be incrementally controlled by the simple rotation of ring assembly 64.
FIG. 7 illustrates brackets 220 suitably attached by bolts 222 to upper and lower plates 44 and 48 of frame 42. These brackets support a flexible dust shield 224 which bears against the outer circumference of drill pipe 34 in order to restrict the flow of debris and other contaminants into the area of the drill pipe bushing assembly.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a drill pipe bushing provides lateral stability to drill pipe as it moves into and out of the wall. The bushing is quickly and easily adjusted to the outer circumference of the drill pipe and quickly retracted in order to permit the passage of enlarged sections of the drill string past the bushing during the drilling operation.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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A drill pipe bushing for stabilizing a drill pipe at the mouth of the well during drilling which includes a frame surrounding the drill pipe axis and a plurality of support arms supported from the frame in a circular array about the drill pipe. The support arms are pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the drill pipe. Rollers are attached to each support arm with the axis of the rollers normally parallel to the axis of the drill pipe. A rotatable member encircles the drill pipe axis and a plurality of toggle arms are secured between the rotatable member and the end of a corresponding support arm remote from the connection of the support arm to the frame. Structure is provided for rotating the rotatable member relative to the frame thereby moving the toggle arms and the support arms to move the rollers into engagement with or away from the drill pipe. The rotational axis of the rollers become canted upon both rotation and translation of the drill pipe.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a prefabricated self-supporting building structure consisting of a plurality of substantially triangular shaped panels which are interconnected to form roof segments which are easy to erect and to connect together.
BACKGROUND ART
Various prefabricated building structures are known and the majority of these comprise pre-casted or pre-assembled panel structures which are transported to an erection site and assembled. Although many of the component parts of the buildings are pre-fabricated, the erection time can be fairly lengthy and inclement weather conditions can further slow down the erection time as well as expose building materials to rain or snow which sometimes will cause the materials to become damaged. Often, the pre-assembled parts are difficult to transport and the transport vehicle must be operated at slow speed, particularly in a situation where an entire home is prefabricated in two sections. They require long trailer vehicles and special vehicles to warn oncoming traffic of the danger of the wide load on the transport vehicle.
Another disadvantage of prefabricated structures is that they are heavy to manipulate and often require large cranes which are expensive. Many of the prefabricated or other type home or building structures are constructed for permanent installation and cannot be easily dismantled and reassembled on another site. A still further disadvantage of prefabricated structures is that often these are not very structurally sound and can become damaged if exposed to tornadoes or hurricane force winds. A still further disadvantage is that some of these structures are erected directly on a slab of cement which is poured on the ground and therefore are easily exposed to flooding with resulting serious damage. Some of these are also not well insulated or resistant to insect infestation such as by termites. Often, their construction causes condensation to set into the structure which can also affect building materials. Still further prefabricated building structures require expensive foundations made of concrete thereby increasing the cost of the prefabricated structure.
Typical examples of prefabricated structures can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,960,593; 5,950,374; 5,758,461; 4,660,332; 5,904,005; 5,921,047; 4,741,133; 4,912,891; 5,765,316; 5,797,224 and 5,461,832.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a prefabricated self-supporting building structure and a method of erecting such building structure and which substantially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a prefabricated, self-supporting, building structure which is comprised of a plurality of substantially triangular shaped panels. Each of the panels has a front edge, a straight top edge, a straight hypotenuse edge and a junction point at an intersecting end of the hypotenuse edge and the front edge. The panels are connected in juxtaposed pairs by a hinge connection means which interconnects the top edge of each juxtaposed pair of panels to form a collapsible roof segment. There are four roof segments interconnected together in side-by-side relationship at right angles to one another to form the building structure. Each panel of the juxtaposed pairs of panels are connected along their straight hypotenuse edge by a further hinge connection means to the straight hypotenuse edge of a panel of an adjacent roof segment. Attachment means is provided at the junction point of the panels for securing the roof segments in elevated position on a support means. Connector means are provided at a forward end of the top edge of at least one panel of two of the roof segments interconnected back-to-back for attachment to pulling means. The pulling means causes the panel segments to be erected to form a roof structure anchored at the attachment means.
The method consists essentially of connecting the attachment means at the junction point of the roof segments of two panel sections to a support means and connecting a pulling cable to the connector means at a forward end of the top edge of the roof segment of two panel sections. The two panel sections are erected back-to-back by pulling the cable with the further panels of each of the two panel sections having their straight top edge at right angles to the straight top edge of its associated roof segment. Adjacent ones of the top edge of the further panels are secured together by ridge capping connection means whereby to secure the two panel sections together back-to-back and to form a building structure having four roof segments disposed at right angles to one another.
Floor segments can also be secured under the building structure and connected to the roof segments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the panels connected together to form a roof segment and one of two pre-assembled panel sections;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the prefabricated, self-supporting building structure of the present invention in an erected secured position;
FIG. 3 is a section view showing a typical construction of the panels;
FIG. 4 is a fragmented view, partly in section, showing the roof structure of the present invention erected and segmented internally to form a building structure having two floor structures and anchored into the soil by ground anchors;
FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a typical construction of a securement bracket secured to the junction point at an intersecting end of the hypotenuse edge and the front edge of the panel;
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a support wall anchor secured to a foundation or pile;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the prefabricated roof structure of the present invention used in the construction of a multi-tenant building structure;
FIGS. 7A to 7 J are perspective illustrations showing the sequence of erecting the building structure of the present invention starting from juxtaposed, pre-assembled panels assembled together to form one of two panel sections and illustrating the steps in the assembly of the building structure; and
FIG. 8 is a typical floor plan view of one of the floors of the building structure.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown generally at 10 a building structure segment 11 pre-assembled with the substantially triangular shaped panels 12 of the present invention whereby to form the pre-assembled panel sections, two of which are required to be interconnected to erect the complete building frame structure of the present invention, as shown at 13 in FIG. 2 . The substantially triangular shaped panels 12 , as shown in FIG. 3, may be formed of steel roof cladding 14 on an outer surface thereof and a steel deck cladding 15 on an inner surface thereof. A foam core 16 is injected between the claddings 14 and 15 to form an insulated panel structure. The foam 16 may be a polyisocyanurate or a polyurethane foam or any other insulating rigid foam material. Accordingly, these panels are fairly light and easy to manipulate while the corrugation in these panels provide excellent structural properties and the foam core provides good structural and insulating properties.
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the panels 12 has a front edge 17 , a straight top edge 18 and a straight hypotenuse edge 19 . A junction point 20 is formed at an intersecting end of the hypotenuse edge 19 and the front edge 17 . Attachment means in the form of securing brackets 21 are connected to adjacent panels 12 and 12 ′ at the junction point 20 whereby to secure the erected structure, as shown in FIG. 2, to a support means 22 , herein a ground anchor 23 . These ground anchors 23 are better illustrated in FIG. 4, and as can be seen, they consist of a screw-type anchor rod 23 which is driven into the ground 24 and which resists pulling forces applied on the building structure 25 formed with the roof segment structures 13 , shown in FIG. 2 of the present invention.
Referring again to FIG. 1, there is shown the pre-assembled panel section 10 which consists of a roof segment 26 which is formed by connecting in juxtaposed pairs two panels 12 ′ and 12 ″ by hinge connection means, which may be adhesively or mechanically secured to opposed edge sections of the opposed panels 12 ′ and 12 ″ along their straight top edge 18 or opposed hypotenuse edges 19 . Hinge plates 18 ′ are secured to opposed inner edge surfaces of the top edge 18 of the panels. After erection, a ridge cap 27 may be secured externally over the top edge 18 . Various other forms of hinge connection means could be substituted and it is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any other obvious hinge structures.
The pre-assembled panel section 10 also comprises a panel 12 ′″ of an adjacent roof segment 26 ′, see FIG. 2, to be formed. These panels 12 ′″ are connected respectively to the juxtaposed panels 12 ′ and 12 ″ by a further hinge connection means herein constituted by a further flexible adhesive tape 27 ′.
With specific reference to FIG. 7A, it can be seen that the panels 12 ′″ may be folded on their associated respective panels 12 ′ and 12 ″ and also the panels 12 ′ and 12 ″ may be folded upon themselves to form a stack 30 of juxtaposed folded substantially triangular shaped panels, making them easy to transport.
As shown more clearly in FIG. 4, anchor means in the form of steel anchors 31 may be secured to the panels 12 and 12 ′ adjacent their straight top edge 18 and forwardly of the roof segment 26 at its forward end, that is to say near the front edge 17 of the triangular panels 12 . As shown in FIG. 1, a cable 32 is secured to the anchors 31 and to a winch 33 to apply a forward pulling force in the direction of arrow 34 whereby to erect the pre-assembled panel section 10 on the ground anchors 22 after the securement brackets 21 are pivotally secured to the ground anchors. Further connectors 35 are also secured adjacent the top edge 18 of the adjacent panels 12 ′″ whereby to secure a further spacer cable 36 of predetermined length whereby when the pre-assembled panel section 10 is erected, these side panels 12 ′″ will be maintained hinged out with their top edge 18 aligned and extending substantially transverse to the top edge 18 of the roof segment 26 . A further spacer cable 37 of predetermined length is also attached between the securement brackets 21 at the junction point 20 of the adjacent panels 12 ′ and 12 ″ to limit the spacing between these panels when in an open position.
In order to construct the building structure as shown in FIG. 2, there is required two such pre-assembled panel sections 10 and these are erected back-to-back, as illustrated in FIGS. 7I and 7J and these are erected simultaneously in a similar fashion. By the pivoting action of the pre-assembled panel sections 10 which are positioned back-to-back and by movement of the winch 33 , these sections can be brought together with the top edges 18 of the adjacent panels 12 ′″ in substantially perfect alignment. The ridge cap 27 , or other type connection, is then applied to the top edge 18 of adjacent panels 12 ′″ of the two pre-assembled panel sections 10 placed back-to-back and this completes the securement of the structure. Internal braces (not shown) may also be secured to the inner face of the roof structure to solidify its connections should this building structure be utilized as a canopy, as shown in FIG. 2, for another structure to be positioned thereunder or for any other purpose.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the building structure is herein shown formed as a residential building and prefabricated floor structures 40 are brought into position and secured to the inner surface of the panels 12 by suitable anchor means (not shown). Two such floor structures may be secured to constitute a dwelling having two floors and, of course, if this roof structure is fairly large, it can accommodate four dwellings, each of which is associated with one of the roof segments 26 , there being four roof segments in this building structure with the axes of their top edge extending transverse to one another. Such structures would be convenient to construct low cost housing or temporary housing as the structure can be easily disassembled and transported elsewhere. It is also pointed out that such structures are very resistant to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, termites, the formation of condensation, etc. Also, because the lower floor may be used as a parking space, as shown at 41 in FIG. 6, the main floor is elevated sufficiently high so that the building structure can resist flooding. The lower section or the entire triangular panels could also be constructed in a waterproof fashion or at least the lower ends thereof below the main floor 40 ′, and dependent on the geographic location of the structure.
Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, there is shown a typical construction of a securement bracket 21 and an anchor bracket 50 . The securement bracket 21 may be in the form of a triangular shaped steel plate 51 having holes 52 therein to receive fasteners to secure it to the panel at the junction point area 20 thereof as shown in FIG. 1 . This area may also be reinforced. A connecting flange 53 extends forwardly of the bracket 51 and extends at a predetermined angle so that adjacent brackets 21 of adjacent panels can be secured to the projecting tongue 54 of the anchor bracket 50 by extending on both sides of the tongue and by securing a bolt 55 through the flanges 53 and the tongue 54 . This constitutes a pivotal connection. The anchor bracket 50 also has a base plate 57 provided with holes 58 to secure same to corners of a foundation wall 59 or to the attachment end 22 of the anchor rods 23 . Numerous other forms of brackets and anchors can be constructed to secure the roof segments of the building structure. Also, when the structure is erected on a foundation 59 as shown in FIG. 5B, the roof structure can be erected elevated from the ground surface. The collapsed panels would be placed on a floor flush with the foundation and tilted up on its convectors.
FIG. 8 shows a typical floor plan for a floor of a two-story dwelling and the illustration is self-explanatory. It is also pointed out, with further reference to FIG. 6, that the front edge 17 of the roof segments need not be straight but could have a forward projection in a top portion thereof extending at a different angle whereby to constitute an overhanged roof section, as illustrated by phantom lines 60 in FIG. 8 that project over a balcony 61 which is preformed with the prefabricated floor 40 to substantially shield it from rain or sun.
With reference to FIGS. 7A to 7 J, there will be described the manner in which the roof structure of the present invention is erected. A first stack 30 of assembled panels constituting a first pre-assembled panel section 10 is brought on a site 62 where the roof structure is to be assembled. The panels are lifted vertically and separated as shown in FIG. 7B until the junction points 22 are fully extended as delimited by the base spacer cable 37 , as shown in FIG. 7 C. This positioning of the panels can be effected by a small group of people. As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, once the roof segment starts separating, it then supports itself. The side panels 12 ′″ are then folded out to each side of the roof segment 26 and laid on the ground. The spacer cable 36 maintains the straight top end 18 of the side panels 12 ′″ extending substantially perpendicular to the top end 18 of the roof segment 26 and in substantial axial alignment with the top end 18 of the adjacent side panel 12 ′″.
As shown in FIG. 7E, the pulling cable 32 is then secured to the steel anchor 31 and to a winch 33 . However, before doing so, the securement brackets 21 have been attached to the anchor brackets 50 so as to provide a pivotal connection. The winch is actuated to pull the panels to cause them to rise in the fashion as shown in FIGS. 7F to 7 H. A second stack of panels are positioned behind the raised pre-assembled panel section 10 and the same procedure is repeated by raising the other pre-assembled panel section 101 , as shown in FIG. 7I, by forward movement of another winch 33 ′. The winches are maneuvered to bring the top edge of the side panels 12 ′″ of the back-to-back pre-assembled panel sections 10 and 101 in substantial alignment with one another. The top edges of adjacent panels are then secured by one or more ridge caps 27 , as previously described, to complete the structure. The cables can then be removed. Typically, such a roof structure can be erected very quickly and within a few hours.
It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiments described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.
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A prefabricated self-supporting building structure and method of construction is described. The building structure comprises a plurality of substantially triangular shaped panels which are interconnected to one another by a hinge connector and along certain edges thereof whereby to form collapsible roof segments. There are four roof segments in the building structure. The triangular shaped panels are interconnected to form two pre-assembled collapsible panel sections each incorporating a pre-assembled roof segment and panel sections for adjacent roof segments. These two pre-assembled panel sections are erected by simple cable attachments which may be secured to a vehicle and these are interconnected back-to-back. The roof segments are also secured by brackets at their junction points of the panels for securing the roof segments in elevated position on supports. The panels of the two pre-assembled panel sections are also foldable one on top of the other in juxtaposition and therefore the entire roof structure is easy to transport and easy to erect on site.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a locking device for securing against external forces two objects adapted for movement relatively to each other, in two opposite directions of movement, the locking device generating in both directions of movement a restraining force counteracting the initiation of movement and--smaller compared with the restraining force--a movement resistance counteracting continued movement, whereby this locking device is furthermore constructed with, adapted for movement relative to each other, two locking device sub-assemblies of which one is coupled to one of the objects and another is coupled to the other of the objects, whereby furthermore due to the relative movement of these locking device sub-assemblies at least two variable-volume working chambers containing a working fluid can in the size of their respective working volume, be so influenced that the volumetric ratio of these working chambers changes in opposing senses as a function of the direction of movement, whereby furthermore these working chambers are connected to each other by a fluid exchange system which allows an exchange of fluid between the two working chambers in both exchange directions, in fact so that the resistance to fluid through flow during a fluid exchange process is greater at the start thereof than during its further progress.
STATEMENT OF THE PRIOR ART
Such a locking device is known from DE-C-1 459 182, in particular for securing doors and windows.
In the case of the known locking device, a piston rod is passed in sealing-tight manner through end of a cylinder which is closed at both ends. Inside the cavity in the cylinder, the piston rod is connected to a separating piston which separates two working chambers from each other. The two working chambers are connected to each other by two flow paths which extend inside the piston. Associated with each direction of movement is a non-return valve which can only open in one direction of flow. Each non-return valve comprises a valve body which is pretensioned by a pretensioning spring in the shut-off position so that it is biased against an incoming flow aperture, closing this off in respect of the cylinder when the piston rod is stationary. When the piston rod is moved in a specific direction of movement in respect of the cylinder, then an above-atmospheric pressure builds up in one of the working chambers. This over-pressure acts on one of the non-return valves, opening it. When the piston rod starts to move, this pressure acts initially on just a small area of the valve body which is determined by the cross-section of the inlet aperture associated with this valve body. By reason of the smallness of this cross-section of the inlet aperture, a considerable above-atmospheric pressure is needed in the working chamber in order to lift the valve body off the sealing position in respect of the inlet aperture. Only then can there be flow between the two working chambers. Once the valve body has lifted off the inlet aperture, then it offers to the pressure in the diminishing working chamber a greater surface area on which to act so that it can be maintained in the open position at a relatively small level of over-pressure in the working chamber concerned. For details of this, reference is made to the comments made on lines 42 to 67 of column 6 of DE-C-1 459 182.
The prior art solution makes it possible to lock a door in a relatively stable fashion in any desired position between its open and its closed positions. A relatively considerable pushing force is needed for a door or the like which is secured in any desired position to start to move.
Therefore, any unintentional shock will not cause the door to change its position. On the other hand, once the door has been set in motion, a relatively minor amount of effort is sufficient to open or close it further.
This per se advantageous behaviour of the door is certainly achieved at the expense of considerable structural cost which has hitherto prevented a wider application of the principle. The structural expenditure is caused particularly because two flow paths have to be made between the two working chambers. The provision of these two flow paths requires a multiplicity of bores, including axial bores, needed for forming the flow paths and which have to be disposed eccentrically in the piston.
With regard to the state of the art, reference may also be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,602 which is also concerned with door stays, particularly on motor vehicles. Also where these door stays are concerned, the locking action is generated solely by hydraulic means. In order to maintain a constant volume inside a cylinder, i.e. in order to maintain a constant sum of the working spaces in the two working chambers, a piston-piston rod unit is provided, in which the piston rod consists of two piston rod portions emanating from the piston and in opposite directions and which are passed in sealing-tight manner through two oppositely disposed end walls of the cylinder. Also this construction is based on the use of two flow paths through the piston, each associated with one direction of movement between cylinder and piston rod, so that the construction is correspondingly involved. Furthermore, this construction has the disadvantage that even after initiation of a movement of the piston rod in relation to the cylinder the external pushing force needed to open the relative non-return valve has to be maintained for the movement to continue over a relatively great distance. Therefore, the only choice open is so to dimension the non-return valves that a relatively low pushing force is sufficient to open them. This results in the disadvantage that even relatively minimal and unintentional pushing forces suffice to set the door in motion unintentionally. If one wishes to prevent this, then the non-return valves can be so adjusted that they can only be opened by a relatively considerable pushing force. However, this entails the disadvantage that a resistance to movement corresponding to this pushing force has to be overcome over the entire intended path of movement.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the problem of indicating a locking device which, while retaining the advantageous operating behaviour of a locking device according to the principle outlined in DE-C-1 459 182, i.e. an operating behaviour in which after a relatively stronger pushing force, further continuance of a door movement generates a relatively low resistance to movement, allows a simplified structural complication so that it is therefore suitable for mass production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to resolve this problem, it is according to the invention proposed for a locking device as defined in the background of the invention that the fluid exchange system comprises a series connection of two throttle means which are pretensioned into a closed position and through which flow is possible in both directions, each throttle means with a first through flow connection in conjunction with an associated working chamber and with a second through flow connection in conjunction with the second through flow connection of whichever is the other throttle means. A first pressure value at the first through flow connection of a throttle means is sufficient to open both throttle means and a second lesser pressure value at the first through flow connection of this throttle means is sufficient to maintain both throttle means open with continued through flow.
By virtue of the fact that in the case of the embodiment of fluid exchange system according to the invention the two throttle means are connected in series with each other, the disposition of the bores inside a fluid conducting body accommodating the bores and forming the fluid exchange system can be substantially simplified.
The locking device according to the invention can be used for the most widely diverse purposes, including the securing of doors and windows on buildings and movable objects such as motor vehicles. In that case, not only linear movements but for instance also rotary movements are involved. In the case of arresting linear movements, whereas it is possible to work particularly with linearly movable cylinder-piston units, in which the cylinder constitutes one sub-assembly of the locking device while the piston rod and piston represent the other, it is readily conceivable for the principle of the invention also to be applicable to rotary piston units in which the working chambers in a stator-cylinder are separated from each other by a rotor-piston.
It is possible to take symmetrical and asymmetrical working conditions into account by a corresponding design of the throttle means. For example, it is conceivable for the first pressure value to be the same for both throttle means; this means that the same degree of pushing force (a pushing moment of equal magnitude) is needed in order even to initiate a movement in either direction. It means furthermore than then the stability of whichever setting is selected is of equal magnitude in relation to an unintentional pushing pulse in both directions. On the other hand, if it is desired to maintain the stability against unintended pushing greater in one direction because for instance the risk of pushing pulses arising are substantially greater for this direction of movement than for the other, then it is also possible for the first pressure value to be varied accordingly for the two throttle means. This, then, provides the advantage that the danger of unintended displacement due to a pushing pulse in one direction is reduced, in other words particularly in that direction in which unintentional pushing pulses are expected with greater probability and on the other hand it offers increased operating convenience in so far as it is possible more easily to initiate an intentional movement in the other direction of movement in which an unintentional pushing pulse is less likely.
Also the second pressure value can be the same or different for both throttle points. Consequently, this can be used for instance in order to influence the user behaviour. For example, if it is desired to cause the user to keep a door only sufficiently open in the direction of opening as is absolutely necessary in order for instance to minimise the possible effect of wind, and if on the other hand one wishes to induce the user to close the door again as far as possible "willingly", then the second pressure value for the throttle determining the resistance to movement in the opening direction of the door can be made greater than the throttle determining the second pressure value for the resistance to movement when closing the door. By the asymmetry of the first and second pressure values, it is possible also to allow for situations where the relative movement of the object in a specific direction of movement is assisted also by other permanently acting forces, in other words for example the force of gravity, in fact so that the restraining force countering the movement in the direction of the force of gravity and/or the resistance to movement counteracting the movement in the direction of the force of gravity are greater than restraining force and/or resistance to movement for the movement directed in opposition to the force of gravity.
In accordance with a preferred connection solution as a means of carrying out the principle underlying the invention, a throttle means comprises a through flow chamber with a first and second through flow connection and, adapted for movement along a movement path and adjacent this through flow chamber a throttle member which seals the through flow chamber, whereby the throttle member is pretensioned into a closed position by the action of pretensioning means, in which closed position the second through flow connection is isolated from the through flow chamber, whereby furthermore the first through flow connection is constantly connected to the through flow chamber whereby further in the closed position of the throttle member this latter offers a smaller working surface to a fluid pressure prevailing at the second through flow connection and a larger working surface in the same direction of exposure to a fluid pressure prevailing in the through flow chamber, whereby a pressure drop path being provided between the through flow chamber of the throttle means and the associated working chamber which is connected thereto via the first through flag connection. Such a connection arrangement gives rise to the following behaviour: when the pressure in one working chamber is increased, then a pressure builds up in a through flow chamber which is constantly connected to this working chamber via a first throughflow connection. This pressure acts on a relatively large operating surface area of the throttle member adjacent this through flow chamber. Therefore, at a relatively low pressure in the through flow chamber associated with it, this throttle member yields and opens the second through flow connection of this through flow chamber. Consequently, the pressure out of this through flow chamber is also transmitted to the second through flow connection of the through flow chamber of the other throttle means. However, it is still unable to lift the throttle member of this other throttle means off the second through flow connection of the through flow chamber of the other throttle means. Only when a predetermined movement initiating force is exerted does the pressure in the working chamber provided for diminution become sufficiently great that the pressure in the second through flow connection of the through flow chamber associated with the other throttle means is sufficient to lift the throttle member of the other throttle means off the second through flow connection of the associated through flow chamber. Then pressure is also applied to the larger operating surface area of the throttle member of the other throttle means and this application of pressure lasts as long as, due to a further movement, there is a drop in pressure on the way from the through flow chamber of the other throttle means to the then enlarging working chamber.
The pressure drop path can for instance consist of the cross-sectional setting of whichever is the first through flow connection. In this way, simple dimensioning of a bore makes it possible to adjust the pressure drop in the pressure drop path in keeping with whatever operating pattern is desired.
It serves the object of a simple construction fluid exchange system within a fluid conducting member if the second through flow connections of the two throttle means are formed by the ends of a connecting passage which connects the two throttle means in series with each other.
The two throttle means can be accommodated in a common fluid connecting member, again with the object of achieving the simplest possible fluid conducting member which is suitable for mass production. In this respect, the through flow chambers of the two throttle means can be coaxially disposed in the fluid conducting member and separated from each other by a separating wall which is traversed by a connecting passage which connects the through flow chambers of the two throttle means. The mouths of the connecting passage into the through flow chambers are then formed by the second through flow connections of the two throttle means.
According to a preferred application of the invention, one locking device sub-assembly is constructed as a cylinder while the other is constructed as a piston rod unit with a separating piston between the two working chambers. In this case, then, the fluid conducting member in which the throttle means are accommodated can be a part of the piston rod unit and in particular it can be at least partly constituted by the separating piston in which relatively considerable space is available to accommodate the bores of the fluid exchange system, even if the overall device which is the locking unit has to be situated in the minimum of space by virtue of the application.
For example, it is possible to accommodate in one separating piston member of a separating piston throttle member accommodating chambers for each of the two throttle means substantially concentrically with each other. These chambers can be separated from each other by a one-piece separating wall of the separating piston member. In this respect, the remote ends of these throttle member accommodating chambers can each be occluded by a plug. The plugs are fixed in the separating piston member. At least one of the plugs may be constituted by a piston rod portion. In this way, the separating piston can be constructed on the basis of a simple rotary part, sealing of the throttle member accommodating chamber taking place at the same time as the connection is established between the separating piston and the piston rod. In the case of this embodiment, the inlet chamber of a throttle means inside the throttle member accommodating chamber is defined by the throttle member and the separating wall.
The plugs can be inserted into extensions of the throttle member accommodating chambers and fixed therein for example in that the extensions of the throttle member accommodating chambers have a larger diameter than the throttle member accommodating chambers themselves and in that the plugs each abut in an axial direction a transition shoulder between a throttle member accommodating chamber and its extension. In this respect, the plugs can be fixed in the extensions of the throttle member accommodating chambers by a deformation of the separating piston member, possibly by a flanging-over process. In this way, it is possible to obtain a sealing-tight closure of the throttle member accommodating chamber by the respective plug. Such a seal may be essential in order to avoid pressurised medium being applied to the back of the throttle member which would cause disturbances in the working cycle.
The first through flow connections of the through flow chambers may be formed by radial bores in the separating piston member; these radial bores can then open out into annular spaces formed between a respective end portion of the separating piston member and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder.
In order to prepare these annular spaces and provide favourable fitting conditions for the separating piston within the cylinder, the separating piston member can be made so that midway along it in the axial direction of the cylinder there is a thickened portion which bears on an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder, possibly through an interposed gasket arrangement.
With an eye to achieving minimal overall size, the pretensioning means acting on a throttle member housed in the respective throttle member accommodating chamber can be at least partially accommodated within the respective plug. This is particularly true in cases where the pretensioning means consist of elongate coil thrust springs which can be easily housed within a bore in the respective plug or respective piston rod. In this way, relatively long coil thrust springs can be used which have a virtually linear characteristic. Such a linear characteristic can be easily obtained in that in order to generate a specific pretensioning force, there is not used a correspondingly strong coil thrust spring, i.e. one which even after the shortest deformation path exhibits a correspondingly great and then further increasing restoring force. Instead, a long and weak spring is used which in the non-tensioned state has a substantially lower spring constant than corresponds to the desired pretensioning force, this coil thrust spring then, during installation, being subject to a pretension which is always present in the shut-off position and which corresponds to the desired pretension on the throttle member. In this case, the spring force of the coil thrust spring changes only slightly when the throttle member is lifted out of the position which produces a closure of the second through flow connection, so that upon continued movement, the resistance to movement can be kept even less.
The working chambers can be bridged in one or more portions of the relative path of movement by a fluid by-pass. Thus one obtains this peculiarity: by virtue of such a fluid by-pass, the fluid exchange system containing the series-connection throttle means is short-circuited,i.e. a fluid exchange can take place between the two working chambers without the flow resistance in the fluid exchange system becoming effective. This means that the movement can be performed with even less force than that which corresponds to the per se already reduced resistance to movement. When a door is closed, it may be necessary to apply a specific minimum approach speed in order to engage certain closure means such as are used for instance in the case of motor car doors in order to cause the locking means to engage. In order to be able to attain this minimum approach speed to the closed position without regard to the resistance to movement which still exists during continued movement of the door stay or locking device, particularly if the door had been secured in such a position that it was only open a short distance and from which only a minimal path is available in order to achieve the minimum approach speed, then the use of a fluid by-pass may be a great help. By reason of such a fluid by-pass, the arresting effect of the locking device is not essentially restricted, because this fluid by-pass can be confined to a partial path in which there is no need for the locking effect in any case.
Furthermore, the locking device can be combined with an electrical switch intended and suitable for instance for switching a room lighting source on and off where the room is to be closed by a door provided with the locking device. This has the advantage that the switch can be mounted in the same structural unit as the locking device. Mounting it on the locking device at the workshop where the latter is manufactured, using the assembly means available there, is extremely simple and entails a favourable cost. On the other hand, the need to install the switch on the structure to be equipped with the locking device is avoided, i.e. one working operation can be dispensed with in a production stage in which it is very much more difficult to have available suitable mechanical aids to install a light switch.
The relative area of movement can be limited by flexible abutment means at least at one end. In the case of a car door, in particular, a resilient end stop is provided to define the opening, since as the door approaches the closed position, the locking means may be expected to provide a damping action.
Basically, the fluid may be liquid or gas. If the working medium used is liquid, then care must be taken to ensure that the total space available within the working chambers can be varied by the longer or shorter immersion length of a piston rod and to see that this variation is taken into account. In principle, it is possible by having a small piston rod cross-section to minimise the variations in volume as a function of the piston rod immersion length in the cylinder, making them in some cases even so small that a very slight under-filling of the working chambers is sufficient for compensation although in such a case a certain backlash must be anticipated in whichever position is selected. However, it is also possible to continue the piston rod unit beyond the two ends of the separating piston in which case the piston rod can then be passed in sealing-tight manner through respective bushings at both ends of the separating piston. In this way, the space available in the working chambers is constant regardless of the piston rod position. In that case, however, certain compensating means are needed in order to allow for fluctuations in temperature and any leakage losses. Such compensating means might be provided by bounding one of the working chambers by a closure wall braced by a hard springing means.
A double piston rod with two passages through corresponding working chamber end walls is not absolutely vital. If one wishes to dispense with extending the piston rod through a second working chamber end wall, then the compensation of volume can also be achieved by providing adjacent at least one of the working chambers a flexible compensating space which may be separated from the liquid space by a partition. In such a case, a valve wall can be provided between the partition and the separating piston which sub-divides the respective working chamber into two partial working chambers and contains two oppositely poled non-return valves. Of these oppositely poled non-return valves, that which leads from the partial working chamber which is closer to the separating piston to the partial working chamber which is more remote from the separating piston is pretensioned by a relatively strong pretension in the direction of closure. This pretension then ensures that in the inoperative position of the device, considerable pushing force is needed in order to initiate the movement. Once the movement has been started, then only the piston rod has any volume-compacting effect. By reason of the hard sprung non-return valve, then, only a very small volumetric flow takes place. This small volumetric flow therefore suffers a relatively low resistance to through flow in the hard sprung non-return valve. In this way, once the movement has been initiated, the resistance to movement can always be kept sufficiently low.
From another point of view, the invention refers to a system for fluid exchange between two working chambers, particularly of a locking device which is constructed as a cylinder-piston unit, locking device in question being in particular of the type described hereinabove.
This fluid exchange system comprises a through flow chamber accommodated within a fluid conducting member, said through flow member being defined by a sealing piston disposed for movement within it, whereby furthermore this through flow chamber can be connected via a first connection to one working chamber, whereby furthermore a constantly open second connection of the through flow chamber leads to the other working chamber, whereby furthermore on the same side as the first connection, an end face of the sealing piston is pretensioned by a sealing piston pretensioning means into a closed position against the first connection, whereby furthermore the end face on the first connection side, when in the closed position, offers a smaller cross-section to the fluid acting on it through the first connection, and whereby the end face on the first connection side offers a larger fluid actuating cross-section to a fluid pressure prevailing in the through flow chamber.
Such a fluid exchange system is in turn known from the already above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,602 in fact from FIG. 2 thereof. In the case of this known construction, there are two sealing pistons disposed inside the through flow chamber of the fluid conducting member. A closed spring chamber is constructed between these sealing pistons. This spring chamber accommodates a coil thrust spring which spreads the two sealing pistons apart from each other. Each of the two sealing pistons carries a ball on the side remote from the spring chamber. This ball co-operates with respective first connections and forms the smaller fluid-actuated cross-section of a respective end face on the same side as the first connection. Therefore, each ball co-operates with a first connection. The two sealing pistons have a diameter which exceeds the ball diameter so that a larger fluid exposed cross-section is available also at the respective sealing piston. The two first connections of each through flow chamber are respectively connected to a working chamber. Furthermore, the second connection of each through flow chamber is connected by a pipe to whichever is the other working chamber. When the pressure in one of the two working chambers rises, this increased pressure is on the one hand applied via the first connection to the associated small fluid-exposed cross-section of the sealing piston associated with this one through flow chamber and furthermore it is applied via the second connection to the other through flow chamber at the larger fluid-exposed cross-section of the other sealing piston associated with this other through flow chamber. Therefore, this over-pressure in one working chamber can open two mutually parallel flow paths in the direction of the other working chamber. The resulting resistance to through flow through these two parallel connected flow paths depends upon the spring force and furthermore upon the smaller fluid-exposed cross-section of one sealing piston and the larger fluid-exposed cross-section of the other sealing piston. With increasing pressure in one working chamber, firstly the sealing piston of the other through flow chamber will be lifted off its first connection. Identical circumstances arise when the pressure rises in the other working chamber.
A locking device in the form of a cylinder-piston unit is known from DE-C-1 459 182. In this case, the fluid conducting member in the form of a separating piston unit is mounted on the piston rod of the cylinder unit, between two working chambers of the cylinder-piston unit. Upon displacement of the piston rod in respect of the cylinder of the cylinder piston unit, according to the direction of displacement, a pressure rise occurs in one or other of the working chambers. Now, once again, two through flow chambers are formed in the fluid conducting members and each of these two through flow chambers accommodates one throttle piston. Each of the working chambers is connected to an associated through flow chamber via a first connection. The relevant first connection can be occluded by the throttle piston so that the pressure in the respective working chamber acts via the first connection on the smaller fluid-exposed cross-section of whichever is the relevant throttle piston. Each throttle piston is pretensioned by a coil thrust spring in the direction of the first connection of the associated through flow chamber. The throttle piston does not seal the through flow chamber but allows a very restricted connection between the respective through flow chamber and a back of the respective throttle piston. If in one of the working chambers an over-pressure occurs due to its becoming smaller, then via the associated first connection, this increased pressure is transmitted via the associated first connection to the smaller fluid-exposed cross-section of the associated throttle piston so that this throttle piston lifts off the first connection. From that point on, the fluid of this working chamber acts on a substantially enlarged fluid-actuated cross-section of the throttle piston in fact because a pressure drop takes place between the respective through flow chamber and the other working chamber. This means that once the first connection has opened, the piston rod can be displaced smoothly in respect of the cylinder. Furthermore, this means that in the case of a use of the piston-cylinder unit as a locking device for a door, once the door has been pushed, it will move relatively easily against the action of the locking device.
The symmetry of the separating piston unit ensures substantially symmetrical conditions so that the arresting or locking behaviour is substantially the same regardless of the direction in which the door is moved.
The invention is based on the problem of, on the premise of the structural principle according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,602, obtaining a fluid exchange system which provides a similar flow characteristic to the fluid exchange system according to DE-C-1 459 182.
In order to resolve this problem, it is according to the invention proposed to associate with the second connection a pressure drop path and that a flow path extending from the first connection towards a second connection is by-pass free when there is a flow in this direction so that for a predetermined minimum pressure acting on the smaller fluid-exposed cross-section the end face on the same side as the first connection lifts off the first connection and subsequently the large fluid-exposed cross-section inside the through flow chamber is exposed to a pressure which is dependent upon the flow rate through the through flow chamber and keeps the first connection open until there is a short fall on a predetermined minimum through flow rate.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the fluid conducting member is accommodated within and substantially concentrically with a cylindrical cavity, the first connection, extending in the direction of the axis of the cylindrical cavity, communicating with a first connection chamber inside the cylindrical cavity, this first connection chamber being in turn connected to one working chamber or forming such a working chamber and whereby furthermore the second connection is disposed substantially radially in respect of the axis of the cylindrical cavity and being connected to a connecting line which--extending preferably annularly cylindrically between the fluid conducting member and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical cavity--leads to the other working chamber. In this respect, the pressure drop path may be constituted by the second connection itself which is constructed as a bore. This last-mentioned construction has over the construction according to DE-C-1 459 182 the great advantage that the pressure drop at the bore can be very accurately established by corresponding calibration of this bore so that also the behaviour of the fluid exchange system can be adjusted with corresponding accuracy and at a reasonable production cost.
The first connection and the second connection can be separated from each other by an annular gasket which is formed between an outer peripheral surface of the fluid conducting member and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical cavity.
In order to achieve a compact structural design, it is recommended to dispose the fluid conducting member inside a separating piston unit which is disposed within a cylindrical tube.
The sealing piston pretensioning means can be formed at least partly by a coil thrust spring. The sealing piston pretensioning means can be accommodated in a closed chamber constructed inside the fluid conducting member. The pretension can however also be set up in that the sealing piston pretensioning means is at least partly derived from a fluid pressure in the other working chamber.
In contrast to the fluid exchange system according to DE-C-1 459 182, the fluid exchange system according to the invention is suitable for through flow in opposite directions whereby in a first through flow direction the first connection acts as an input while the second connection serves as an output while in a second direction of through flow the second connection serves as an input and the first connection serves as an input of the fluid exchange system.
If it is desired to achieve different flow conditions according to the direction of flow between the two working chambers, then it is possible for the flow from the first to the second working chambers to use a fluid exchange system described hereinabove and for a fluid flow in the opposite direction, i.e. from the other working chamber into the one working chamber, to use a simple differential pressure dependently opening non-return valve.
The non-return valve can thereby be constructed as a slide valve, in which case the fluid conducting member may be constructed as a valve slide member within a cylindrical cavity being pretensioned into a closed position and being capable of being moved into an open position by a pressure derived from the pressure in the other working chamber.
In particular, the fluid exchange system according to the invention can be accommodated within a separating piston unit of a cylinder-piston unit and may within the cylinder isolate two working chambers from each other. Care must be taken that already in the case of a single fluid exchange system of the aforementioned type a differing flow behaviour is achieved according to the direction of movement between piston rod and cylinder tube because in one direction of movement initially only the smaller fluid-exposed cross-section and only after opening of the first connection also the larger fluid-exposed cross-section will be acted upon whereas in the other direction of movement the larger fluid-actuated cross-section will be acted upon at the same time.
According to a further embodiment of a cylinder-piston unit, it is envisaged that there are within the separating piston unit two fluid exchange systems between the working chambers of the cylinder-piston unit, being connected in series, in fact so that the first connections of the two fluid exchange systems are connected to each other while the second connections of the two fluid exchange systems are each connected to a working chamber of the cylinder-piston unit. With this configuration, for a corresponding dimensioning, the through flow behaviour is respected, according to the direction.
The embodiment with two series-connected fluid exchange systems is preferably used in the case of cylinder-piston units in which the separating piston unit is accommodated inside a tubular cavity which is closed at both ends by a guiding and sealing unit, a piston rod connected to the separating piston unit being passed in sealing-tight manner through one of the guide and sealing units, a piston rod extension piece connected to the separating piston unit being passed through the other of the guide and sealing units. In the case of such an embodiment, it is possible to establish entirely symmetrical operating conditions in both directions of movement.
In the case of another embodiment of cylinder-piston unit, the separating piston unit is disposed inside a tubular cavity sealed at one end over its entire cross-section while a guiding and sealing unit is only provided at the other end, a piston rod connected to the separating piston unit being passed through the guiding and sealing unit, measures being taken to compensate for the variation in the displacement volume of the piston rod inside the cylindrical cavity upon a displacement of the piston rod in respect of the tubular cavity, generating a push-out force which acts on the piston rod. With this embodiment, too, a single fluid exchange system or a series arrangement of fluid exchange systems may be used. As a way of compensating for the variation in the displacement volume of the piston rod inside the cylindrical cavity when there is a displacement of the piston rod in respect of the cylindrical cavity, it is possible for the fluid filling to be constituted entirely by a compressible gas. Furthermore, it is possible for the cylindrical cavity to be partly filled with pressurised gas whereby in this case a floating piston or a separating diaphragm may be provided between the pressurised gas and the fluid. Finally, it is also conceivable to dispose at a fluid-filled part of the cylindrical cavity a floating piston which acts against the fluid by spring pressure.
In the case of a cylinder-piston unit with a piston rod lead-through at only one end, in a state of equilibrium there is a greater pressure in that working chamber of the cylinder cavity which is at the same end as the piston rod and a lower pressure in the working chamber which is remote from the piston rod, regardless of whether the cylinder cavity is filled with pressurised gas or with a liquid which is in turn subject to gas pressure or spring pressure. If it is desired to use approximately the same forces to push the piston rod in or out, as is frequently desirable for instance if the cylinder-piston unit is to be used as a locking device for securing motor car doors, then it must be borne in mind that during closure of the door, a push-out force acts on the piston rod which emanates from the gas pressure or the fluid pressure. This means that pushing it in, corresponding substantially to closing the door, means that a greater force must be exerted than that which is needed to push out or in fact open the door. Nevertheless, in order to achieve at least approximately compensated movement conditions during opening and closing, when there is only a single fluid exchange system inside the separating piston unit its first connection can be connected to a working chamber of the cylinder cavity which is on the piston rod side--this working chamber on the piston rod side will be referred to hereinafter as the rod chamber--while on the other hand a second connection of this fluid exchange system can be connected to a working chamber of the cylinder-piston unit which is remote from the piston rod and which is hereinafter referred to as the end chamber.
If the end chamber and the rod chamber are both filled with a liquid and one of these chambers, for example the end chamber, has next to it a flexible gas filling bounded by a floating piston, then the movement behaviour of the piston rod is influenced accordingly, in fact in that the piston rod is able to move away resiliently in the direction of the floating piston. If this is to be avoided--subject to the end chamber abutting the floating piston--the end chamber can be sub-divided into a partial end chamber on the piston rod side and a partial end chamber which is remote from the piston rod, a further fluid exchange system of the aforedescribed type being installed in a stationary partition, in fact in such a way that its first connection communicates with the partial end chamber which is close to the piston rod.
If a cylinder piston unit is provided as an aid to lifting a structural part, for example a boot lid of a motor vehicle, then it is preferable to use an embodiment which has only one cylindrical tube end fitted with a lead-through for the piston rod, a hollow piston member being provided as part of the separating piston unit, which bears in sealing-tight manner against an inner peripheral wall of the cylinder cavity. Furthermore, the fluid conducting member of the fluid exchange system is also accommodated in this hollow piston member, in fact in such a way that the first connection of the through flow chamber communicates with a working chamber, referred to as a rod chamber, on the same side as the piston rod and in such a way that the fluid conducting member co-operates with the hollow piston member as a valve slide, forming a non-return valve which leads to the rod chamber from a working chamber of the cylinder cavity which is remote from the piston rod and which is referred to as the end chamber.
In accordance with a further aspect, the invention relates to a structural sub-assembly comprising a basic structure and a movable structural element which is adapted for movement against the force of gravity between an extreme low position and an extreme upper position in relation to the basic structure, being guided by guide means, whereby to facilitate movement of the movable structural element between the extreme low position and the extreme high position and in order to arrest the movable structural element in intermediate positions, at least one cylinder-piston unit filled with a pressurised fluid is provided, whereby furthermore this cylinder-piston unit is constructed with a cylindrical tube, a tubular cavity constructed inside this cylindrical tube, a guiding and sealing unit at one end of the tubular cavity, a sealing-tight closure at the other end of the tubular cavity, a piston rod inserted through the guiding and sealing unit, a separating piston unit connected to the piston rod inside the tubular cavity, a rod chamber on the piston rod side of the separating piston unit, an end chamber on the side of the separating piston unit which is remote from the piston rod and a filling of pressurised fluid in the rod chamber and in the end chamber. Measures are taken to compensate for variations in the displacement volume of the piston rod inside the tubular cavity upon displacements of the piston rod in relation to the tubular cavity,which measures generate a push-out force on the piston rod.
A fluid exchange system is provided between the rod chamber and the end chamber. Of the two parts: cylindrical tube and piston rod, one is connected to the basic structure while the other is connected to the movable structural element. The weight of the movable structural element, the guide means of the movable structural element, the points of attack between the piston cylinder unit, the basic structure and the movable structural element, the cross-section of the tubular cavity, the cross-section of the piston rod, the fluid filling in the tubular cavity and the fluid exchange system are so constructed and dimensioned that the following conditions are satisfied:
a) when the movable structural element is in a midway position, at rest, the end chamber and the rod chamber are separated from each other and the movable structural element is secured against sinking by an end chamber fluid contained in the end chamber and against rising by a rod chamber fluid contained in the rod chamber, in that
aa) the pressure of the end chamber fluid bearing on a full cross-section of the separating piston unit exerts a push-out effect on the separating piston unit,
ab) by this push-out effect in the rod chamber, a pressure of the rod chamber fluid is generated which acting on the differential cross-section between the full cross-section of the separating piston unit and a rod cross-section of the piston rod exerts a push-in effect on the separating unit,
ac) the push-in effect generated by the rod chamber pressure, together with an additional push-in effect emanating from the weight of the movable structural element maintains equilibrium with the push-out effect, the pressure in the rod chamber being greater than the pressure in the end chamber,
ad) a lifting-purpose non-return valve system opening from the rod chamber to the end chamber is exposed to the pressure in the rod chamber with a smaller fluid exposed cross-section and is so adjusted that in a state of equilibrium it cannot be opened by the pressure in the rod chamber,
ae) a lowering-purpose non-return valve system opening from the end chamber to the rod chamber is exposed to the pressure in the end chamber and is so adjusted that in a state of equilibrium it cannot be opened by the pressure in the end chamber,
b) a brief slight application of an external lifting force on the movable structural element results in an increase in the pressure in the rod chamber which acts on the small fluid exposed cross-section of the lifting-purpose non-return valve-system which leads to an opening of the lifting-purpose non-return valve system;
ba) once the lifting-purpose non-return valve system is opened, there is a flow of fluid from the rod chamber to the end chamber;
bb) the flow from the rod chamber to the end chamber suffers a drop in pressure in a pressure drop path situated between the lifting-purpose non-return valve system and the end chamber,
bc) as a result of this pressure drop, there is established inside the lifting-purpose non-return valve system an intermediate pressure which is greater than the pressure in the end chamber; this intermediate pressure acts on a larger fluid exposed cross-section of the lifting-purpose non-return valve system in the opening sense of the lifting-purpose non-return valve system; as a result of the fluid flow from the rod chamber through the lifting-purpose non-return valve system to the end chamber, the pressure in the rod chamber drops; the balance is modified and the piston rod is pushed out of the cylindrical tube;
bd) the pushing of the piston rod out of the cylindrical tube brings about a continued flow from the rod chamber to the end chamber; this continued flow continues to ensure maintenance of an intermediate pressure in the lifting-purpose non-return valve system; this inter-mediate pressure furthermore acts on the larger fluid exposed cross-section of the lifting-purpose non-return valve system and holds it open, even when the exertion of external lifting force ceases; the pushing-out movement of the piston rod and thus the raising of the movable structural element are therefore continued by the action of the cylinder piston unit, without the need for the continued application of an external lifting force;
be) if during the continued push-out movement of the piston rod a depressing force is briefly applied to the movable structural element, then the rate of flow through the lifting-purpose non-return valve system drops; the intermediate pressure acting on the larger fluid exposed cross-section of the lifting-purpose non-return valve system drops the lifting-purpose non-return valve system is closed again; the movable structural element comes to a standstill and remains stationary even if the depressing force ceases again;
c) when the movable structural element is in an intermediate position and at rest, it can be moved by a minor lowering force in the direction of the extreme low position in that
ca) firstly there is an increase in the pressure in the end chamber, a slight increase in the pressure in the end chamber leading to an opening of the lowering-purpose non-return valve system,
cb) consequently there is an approximation of pressures between the end chamber and the rod chamber,
cc) and the pressure acting on the piston rod cross-section and prevailing in the rod chamber and end chamber once this approximation of pressure is established between the two chambers produces a force to push the piston rod out and this force only slightly exceeds the gravity-induced piston rod push-in effect of the movable structural element on the piston rod, so that it can be overcome by said minor lowering force to be permanently applied until a desired lower position of the movable structural member, optionally its extreme low position, has been reached.
The structural sub-assembly can, particularly as a basic structure of a motor vehicle body and as a movable structural element, comprise a hinged member, for example a boot lid or a tail gate of an estate car or an engine bonnet.
The result then is that the hinged member can easily be raised by hand. Over a major part of its pivoting path it is automatically lifted by the cylinder-piston unit. It can be arrested in midway positions in that a brief depressing force is exerted on the hinged member and it then stays in the selected position even if this depressing force is removed again. If it is intended then to open the hinged member further, then a minimal and brief application of outside lifting force on the hinge member is sufficient to trigger its continued automatic opening until the hinged member comes to a standstill by reason of an abutment e.g. inside the cylinder piston unit or until once again a depressing force is provided by hand. If it is intended to close the hinged member, then it is sufficient to exert a relatively minor but steady lowering force on the hinged member until a desired lower position is reached. If, once this lower position of the hinged member is reached, the steady lowering force is removed, then the hinged member remains in the new midway position attained. If the hinged member is to be completely closed, then the steady lowering force is exerted until such time as the hinged member is either closed or until the push-out force on the rod is no longer sufficient to maintain balance against the force of the weight of the hinged member so that this drops down. Preferably, adjacent the position of complete closure of the hinged member, it is preferable to provide a small range of movement in which the push-in force exerted by the weight of the hinged member exceeds the push-out effect of the cylinder piston unit so that the hinged member is able easily to snap into place in the lock or, as desired, can automatically drop into the lock.
The outside lifting force needed to trigger the outwards movement from a midway position of the hinged member, the depressing force needed to arrest the hinged member in a midway position and the steady lowering force needed to close the hinged member are preferably so adjusted that they can easily be applied by even a weak person. Preferably, these forces should be less than 100N and preferably less than 50N. The cylinder piston unit can thereby be substantially completely filled with gas plus a small quantity of liquid lubricant.
Furthermore, the piston cylinder unit can be partly filled with liquid if either the rod chamber or the end chamber has adjacent to it a volume of compressed gas, possibly separated from the fluid by a floating piston or a movable diaphragm. Furthermore, it is possible to have adjacent the end chamber or the rod chamber a separating piston which maintains a pretension in the liquid by means of a mechanical springing means.
The structural unit can be constructed with one or a plurality of cylinder-piston units. In the motor vehicles field, frequently two cylinder-piston units are used in conjunction with hinged members, one being provided at each of the two edges of the hinged member.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a hydraulic blocking device with a double piston rod which at both ends of the separating piston is guided through respective end walls of the associated working chamber;
FIG. 2 shows a modified embodiment in which in order to compensate for the volume of the varying piston rod space a resiliently braced end wall is provided, a coil thrust spring being used to provide a resilient bracing arrangement;
FIG. 3 shows a further modified embodiment which corresponds substantially to that shown in FIG. 2 but with the coil thrust spring replaced by a space containing compressed gas;
FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a hydraulic locking device in which the separating piston is simplified and a bottom valve unit is provided;
FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment intended particularly for use on vertically adjustable hinged members of motor vehicle;
FIG. 6 shows a motor vehicle with a tail gate in the closed position, a locking device according to FIG. 5 being used, the hinged member being shown in solid lines to illustrate the closed position and in broken lines to show the open position, and
FIG. 7 shows a motor vehicle according to FIG. 6 with the hinged member in a midway position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With regard to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the locking device is clamped between two fixing points 1, 2 the distance between which can be varied. The locking device consists of a cylinder 3 and a piston rod 4 which is adapted for movement relatively to it. In the cylinder 3, two working chambers 5, 6 are separated from each other by a separating piston 7. The separating piston 7 comprises connecting passages 8, 9, 10 which allow fluid to flow from the working chamber 5 into the working chamber 6. In the rest position, the working chambers are occluded by two throttle members 11, 12 by the force of two pretensioning springs 13, 14. The throttle member accommodating chambers 15, 16 are filled with air or gas at ambient pressure and are sealed in respect of the fluid filled working chambers 5, 6 by sealing elements 17, 18, 19, 20.
In the throttle member accommodating chambers 15, 16, the throttle members 11, 12 define through flow chambers 30, 31. The connecting passages 9, 10 each form a first through flow connection 9, 10 to the two through flow chambers 31, 30 while the connecting passage 8 forms a separate through flow connection 32, 33 respectively to the two through flow chambers 30, 31. The two second through flow connections 33 and 32, when at rest, are occluded by small pressure-actuating surfaces 21, 22 on the throttle members 11, 12. Inside the through flow chambers 31, 30, large pressure-exposed surfaces 34, 35 are constructed on the throttle members 11, 12. The through flow connections 9 and 10 represent a resistance to flow and open out into annular spaces 36, 37 on both sides of the separating piston 7. The separating piston 7 is provided with a separating piston gasket 7a which is disposed in the region of a thickened portion 7b of the separating piston and bears on an inner peripheral surface 3c of the cylinder 3.
Adjacent the throttle member accommodating chambers 15, 16 are extension chambers 38, 39 in which thickened portions 40, 41 of the piston rod 4 or of a piston rod extension 25 are housed and fixed. The throttle member accommodating chambers 15, 16 are closed in sealing-tight fashion by flanged-over portions 42, 43 and by the use of sealing elements 17 to 20. The piston rod 4 is guided in sealing-tight manner through one end 44 of the cylinder 3, a gasket 45 being incorporated, while the piston rod extension 25 is guided in sealing tight manner through a floating partition 46, a gasket 26 being employed. The floating partition 46 is restricted in its upwards movement by an indentation 48 in the cylinder 3 and is initially tensioned upwardly by a coil thrust spring 27, this latter being biased through a bracing disc 49 against a further indentation 50 of the cylinder 3. The space below the floating partition 46 is filled for instance with air at atmospheric pressure.
Braced against the end wall 44 is a rubber-elastic end support 52. The attachment point 2 is constituted by two journals 2a and 2b which may for instance be pivotally mounted on the body work of a motor vehicle. The attachment point 1 is constituted by a screw thread on the piston rod 4 which can for instance be supported on the door of a motor vehicle. It is also conceivable to mount the attachment point 2 at the bottom end of the cylinder 3 or at any desired location along the cylinder 3.
Fitted at the top end of the cylinder 3 is a switch 53 which co-operates with a switching element 54. The switching element 54 is fixed on the piston rod 4 and acts on the circuit of the switch 53. The circuit can for instance be the circuit for the interior lighting of a vehicle, so that this interior lighting is switched on when the door of the vehicle is opened and in consequence the piston rod 4 is extended upwardly out of the cylinder 3. When the piston rod is completely extended out of the cylinder 3, the flanged-over part 43 of the separating piston 7 strikes the rubber-elastic abutment 52 and so dampens the movement of the door before this latter has reached its extreme and farthest open position.
It can be seen that the separating piston 7 is formed by a one-piece separating piston member comprising an intermediate wall 7c and two extensions 7e and 7f. The coil thrust springs 13, 14 are accommodated by bores 13a and 14a in the piston rod 4 and piston rod extension 25. The coil thrust springs 13, 14 are, prior to fitment, substantially longer than shown in FIG. 1 and during assembly they are compressed to such an extent that they exert the particular desired pretensioning force on the throttle members 11 and 12.
The cylinder 3 is provided with a by-pass path 3d which is formed outwardly by an elongate bulge on the cylinder 3.
The locking device as it has been described so far works as follows: let it be assumed that the locking device is articulatingly connected to the body work of a motor vehicle at one end and to a door at the other, at locations 2 and 1 respectively. Let it be further assumed that the door is completely closed and that the condition of the locking device shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the door when closed. If, now, the door is opened, then the gasket 7a of the separating piston 7 firstly moves in the region of the bypass 3d so that the two working chambers 5 and 6 are initially still connected to each other and therefore the locking device is ineffective. If, then, during further progress of the movement to open the door the gasket 7a travels beyond the end of the by-pass 3d, then the two working chambers 5 and 6 are isolated from each other hydraulically at first and a hydraulic over-pressure builds up in the liquid enclosed in the working chamber 5. This hydraulic over-pressure in the working chamber 5 is applied to the through flow chamber 31 via the annular gap 36 and the first through flow connection 9. Therefore, it acts on the larger pressure actuated surface area 34 of the throttle member 11 against the action of the pretensioning spring 13. As soon as the over-pressure in the through flow chamber 31 exceeds a predetermined value, the throttle member 11 is, against the action of the pretensioning spring 13, lifted off the second through flow connection 33 which is formed by the connecting passage 8 in the intermediate wall 7c. This means that now the pressure inside the through flow chamber 31 also bears on the smaller working surface 22 of the lower throttle member 12, against the action of the lower pretensioning spring 14. The pressure which was sufficient to lift the upper throttle member 11 by acting on the larger working surface 34 is not sufficient also to lift the lower throttle member 12 off the through flow connection 32 of the associated through flow chamber 30. Instead, by reason of the force acting on the door and thus on the locking device according to FIG. 1, a further increase in pressure in the working chamber 5 is needed so that the throttle member 12 can be lifted off the associated through flow connection 32. The necessary increase in pressure depends thereby upon the size of the small pressure-exposed surface area 22 which is exposed to the pressure in the passage 8. As soon as the pressure in the passage 8 has risen sufficiently that the lower throttle member 12 lifts downwardly off the associated through flow connection 32, fluid is able to flow from the working chamber 5 through the through flow connection 9, the through flow chamber 31, the through flow connection 33, the passage 8, the through flow connection 32, the through flow chamber 30, the through flow connection 10 and the annular gap 37 to the second working chamber 6. When this happens, a drop in pressure occurs in the through flow connection 10. By reason of this pressure drop, an above-atmospheric pressure is obtained in the through flow chamber 30. This over-pressure acts on the larger pressure-exposed surface 35 of the throttle member 12 so that this throttle member is held in the open position in respect of the through flow connection 32, so long as there is a relative movement of the piston rod 4 in relation to the cylinder 3. Due to the action of the pressure on the large pressure-exposed surface 35 of the throttle member 12, a relatively small over-pressure in the through flow chamber 30 is sufficient to maintain the throttle member in the lifted-off position in respect of the through flow connection 32, so maintaining a through flow from the working chamber 6. In short, this has the following significance: once the throttle member 12 has been initially lifted off the through flow connection 32 by force acting on the door at a comparatively marked extent so that the through flow from the working chamber 5 to the working chamber 6 has been initiated, further movement of the door in the direction of the fully open position of the door requires comparatively little effort in order to maintain the throttle member 12 in the open position in comparison with the through flow connection 32, i.e. relatively minimal force is needed in order to move the door farther in the direction of the fully open position so long as the speed of movement is kept sufficiently great that the drop in pressure at the through flow connection 10 and the pressure in the through flow chamber 30 dependant upon this pressure drop is sufficient to maintain the throttle member 12 in the lifted-off position with respect to with the through flow connection 32.
Only if the speed of movement of the door and thus of the piston rod 4 in relation to the cylinder 3 becomes nil or so slow that the pressure in the through flow chamber 30 diminishes considerably does the throttle member 12 return to the position shown in FIG. 1. Then the door is arrested in any desired midway position which means it can only be set in motion again if a considerable pushing force is exerted on the door and thus on the piston rod 4, a pushing force which is great enough that, according to the direction of movement, one or other of the two throttle members 11, 12 is again lifted off the associated through flow connection 33, 32.
The completely symmetrical design of the piston 7 readily shows that the mode of operation described hereinabove to cover the opening of a door is also valid when the door is closed in which case, then, the over-pressure will naturally build up in the working chamber 6 first and initially cause the throttle member 12 to lift off the through flow connection 32 so that then, with a corresponding increase in the pushing force acting on the door, the throttle member 11 lifts off the through flow connection 33 and remains lifted off because once lift-off has occurred, the pressure prevailing in the through flow chamber 31 due to the drop in pressure at the through flow connection 9 acts on the larger pressure-exposed surface 34 of the throttle member 11.
FIG. 1 further shows that when the door again moves towards the closed position, the gasket 7a moves into the region of the by-pass 3d again. Then there is no longer a hydraulic force counteracting the further closing movement of the door. On the rest of the way until it is completely closed, the door can then be accelerated sufficiently by hand that its movement impulse which results is sufficient to cause the door to snap into the door lock against the resilient resistance which the door lock offers to prevent this snapping engagement.
Since the piston rod 4 and the piston rod extension 25 are of the same diameter, the total of the spaces in the two working chambers 5 and 6 does not change when there is a displacement of the piston rod 4 relative to the cylinder 3. Therefore, it is only necessary to take into account those fluctuations in the volumes of liquid contained in the two working chambers 5 and 6 which may arise due to temperature expansion or contraction of the fluid and/or such changes in these volumes of liquid which may occur due to leakage losses through the gaskets 45 and 26. To this end, the movable partition 46 is initially tensioned by a spring 27 in the direction of the indentation 48.
A strong coil thrust spring 27 is adjusted to such a spring force that under normal working conditions this spring is not substantially compressed when the piston rod 4 is retracted into the cylinder 3. For this purpose, care must be taken that when retracting the piston rod 4, the pressure in the through flow chamber 31 needed to lift the throttle member 11 off the through flow connection 33, in consequence of a pressure in the working chamber 6, is at a level which is not sufficient to displace the partition 46 against the action of the coil thrust spring 27.
It has been assumed hitherto that the pressure-exposed surfaces 21 and 22 are of the same area and that also the pressure-exposed surfaces 34 and 35 are identical to each other. This means that regardless of the direction of displacement of the piston 4 in relation to the cylinder 3 the pushing force needed to initiate the movement and also the resistance counteracting further movement are in each case the same. It can be readily appreciated that the small pressure-exposed surfaces 21 and 22 may differ from each other and that also the large pressure-actuated surfaces 34 and 35 can be made different from each other. Asymmetrical force relationships then arise and in some cases this may be desired.
The embodiment according to FIG. 2 differs from that shown in FIG. 1 in that the piston rod extension 25 according to FIG. 1 has been replaced by a plug 125 which just like the piston rod extension 25 in FIG. 1 is housed and sealed in the piston body and also accommodates as part of the pretensioning spring 114. As a working medium in the two working chambers 105 and 106 it is again possible to use a liquid. The working chamber 106 is sub-divided by a partition 160. This partition 160 comprises a first group of bores 161 with a closure spring 162. The closure spring 162 is a hard or a hard pretensioned closure spring. Furthermore, the partition 160 comprises a valve bore 163 with a soft or softly pretensioned closure spring 164. If the piston rod 104 is withdrawn from the cylinder 103, possibly as the result of the opening of a door, then the total volume in the working chambers 105 and 106 becomes greater. Under the action of a separating piston 165 and a coil thrust spring 166, fluid then flows out of the partial working chamber 106a into the partial working chamber 106b, only negligible resistance being offered to this secondary flow through the bore 163. The force to initiate movement of the piston rod 104 out of the cylinder 103 is substantially unchanged in relation to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, subject to the valves being the same size. In particular, the force for initiating an outwards movement of the piston rod 104, in other words the force for stabilising the door, remains substantially unchanged.
On the other hand, if the piston rod is exposed to a downwardly directed force, possibly to prepare for closing of a door, then the pressure in the partial working chamber 106b initially rises. This pressure initially produces a lifting of the throttle member 112 off the through flow connection 132. Then, when the pressure in the partial working chamber 106b continues to rise, then also the throttle member 111 is lifted off the through flow connection 133. This lift off takes place before the strong valve spring 162 is lifted off the valve bore 161. This means that the force needed to lift the throttle member 112 off the through flow connection 132 is again the same as with the embodiment in FIG. 1 so that stabilising of the door is unchanged and is equally good in the direction of closure. If, now, the piston rod 104 is retracted into the cylinder 3, then the closing force of the valve spring 162 must be overcome since the piston rod 104 increasingly displaces volume inside the cylinder. Furthermore, the end wall 165 must be displaced downwardly against the action of the coil thrust spring 166. Due to the need to open the valve spring 162 and push the end wall 165 downwardly, there is an additional resistance to the piston rod 104 being pushed in. However, since this piston rod 104 is now of comparatively small cross-section compared with the total cross-section of the separating piston 107, the volume displacement by the valve 161, 162 per unit of length of displacement of the piston rod 104 is relatively slight and in the same way the displacement path of the end wall 165 per unit of length of the displacement of the piston rod 104 is comparatively slight. The additional resistance to movement can consequently be so reduced by minimal cross-sectional dimensioning of the piston rod 104 that it produces only an inconsiderable change in the mode of action of the locking device according to FIG. 2 in comparison with that according to FIG. 1.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from that in FIG. 2 only in that the coil thrust spring 166 has been replaced by a pressurised gas volume 266. The advantage of this embodiment resides in the fact that the spring force of the pressurised gas volume can easily be changed by appropriate filling.
FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment, parts which are identical being provided with the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 but increased by 300 and 200 or 100 respectively.
Inserted into the cylinder 303 from the top end, through the end wall 333 and the gasket 345 is a slideable piston rod 304 which carries at its top end a hinge lug 301. Constructed inside the cylinder 303 are the two working chambers 305 and 306 which together form a cylindrically tubular cavity 305, 306. The lower working chamber 306 is divided by the partition 460 into two partial working chambers 306a and 306b. The working chamber 305 is separated from the upper partial working chamber 306b by the separating piston unit 307. The separating piston unit 307 is constructed in the same way as the bottom half of the separating piston unit 7 in FIG. 1. The working chamber 305, the two partial working chambers 306b and 306a are filled with liquid. The floating partition 365 separates the lower partial working chamber 306a from a space 366 filled with pressurised gas.
Accommodated in the separating piston unit 307 is a sealing piston 312 which corresponds to the throttle member 12 in FIG. 1. This sealing piston 312 is sealed in respect of the inner peripheral surface of a space 316 by a gasket 319. Defined above the sealing piston 312 is a through flow chamber 330. This through flow chamber 330 comprises a first connection 332 corresponding to the through flow connection 32 in FIG. 1. Via an axial bore 308 ,and a radial bore 308a, this first connection 332 is substantially adjacent the upper working chamber 305 with no throttle in between. A second connection 310 corresponds to the through flow connection 10 in FIG. 1 and connects the through flow chamber 330 to the partial working chamber 306b. It must be ensured that in any position of the sealing piston 312, the second connection 310 is disposed inside the space 316 above the gasket 319 so that the through flow chamber 330 is constantly in communication with the partial working chamber 306b, the cross-section of the second connection 310 being narrow and forming a throttle point the significance of which will be dealt with later.
In the position shown in FIG. 4, the sealing piston 312 is applied by the coil thrust spring 314 against the first connection 332 in a sealing-tight manner so that the through flow chamber 330 is separated from the upper working chamber 305. Furthermore, it is important to ensure that in the situation shown in FIG. 4 the fluid filling of the upper working chamber 305 bears via the bores 308 and 308a on a small fluid-exposed cross-section 322 of the sealing piston 312 and that a larger fluid-exposed cross-section 335 is exposed to the pressure inside the through flow chamber 330. The partition 460 in its basic effect corresponds to the partition 160 in FIG. 2 but, in contrast to the embodiment of partition 160 in FIG. 2, it is constructed in a manner similar to that of the separating piston unit 307. The partition 460 is axially fixed in the cylinder by deformation of the cylinder 303 in respect of which it is sealed.
Identical parts of the partition 460 are identified by the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts of the separating piston unit 307 but furthermore raised by 100.
Furthermore, a non-return valve which opens from the partial working chamber 306a into the partial working chamber 306b is constructed on the partition 460. Forming part of this non-return valve are bores 463. These bores are masked by a valve plate 464 which is in turn overlaid by a plate spring 464a so that the valve plate 464 is maintained in the closed position with a small amount of pretension.
The mode of operation then is as follows: in FIG. 4, the piston rod 304 is locked in respect of the cylinder 303. If the total length of the cylinder piston unit 303, 304 is to be extended, then a traction force must be applied to the hinge lug 301 and the hinge lug 302b. Then the pressure in the upper working chamber 305 increases. This increased pressure is now applied to the small fluid-exposed cross-section 322 via the bores 308 and 308a. By virtue of the small size of the fluid-exposed cross-section 322, a relatively considerable increase in pressure in the working chamber 305, i.e. a relatively great tractive force on the hinge lug 301, is required in order to cause the sealing piston 312 to be lifted off the first connection 332. The design and pretension of the coil thrust spring 314 determines the pressure which has to be built up in the working chamber 305 by traction exerted on the hinge lug 301 in order to cause the sealing piston 312 to be lifted off the first connection 332. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a relatively considerable "break-free force" to the hinge lug 301 in order to initiate an extraction movement of the paston rod 304. Once the sealing piston 312 has lifted off the first connection 332, then there is a flow of fluid from the working chamber 305 through the bores 308a and 308, the first connection 332, the through flow chamber 330, the second connection 310 and the annular channel 337 in the direction of the upper partial working chamber 306b.
Attention has already been drawn to the fact that the bore constituting the second connection 310 is constructed as a throttle. If, now, fluid flows from the upper working chamber 305 to the upper partial working chamber 306b, then there is a pressure drop at the throttling bore 310. Then, an intermediate pressure is established in the through flow chamber 330 which is indeed less than the pressure built up in the upper working chamber 305 by the tractive effect, but it is still considerably greater than the pressure in the partial working chamber 306b and great enough to overcome the force of the spring 314 and any pressure in the chamber 316. This intermediate pressure in the through flow chamber 330 now acts on the large fluid-exposed cross-section 335 of the sealing piston 312. Therefore, all in all there is now increased pressure on the entire upper surface of the sealing piston 312 constituted by the sum of the small fluid-exposed cross-section 322 and the large fluid-exposed cross-section 335. Thus, the sealing piston 312 is now maintained in a position in which it is lifted off the first connection 332, even if the fluid pressure in the upper working chamber 305 should fall again. This means that--once the first connection 332 has been opened once--a relatively minimal pull on the hinge lug 301 is sufficient to withdraw the piston rod 304 and so further increase the total length L. Applied to the case of a motor vehicle door, once again this means that after a pushing force which is sufficient to lift the sealing piston 312 off the first connection 332, a relatively small amount of effort is needed in order to open the door farther (subject to an opening of the door corresponding to an increasing of the length L while closing the door corresponds to a shortening of the length L). Therefore, after briefly exerting an opening pushing force on the motor vehicle door, this can be opened farther with minimum effort.
When one is approaching a desired new open position of the door, the opening movement of the door which is performed manually can be slowed down to zero speed. Accordingly, the rate of liquid flow out of the working chamber 305 into the partial working chamber 306b diminishes. Then also the pressure drop in the second connection 3110 abates and the pressure in the through flow chamber 330 approximates more and more the pressure in the partial working chamber 306b. In the case of an intermediate pressure determined by construction and pretension of the coil thrust spring 314 and by the dimensioning of the small fluid-exposed cross-section 322 and the large fluid-exposed cross-section 335, this intermediate pressure is no longer sufficient to maintain the sealing piston lifted off the first connection 332 which is then closed again. The piston rod 304 is thus arrested again in the direction of being pushed out in respect of the cylinder 303, until once again a pushing force is applied in order to open the door farther if required.
If in the case of the aforedescribed pull-out movement of the piston rod 304 in respect of the cylinder 303 the piston rod length remaining inside the cylinder 303 becomes shorter, then there is an increase in the space composed of the sum of the working chamber 305 and upper partial working chamber 306b. Therefore, in the absence of additional measures in the two chambers 305 and 306b, the liquid contained prior to commencement of the movement of pulling out the piston rod 304 would no longer be sufficient completely to fill the two chambers, working chamber 305 and partial working chamber 306b. Then, the piston rod would have play in its movement. This is prevented by the aforedescribed construction of the partition 460. If, namely, there is an increase in volume in the upper partial working chamber 306b due to extension of the piston rod 304, then also the pressure prevailing in the partial working chamber 306b is reduced. Then the pressure prevailing in the lower partial working chamber 306a can easily open the non-return valve 464 in keeping with its slight pretension and liquid is able to flow from the lower partial working chamber 306a into the upper partial working chamber 306b, the floating wall 365 moving upwardly under the pressure of the gas volume 366.
It has been pointed out hereinabove that the piston rod 304 can be set in motion from being stationary but only with the application of a relatively considerable pushing force. This is desirable because, for instance in the case of a motor vehicle door, this door cannot be regularly opened by wind force or by an unintended push from the driver. It will be demonstrated hereinafter that also an unintentional shortening of the total length L cannot easily be effected by pushing in the piston rod 304. When the piston rod 304 is pushed into the cylinder 303, the non-return valve 464 is acted upon in the direction of closure by the pressure prevailing in the working chamber 306b and it does not allow any fluid to pass from the partial working chamber 306b into the partial working chamber 306a. Pushing in the piston rod 304, then, initially leads to an increase in the pressure in the upper partial working chamber 306b. At the onset of pushing in, the upper partial working chamber 306b is separated from the upper working chamber 305 because, in keeping with its inoperative state, the sealing piston 312 bears in sealing-tight manner on the first connection 332 so that no liquid is able t pass from 306b to 305. Increasing the pressure in the partial working chamber 306b, however, means that the larger fluid-exposed cross-section 335 is acted upon by liquid via the bore 310. Therefore, a relatively minimal pressure is sufficient to open the first connection 332 and initiate a transfer of liquid from the upper partial working chamber 306b into the upper working chamber 305. This means that theoretically only a minimal resistance to push-in counteracts pushing of the piston rod 304 into the cylinder 303. However, pushing the piston rod 304 in entails an increase in the volume displaced by the piston rod 304 inside the cylinder 303. In order to be able to compensate for this reduction in volume in the two working chambers 305 and 306b together, fluid has to be moved from the upper working chamber 306b into the lower partial working chamber 306a. Since the non-return valve 464 is not available for this, all that remains is the way via the first connection 432, the through flow chamber 430, the second connection 410 and the annular passage 437. However, in order to make this way available, it is necessary first to lift the sealing piston 412 off the first connection 432 and for this purpose, on account of the small size of the fluid-exposed cross-section 422 with corresponding design and initial tension of the coil thrust spring 414, a relatively high pressure is required in the upper partial working chamber 306b. Therefore, when pushing in of the piston rod 304 into the partial working chamber 306b starts, a relatively high pressure has to be generated so that the sealing piston 412 lifts off the first connection 432. Once this lifting off process is completed, there is a flow of liquid from the partial working chamber 306b into the partial working chamber 306a corresponding to the increasing immersion of the piston rod 304 into the cylinder 303. Once again, there builds up in the through flow chamber 430 an intermediate pressure which acts to lift the sealing piston 412 off the first connection 432 so that subsequently the sealing piston 412 can also be maintained open with a reduced pressure in the partial working chamber 306b. This means that once the piston rod has been set in motion, it can be pushed farther in with a relatively minimal application of pressure to the hinged lug 301. This pushing in movement counteracts the through flow resistance through the bore 310 and the first connection 332. However, this through flow resistance is relatively minimal because of course the sealing piston 312 is, in this stage of the operations again being acted upon at the large fluid-exposed cross-section 335. Furthermore, the pushing in movement counteracts the through flow resistance from the partial working-chamber 306b to the partial working chamber 306a. But even this through flow resistance can be minimized because once the movement to push in the piston rod 304 has been initiated, the pressure which builds up in the partial working chamber 306b acts on the large fluid-exposed cross-section 445 of the sealing piston 412. Finally, pushing of the piston rod 304 into the cylinder 303 is also counteracted by the gas volume 366 which has to be compressed upon the flow of liquid into the lower working chamber 306a with a downwards movement of the floating partition 365. This compression force is however relatively small and this is a particular advantage of the aforedescribed design: were the partition 460 not present and if it were necessary to build up a high degree of pressure in the upper working chamber 306b in order to open the first connection 432, then it would only be possible to provide an adequate push-in resistance which is necessary for instance to prevent the unintentional closure of a motor vehicle door, by imposing a correspondingly high pressure on the gas volume 366. This high pressure would however mean that when it was intended to close the motor vehicle door over its entire closure path, it would be necessary to apply a considerable force to the door by hand. This is not intended. It is far more the wish of the motor vehicle proprietor to be able easily to move the door, also in the direction of closure, after the brief application of a pushing force and as described hereinabove, this is achieved by the embodiment according to FIG. 4. The low pressure of the gas volume 366 also has the advantage that pushing out the piston rod 304 is not substantially assisted by the piston-cylinder unit. In many cases, particularly in the case of a vertical pivoting axis of a motor vehicle door, such assistance is not desired since it might lead to the door opening rapidly. However, it is not intended either to exclude the possibility of the gas pressure being used to assist door opening, possibly when the pivot axis of the motor vehicle door is in a corresponding inclined attitude and a closing moment is generated in a direction of closure by the actual weight of the door. It is possible to compensate for such a closing moment by appropriate dimensioning of the gas pressure in the gas volume 366.
It must also be pointed out that the gas volume 366 which acts on the floating partition 365 can also be replaced by a coil thrust spring. It must also be pointed out that the compensating volume for the variable displacement volume of the piston rod which is provided at the bottom end of the cylinder 303 by the floating partition 365 in FIG. 4 can also be formed at the upper end of the cylinder 303, possibly in that a volume of gas is incorporated beneath the gasket 345. It must be anticipated that the piston-cylinder unit can also be used horizontally or upside down. Therefore, it is recommended to provide an annular floating partition which then separates the volume of gas at the top end of the cylinder 303 from the liquid in the working chamber 305. In this case, too, the volume of gas could once again be replaced by a coil thrust spring.
FIG. 5 shows a gas spring which substantially corresponds to the principles of design shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. Identical parts are identified by the same reference numerals as in the preceding drawings, but in each case they have an initial digit of 5.
In this embodiment, once again the separating piston unit 507 with a hollow piston member is rigidly mounted on the piston rod 504 and, via the gasket 507a, it separates the two working chambers 505 and 506 from each other. The hollow piston member is designated 507b and is rigidly fixed to the piston rod. Accommodated in displaceable fashion in the hollow piston member 507b is a sleeve member 570 which, in the space 516, accommodates the sealing piston 512 which is constructed in exactly the same way as in the previously described embodiments and it is accordingly designated 512. The sleeve member 570 forms below a gasket 571 an annular gap 579 with the inner peripheral surface of the hollow piston member 507b. The through flow chamber 530 with the first connection 532, the second connection 510, the gasket 519, the large fluid-exposed cross-section 535, the small fluid-exposed cross-section 522 and the bore 508 is constructed in exactly the same way as the corresponding parts in the preceding drawings, which is expressed by conformity of the last two digits in the respective reference numerals. In contrast to the preceding embodiments, the side of the sealing piston 512 which is remote from the first connection 532 is exposed to the pressure in the lower working chamber 506 plus the spring force of the coil thrust spring 514.
The sleeve member 570 on the one hand assumes the function of a fluid guide member and on the other the function of a non-return valve member. It is pretensioned into the position shown in FIG. 5 by a coil thrust spring 572 which maintains the sleeve member 570 bearing against a bracing shoulder 507c, through an annular disc 573 against which the coil thrust spring 514 is biased, said annular disc 573 being possibly fastened to said sleeve member 570. The non-return valve to which the sleeve member 570 belongs is generally designated 574. This non-return valve 574 includes a step 575 on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow piston member 507b and a radial bore 576 which connects a non-return valve chamber 577 to the upper working chamber 505. This embodiment which is shown in FIG. 5 behaves in a very similar manner to the previously described embodiment shown in FIG. 4. When the piston rod 504 is pulled upwardly out of the cylinder 503, an increased pressure builds up in the upper working chamber 505. This increased pressure acts through the bore 576 and the bore 508 on the small fluid-exposed cross-section 522 of the sealing piston 512.
Upon commencement of the outwards movement of the piston rod 504, there is once again need for a relatively high pressure in the working chamber 505 and thus in the bore 508 so that despite the small fluid-exposed cross-section 522 the sealing piston 512 lifts off the first connection 532 of the through flow chamber 530. Once this lifting off process has taken place, the increased pressure inside the upper working chamber 505 which is created by the pull out force applied to the piston rod 504 also acts on the larger fluid-exposed cross-section 535 of the sealing piston 512 as a result of the pressure drop in the second connection 510, so that upon continued outwards movement of the piston rod 504, the sealing piston 512 also remains lifted off the first connection 532 if the pressure in the upper working chamber 505 becomes reduced again. Therefore, as with all the preceding embodiments, there is also here an element in which, in order to initiate a movement of the piston rod, a relatively considerable pushing force is needed and afterwards the pull out movement can be continued with just a minimal pull out force. When the speed at which the piston rod 504 is being pulled out in relation to the cylinder 503 comes close to ZERO, then the pressure on the larger fluid-operated cross-section 535 becomes so small that it can no longer maintain balance between the pressure of the coil thrust spring 514 and the pressure of the gas volume in the lower working chamber 506. Consequently, the first connection 532 closes again and movement of the piston rod 504 comes to a standstill.
Upon an inwards displacement of the piston rod 504 in respect of the cylinder 503, the non-return valve 574 opens. A relatively minor increase in pressure in the lower working chamber 506 is sufficient to move the sleeve member 570 upwardly. The increased pressure in the working chamber 506 namely acts on the back of the sealing piston 512; this is moved upwardly with respect to the separating piston unit 507 and, with continued closure of the first connection 532, entrains the sleeve member 570 upwardly until such time as the gasket 571 has slipped over the step 575. Then gas is able to flow out of the lower working chamber 506 through a notch 578, the annular space 579, the chamber 577 and the bore 576 and into the upper working chamber 505.
The particular feature arising from the gas filling and a push out force exerted on the piston rod 504 by this gas filling can be most easily explained with regard to an arrangement such as is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. These drawings show a motor vehicle body 580 and a tailgate 581 is articulated on the body 580 at 582. FIG. 6 shows the closed position of the tailgate 581 in solid lines while the broken lines indicate the fully opened position. FIG. 7 shows the tailgate in an intermediate position. A cylinder-piston unit 503, 504 of the type shown in FIG. 5 is articulated on the tailgate 581 at 585 and on the body work 580 at 586. Two such piston-cylinder units may be disposed parallel, for instance one on each of the two longitudinal boundary walls of the body work. For purposes of the ensuing description of operation, it is assumed that a single piston-cylinder unit is provided. If there are two such piston-cylinder units, the situation changes only in that in such a case each of these piston-cylinder units only has to apply half the lift assistance and arresting forces.
Firstly, FIG. 7 will be examined in conjunction with FIG. 5 and initially it is sufficient to establish that the push out force exerted on the piston rod 504 by the pressure of gas inside the cylinder 503 is basically capable of further raising the tailgate 581 from the position shown in FIG. 7 without any manual aid. When examining FIG. 5, it is further assumed that the piston rod 504 is stationary. The first connection 532 is closed, the non-return valve 574 is likewise closed. There is no connection between the two volumes of gas in the working chambers 505 and 506. The tailgate 581 which is adapted to pivot about the hinge axis 582 suffers, by reason of its own weight, a turning moment about the hinge axis 582 and this seeks to close the tailgate 581 and exerts on the piston-cylinder unit 503, 504 a force which seeks to push the piston rod 504 into the cylinder 503.
According to FIG. 5, in a position corresponding to FIG. 7, there is in the lower working chamber, also referred to as the end chamber, a pressure P1 while there is a pressure P2 in the upper working chamber 505, also referred to as the rod chamber. The pressure P1 acts on the full cross-section of the separating piston unit 507 which is designated Q1. The pressure P2 acts on an annular cross-section Q2 which constitutes the difference between the cross-section Q1 and the cross-section Q3 of the piston rod 504. Furthermore, there acts on the piston rod 504 a weight force FG determined by the weight of the tailgate 581 and the position of the articulation points 582, 585 and 586. In the state of equilibrium, the following equation is virtually applicable: P1×Q1=P2×Q2+FG. In this case, in the state of equilibrium, the pressure P2 is greater than the pressure P1. The pressures P2 and P1 both of which engage the sealing piston 512 are thereby, also taking into account the coil thrust spring 514, so adjusted that the sealing piston 512 does not lift off the first connection 532. For the rest, the pressures P1, P2 are so adjusted that, taking into account the springs 514 and 572, the sleeve member 570 retains its position assumed in FIG. 5 and the non-return valve 574 is therefore closed.
Let it further be assumed that the user of the motor vehicle wishes further to open the tailgate 581 in relation to the position shown in FIG. 7, in the direction of complete opening as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 6. To do this, the user applies a lifting force FH by hand to the tailgate 581. This lifting force produces a force which seeks to pull out the piston rod 504. This pull-out force alters the equilibrium so that the pressure P2 in the working chamber 505 increases. This increase in pressure in the upper working chamber 505 means that there is also a rise in pressure on the small fluid-exposed cross-section 522. As a result of this rise in pressure, the sealing piston 512 is lifted off the first connection 532. In order to make it possible also for weak users of the vehicle to lift the sealing piston 512 off the first connection 532, a corresponding disposition and design of the piston-cylinder unit which is constructed as a gas spring ensure that even at a lifting force FH of less than 100N and preferably at a lifting force FH of less than 50N, the increase in gas pressure P2 in the upper working chamber 505 is sufficient to cause the sealing piston 512 to be lifted off the first connection 532. If, now, the sealing piston 512 is lifted off the first connection 532, then there is a flow of gas from the upper working chamber 505 to the lower working chamber 506 following the route 576, 577, 508, 530, 510, 579, 578. The direction of flow, as already mentioned above, arises from the fact that the pressure P2 in a state of equilibrium is greater than the pressure P1. In the case of this flow from the working chamber 505 to the working chamber 506, as already explained in detail in the aforedescribed embodiments, there is a pressure drop at the second connection 510. The effect of this pressure drop is that an intermediate pressure PZ is established in the through flow chamber and is greater than the pressure P1. This intermediate pressure PZ acts then on the larger fluid-exposed cross-section 535 and ensures that the sealing piston 512 remains lifted off the first connection 532 even if the increase in pressure P2 in the upper working chamber 505 brought about temporarily by the application of the lifting force FH is cancelled again.
Once the sealing piston has been lifted off the first connection 532 and is maintained open by virtue of the action of the intermediate pressure PZ, then the piston rod 504 can be pushed automatically out of the cylinder 503, lifting the tailgate 581. It is only necessary to ensure that the push-out force exerted on the cross-section Q1 by the pressure P1 is greater than the sum of the force exerted by the pressure P2 on the cross-section Q2, the weight force FG and the resulting resistance to through flow from the working chamber 505 to the working chamber 506. Certainly, it is important to remember that the push-out movement of the piston rod 504 occurs at the speed which is sufficient to maintain the intermediate pressure PZ at the larger fluid-operated cross-section 535 above the level needed to maintain the sealing piston 512 lifted off the first connection 532. The dimensions in the gas spring 504, 503 needed to satisfy these conditions can easily be arithmetically and/or experimentally ascertained by a man skilled in the art, in the light of the tailgate weight and the articulation points 582, 585, 586. Once these conditions have been satisfied, therefore, when one wishes to raise the tailgate 581 in relation to the inoperative position shown in FIG. 7, it is necessary only to exert a brief and relatively minor lifting force FH on the tailgate and then the tailgate will rise by itself until it is again arrested or until the tailgate 581 has reached the position of maximum opening shown in FIG. 6, which is determined by abutments between body work and tailgate or by an abutment of the separating piston unit 597 against the abutment ring 590. If it is desired to arrest the upwards movement of the tailgate 581 before it has reached the highest position shown in FIG. 6, this can be achieved by briefly and manually applying a depressing force to the tailgate as shown in FIG. 7. The following then happens: the speed of extension of the piston rod 504 is reduced and consequently the intermediate pressure PZ in the through flow chamber 530 drops and is no longer sufficient to keep the sealing piston 512 lifted off the first connection 532. In this way, the sealing piston 512 occludes the first connection 532; the working chambers 505, 506 are again isolated from each other; the piston rod 504 remains stationary in relation to the cylinder 503; the tailgate 581 has reached a fresh midway position. This new intermediate position is subject to the same considerations raised hereinabove for the intermediate position shown in FIG. 7.
At this point, it should be noted that by corresponding calculation or experimentation, it is again possible to choose such a dimensioning of the piston-cylinder unit and of its installation conditions that only a relatively minor depressing force FN is needed to arrest the upwards movement of the tailgate.
Preferably, care will be taken to ensure that this depressing force FN is less than 100N and preferably less than 50N. Once this depressing force FN has been briefly applied, the tailgate remains in the position reached and is at rest, as shown in FIG. 7, even when the depressing force FN is removed from the tailgate 581. With regard to the magnitude of the raising force FH and the depressing force FN, only the upper limit values have been indicated hereinabove, in consideration of the fact that also a weak person is able to apply these forces. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that these forces FN and FH ought not to be reduced willy nilly. They ought to be sufficiently great that accidental pushing of the tailgate or wind forces cannot give rise to unintended movements.
On a basis of the situation shown in FIG. 7, if it is desired to lower the tailgate in the direction of closure, as indicated by solid lines in FIG. 6, then it is necessary to apply a lowering force FS to the tailgate as shown in FIG. 7. Then the pressure P1 in the working chamber 506 increases and this increased pressure acts on the sealing piston 512 and the sleeve member 570. As a result of this increased pressure, the sleeve member 570 together with the sealing piston 512 is displaced upwardly in FIG. 5 until the sealing ring 571 has passed beyond the stop 575 on the inside face of the space 577. A through flow facility from the working chamber 505 is then opened up via 578, 579, 577,576 toward the working chamber 505. In this situation the lowering force FS must be continued over the entire intended lower path.
However, it is also possible arithmetically or experimentally to achieve such a dimensioning of the gas spring the light of the tailgate weight and the disposition of the articulation points 582, 585, 586 that also the lowering force FS needed to lower the tailgate takes into account the needs of a weak person and is in particular no greater than 100N and preferably no greater than 50N.
It can readily be seen from FIG. 7 that during the course of a movement which pivots the tailgate 581, the situation is constantly changing. These changes must naturally be taken into account also when dimensioning the gas spring so that the aforedescribed conditions and processes are virtually applicable at all points along the pivoting path. When the tailgate comes close to the closed position shown in solid lines in FIG. 6, it is often not required that the tailgate should then be maintained in a midway position by the gas spring nor is it then any longer necessary for raising of the tailgate to be assisted by the gas spring. In a short portion of the pivoting range prior to the closure position, midway positions are in fact unnecessary because in practice such intermediate positions are hardly ever needed. In this borderline area adjacent the closed position, assistance of tailgate raising is not even desirable because having regard to the conventional lock structures it is necessary when approaching the position of closure to accelerate the tailgate movement in order to ensure that the lock engages with a snap action. The aforedescribed effect of automatic closure can be limited to a range of movement which in FIG. 7 extends substantially from point I to point II, according to the position of closure. Within this range of movement I, II, then, one then has to apply a force to open the tailgate and no intermediate positions can be established. Thus, on the one hand, consideration is given to the individual needs of persons of small stature and on the other hand, the tailgate 581 can, in the range of movement from II to III, be adjusted to whatever angle of opening happens to be needed for loading or unloading relatively small or large objects. Furthermore, the tailgate can be arrested in whatever position is still acceptable for movement under obstacles, e.g. when driving through garage doors.
At this point, it should also be noted that in some cases it is possible to dispense with the non-return valve 574 shown in FIG. 5 because basically the sealing piston 512 itself can serve as a non-return valve. It should be recalled that the pressure P1 in the working chamber 506 acts on the larger fluid- exposed cross-section 535 so that when the piston rod 504 is pushed in by a lowering force FS, the opening from the working chamber 506 to the working chamber 505 can also be brought about in that the sealing piston 512, as a result of the pressure P1 acting on the large fluid-exposed cross-section 535, is lifted off the first connection 532 so that there is a through flow path 578m 579, 510, 530, 508, 576. However, where calculation and design are concerned, the development shown in FIG. 5 affords a wider range of freedom which can be utilised to achieve optimum convenience for the operator.
In conclusion, it should be mentioned that the separating piston unit 507 can in principle also be used in a positioning device, possibly according to FIG. 4, in place of the separating piston unit 307 which is shown therein and that also, conversely, the separating piston unit 307 shown in FIG. 4 can be used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 in place of the separating piston unit 507. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the embodiment according to FIG. 5 is not necessarily tied to having only pressurised gas in the two working chambers 505 and 506. Instead, the embodiment according to FIG. 5 could also be modified to have the upper working chamber 505 filled with liquid and the lower working chamber 506 divided into a liquidfilled and a gas-filled space as shown in FIG. 4.
With regard to FIG. 5, it should be added that with a corresponding dimensioning of the springs 514 and 572, the bracing disc 573 can also be axially immovably fixed on the sleeve member 570.
With reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, an embodiment has been explained in which the tailgate is raised automatically by the cylinder-piston unit or units as soon as a lifting force FH has been briefly applied.
Basically, it is also conceivable for a cylinder-piston unit 503, 504 to be used in order to facilitate raising of the tailgate but so to dimension the gas pressure in the cylinder-piston unit 503, 504 that the cylinder-piston unit or units only provide assistance during lifting. Nevertheless, it is possible in such a case to have an arresting facility. In this instance, the directions of through flow of the non-return valve 574 on the one hand and the through flow direction through the first connection 532 on the other can be interchanged while retaining the relationship between cylindrical tube 503 and piston rod 504 as shown in FIG. 5 in that the entire separating piston unit 507 in FIG. 5 is turned upside down so that its end which is at the bottom in FIG. 5 is applied against the piston rod 504. Then, too, a state of equilibrium is assumed when the tailgate occupies the position shown in FIG. 7. If, then, it is desired to move from the position according to FIG. 7 into a further raised position of the tailgate, then it is necessary to apply a lifting force FH over the entire lifting path, whereby the pressure relief valve 574 opens. On the other hand, starting from the position shown in FIG. 7, if it is desired to move the tailgate 581 to a lower position, then a lowering force FS must be applied in order firstly to lift the sealing piston 512 off the first connection 532. Once this opening has been achieved, the sealing piston 512 remains lifted off the first connection 532 and the tailgate will automatically lower.
Even with such a solution, the forces to be applied by hand can be so dimensioned that they are within the capacity of a small person.
It is further to be noted that the device as shown in FIG. 5 can also be used in a construction as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the gas filling of the cylinder 503 is not sufficient to overcome the gravity of the tailgate 581 even after the sealing piston 512 has been lifted from the first connection 532. In this case, a lifting force by hand must be maintained during the total desired lifting operation of the tailgate 581. The lifting force is, however, reduced again after the sealing piston 512 has once been lifted from the first connection 532. This solution would therefore offer the advantage that when starting an upward movement of the tailgate 581, a momentarily increased lifting force is to be applied. Thus, an unintentional upward movement of the tailgate 581, e.g. by wind blow, can be avoided and, nevertheless, the upward movement of the tailgate 581 is facilitated. For downward movement it is necessary again to open the non-return valve 574 by applying a downward directed lowering force FN to the tailgate.
It is further to be noted that the locking devices of FIGS. 1 to 4 can also be used in constructions of the type of FIGS. 6 and 7 for facilitating the handling of a tailgate or a trunk lid, or an engine bonnet.
In case of using the device of FIG. 1 for a construction as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the piston rod extension 25 may be avoided and the working chambers 5 and 6 may be filled with pressurized gas. In case of FIG. 2, the partitions 160 and 165 may be avoided and the working chambers 105 and 106 may be filled with pressurized gas.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
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A locking device for selectively securing two movable objects in desired positions relative to each other includes a cylinder and a piston movable within the cylinder and defining first and second working chambers of variable volumes. A fluid exchange connection provided on the piston includes a flow chamber having openings that communicate with the working chambers. A valve body slidably received on the piston in sealed relation is biased by a spring into a position closing the opening from the flow chamber to first working chamber. When the fluid pressure in the second working chamber exceeds a predetermined amount and acts on the valve body, the valve body is moved against the spring bias and opens to allow fluid to flow through the fluid exchange connection. In the open position, a larger area of the valve body is exposed to the pressure in the second chamber. A restriction in the flow path between the flow chamber and the first chamber produces a pressure drop between the flow chamber and the first chamber and allows the fluid exchange connection to remain open with a reduced pressure in the second chamber. The device thus provides for a large holding force when the valve body closes the opening and a small resistance to movement after the valve body is moved from closed. By providing two spring-biassed valve bodies acting in opposed directions, control of movements of objects in opposite directions is obtained.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/266,632 filed on Nov. 7, 2008, now U.S Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0116443 entitled “TROUGH SHADE SYSTEM AND METHOD”. The entire contents of the foregoing application are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention generally relates to shade systems, and more specifically, to trough-style supports in conjunction with shade systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A variety of shade systems currently exist to deploy and retrieve a shade fabric over an area where shading is desired. Such systems often comprise a shade fabric wrapped around a roller tube, with supports located at the ends of the roller tube. However, the weight of the wound-up shade fabric may cause the support tube to bow, particularly in the middle of the tube. To avoid this undesirable condition, larger diameter, thicker, and/or stronger support tubes may be provided, or the amount of shade fabric may be reduced. These solutions restrict the amount of area that may be shaded, add further costs and increase the weight of the shading system. Therefore, a strong need exists for a shade system capable of deploying a larger area of shade fabric, wide, high, and monumental shades, while minimizing deflection of the shade tube and corresponding wrinkling of the shade fabric.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A trough shade system and method of use is disclosed. In one embodiment, a shade system comprises a support cradle configured to support a roller tube having a roller axis, and a floating plate configured with: a first channel configured to allow the roller axis of the roller tube to move a limited range along only a first axis of movement with respect to the support cradle, and a second channel configured to allow the roller axis of the roller tube to move a limited range along only a second axis of movement with respect to the support cradle.
[0005] In another embodiment, a shade system comprises a roller tube having a roller axis, a support cradle configured to support the roller tube, and a floating plate configured to allow the roller tube to move along a first axis of movement and along a second axis of movement. Movement of the roller axis of the roller tube along the first axis of movement is independent of movement of the roller axis of the roller tube along the second axis of movement.
[0006] In another embodiment, a method comprises moving, with respect to a support cradle in a shade system, the roller axis of a roller tube. The moving is guided by a floating plate configured with: a first channel configured to allow the roller axis of the roller tube to move a limited range along only a first axis of movement with respect to the support cradle, and a second channel configured to allow the roller axis of the roller tube to move a limited range along only a second axis of movement with respect to the support cradle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals depict like elements, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a trough shade system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-away view of a trough shade system showing the roller tube having various portions of the shade material wound around the roller tube and the roller tube resting within the support cradle, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 3A illustrates a cut-away view of a trough shade system comprising various control linkages and support plates, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
[0011] FIG. 3B illustrates an isometric view of a trough shade system comprising various control linkages and support plates, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention herein shows the exemplary embodiment by way of illustration, diagrams, charts and various processing steps including the best mode. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented.
[0013] Moreover, for the sake of brevity, certain sub-components of individual components and other aspects of the system may not be described in detail herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, wireless connections or physical couplings may be present in a practical system. Such functional blocks may be realized by any number of components configured to perform specified functions.
[0014] Trough shade system 100 is configured to deploy and retrieve a shade fabric wrapped around roller tube 102 , while enabling movement of the roller tube 102 within a support cradle 108 such that the shade fabric is deployed and retrieved in a sufficiently constant plane. With reference to FIG. 1 , and in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, trough shade system 100 comprises a roller tube 102 , housing 104 , support cradle 108 , end cap 110 , floating plate 112 , motor plate 116 , rollers 114 and 118 , and motor 130 (not shown).
[0015] Continuing with reference to FIG. 1 , and in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, roller tube 102 comprises a structure configured to receive and support shade material in a winding manner. In one embodiment, roller tube 102 comprises a metal alloy, a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material configured to receive and support shade material in a winding manner. Roller tube 102 may include grooves, flanges, trenches, or other portions configured to facilitate attachment of shade material to roller tube 102 . Moreover, roller tube 102 may be configured in any suitable manner for receiving and supporting shade material.
[0016] In one embodiment, roller tube 102 is coupled to motor 130 . Through operation of motor 130 , a portion of shade material is unrolled from roller tube 102 and/or rolled around roller tube 102 . In other exemplary embodiments, roller tube 102 may be rolled using manual force via, for example, a chain. Roller tube 102 may be operated in any appropriate manner and via any appropriate mechanism to cause shade material to unroll from and/or roll onto roller tube 102 .
[0017] Any appropriate shade material, such as fabrics comprising polyester, cotton, nylon, Teflon, high density polyethelyene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic olefin (TPO), fiberglass, room darkening and/or blackout fabrics with a laminated or black-out coating, and the like, and/or any combination of the above, may be used with roller tube 102 . Further, shade material may be any type of material used for facilitating control of solar glare, daylighting, brightness, contrasting brightness, luminance ratios, room darkening, blackout, solar heat gain or loss, UV exposure, uniformity of design and/or for providing a better interior environment for the occupants of a structure supporting increased productivity, and the like.
[0018] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, housing 104 comprises a structure configured to partially or fully encase roller tube 102 and/or other components. Housing 104 may function as the main body of trough shade system 100 . Housing 104 may comprise aluminum, steel, copper, magnesium, titanium, or other suitable durable metal, and/or various alloys of or variations on the same, such as stainless steel, A36 steel, galvanized steel, duralumin, silumin, 6061 aluminum, and the like, or any combination thereof. Housing 104 may also comprise a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material. Further, housing 104 is configured for mounting on a building or other surface. Accordingly, housing 104 may be coupled to a building, such as by mounting hardware, e.g., screws and/or other mechanical fasteners. Moreover, housing 104 may be mounted to any appropriate surface via any suitable technique to secure housing 104 in place. Housing 104 is coupled to end cap 110 and to support cradle 108 . Housing 104 may also be coupled to various other components, including fascia 106 and the like.
[0019] Housing 104 may comprise multiple portions. For example, a first portion of housing 104 may be coupled to a building. A second portion of housing 104 may be coupled to the first portion via one or more support clips 132 . Moreover, portions of housing 104 may be coupled together in any appropriate manner configured to secure the portions of housing 104 in place.
[0020] Fascia 106 (not shown) comprises a structure configured to partially or fully hide a subset or all of the components of system 100 . In one embodiment, fascia 106 is configured to couple with housing 104 . Fascia 106 may partially or fully comprise aluminum, steel, copper, magnesium, titanium, or other suitable durable metal, and/or various alloys of or variations on the same, such as stainless steel, A36 steel, galvanized steel, duralumin, silumin, 6061 aluminum, and the like, or any combination thereof. Fascia 106 may also comprise a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material. Further, fascia 106 may protect the inner portions of trough shade system 100 from exposure to dirt, debris, and other foreign matter which may impair the operation of trough shade system 100 . Moreover, fascia 106 may comprise a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material. In one embodiment, fascia 106 is coupled to housing 104 via a snap fit. In other embodiments, fascia 106 may be coupled to housing 104 via adhesives, mechanical fasteners, slip fits, and the like.
[0021] Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2 , in one embodiment, support cradle 108 comprises a structure configured to support a roller tube, such as roller tube 102 , having shade material wound thereon. Support cradle 108 may partially or fully comprise aluminum, steel, copper, magnesium, titanium, or other suitable durable metal, and/or various alloys of or variations on the same, such as stainless steel, A36 steel, galvanized steel, duralumin, silumin, 6061 aluminum, and the like, or any combination thereof. Support cradle 108 further comprises a low-friction coating in order to facilitate easier deployment (unrolling) and retrieval (rolling) of shade material from roller tube 102 . In other exemplary embodiments, support cradle 108 partially or fully comprises a low-friction material, such as high-density polyethelyne (HDPE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethelyne (UHMW-PE), polyoxymethelyne (e.g., Delrin®), polytetrafluoroethylene (e.g., Teflon®), polyethylene terephthalate, and the like, or any combination thereof. Further, support cradle 108 may comprise any base material having desirable strength and/or weight characteristics. The base material may then be partially or fully coated with a low-friction material to achieve desired properties for support cradle 108 . Support cradle 108 may be coupled to housing 104 . Moreover, support cradle 108 may be continuously supported by housing 104 . In this manner, shade material wound on a roller tube may be supported across the length of the shade for improved safety.
[0022] In one embodiment, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 , support cradle 108 is configured to partially or fully support shade material wound around roller tube 102 . For example, support cradle 108 may be symmetrical, asymmetrical, curved, arc-shaped, crescent-shaped, parabolic, hyperbolic, and the like. Support cradle 108 may also be comprised of multiple segments, such as segments having a flat face. Individual segments with a flat face of various inclinations may be coupled together to form support cradle 108 . As used herein, the side of support cradle 108 nearer to the area where shade material is deployed from trough shade system 100 is referred to as the “feed side”. The side of support cradle 108 opposite the feed side is referred to as the “rear side”.
[0023] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in various embodiments, support cradle 108 is partially or fully configured with bull nose 134 at the feed side. Bull nose 134 may partially or fully guide shade material during unrolling. Further, bull nose 134 may partially or fully prevent roller tube 102 and wound-up shade fabric from moving out of support cradle 108 during operation of trough shade system 100 , and may assist in keeping roller tube 102 and wound-up shade fabric centered in support cradle 108 . In an exemplary embodiment, bull nose 134 at the feed side of support cradle 108 extends a sufficient distance from the center of shade tube 102 to cause the shade fabric to be deployed and retrieved in a sufficiently constant plane. Moreover, bull nose 134 at the feed side of support cradle 108 may comprise a roller bearing, a solid shape, or any other component or components configured to prevent roller tube 102 and wound-up shade material from rolling out of support cradle 108 and/or allow or the smooth movement of fabric during operation of trough shade system 100 .
[0024] In another exemplary embodiment, support cradle 108 is configured with a stop or tube dam at the feed side. The tube dam may comprise a roller bearing which partially or fully extends the length of support cradle 108 . Alternatively, the feed side tube dam may comprise a solid shape or any other component or components configured to prevent roller tube 102 and wound-up shade material from rolling out of support cradle 108 and/or allow or the smooth movement of fabric during operation of trough shade system 100 . The feed side tube dam may guide shade material during unrolling. Further, the feed side tube dam may partially or fully prevent roller tube 102 and wound-up shade fabric from moving out of support cradle 108 during operation of trough shade system 100 , and may assist in keeping roller tube 102 and wound-up shade fabric centered in support cradle 108 .
[0025] In one embodiment, support cradle 108 is configured with a stop tube dam at the rear side. The rear side tube dam may comprise a roller bearing which partially or fully extends the length of support cradle 108 . In another embodiment, the rear side tube dam may comprise a continuous bearing, a moulded shape, and the like. Further, the rear side tube dam may partially or fully prevent roller tube 102 and wound-up shade fabric from moving out of support cradle 108 during operation of trough shade system 100 , and may assist in partially or fully keeping roller tube 102 and wound-up shade fabric centered in support cradle 108 .
[0026] Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2 and in one embodiment, end cap 110 comprises a structure configured to partially or fully couple with housing 104 . End cap 110 may partially or fully comprise aluminum, steel, copper, magnesium, titanium, or other suitable durable metal, and/or various alloys of or variations on the same, such as stainless steel, A36 steel, galvanized steel, duralumin, silumin, 6061 aluminum, and the like, or any combination thereof. End cap 110 may also partially or fully comprise a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material. In one embodiment, end cap 110 is configured to couple with housing 104 , and with floating plate 112 via roller 114 . Further, fascia 106 may also be coupled to end cap 110 . End cap 110 may be configured for partially or fully mounting to a building or other surface, such as by mounting hardware, e.g., screws and/or other mechanical fasteners. Moreover, end cap 110 may be mounted to any appropriate surface via any suitable technique to secure end cap 110 in place.
[0027] Continuing to reference FIGS. 1 and 2 and in one embodiment, floating plate 112 comprises a structure configured to enable movement of roller tube 102 . Floating plate 112 is configured to partially or fully couple with rollers 114 and 118 . Floating plate 112 may partially or fully comprise aluminum, steel, copper, magnesium, titanium, or other suitable durable metal, and/or various alloys of or variations on the same, such as stainless steel, A36 steel, galvanized steel, duralumin, silumin, 6061 aluminum, and the like, or any combination thereof. Floating plate 112 may also partially or fully comprise a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material. Floating plate 112 is coupled to end cap 110 via roller 114 . Further, floating plate 112 is coupled to motor plate 116 via rollers 118 . Floating plate 112 may also be coupled to motor plate 116 via other low friction assemblies.
[0028] In accordance with one embodiment, floating plate 112 includes one or more channels, grooves, or any other configuration or device which allows roller tube 102 to move. In one embodiment, floating plate 112 includes four channels, including two vertical channels and two horizontal channels all separated by a block. In another embodiment, floating plate 112 includes three channels, including one vertical channel 120 separating two horizontal channels 124 , 126 . Moreover, floating plate 112 may include any suitable number of channels, grooves, or other configurations or devices which allow roller tube 102 to move.
[0029] Floating plate 112 is configured to allow roller tube 102 to move in a vertical direction responsive to guidance from roller 114 . Further, floating plate 112 is configured to allow roller tube 102 to move in a horizontal direction responsive to guidance from rollers 118 . In this manner, the ends of roller tube 102 are confined to a limited range of movement with respect to support cradle 108 . However, roller tube 102 may move within support cradle 108 , such as in response to forces generated during winding or unwinding shade material. The ends of roller tube 102 may move in a vertical and/or horizontal direction, thereby reducing bowing, bending, and other deformation of roller tube 102 .
[0030] In another exemplary embodiment, roller tube 102 may be allowed to move in a horizontal and/or vertical direction with respect to support cradle 108 through use of an inclined guide rail coupled to the ends of roller tube 102 . In one embodiment, roller tube 102 may be allowed to move in a horizontal and/or vertical direction with respect to support cradle 108 through use of a pivoting arm assembly.
[0031] With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and in one embodiment, end cap 110 includes at least one roller 114 which is partially or fully received into floating plate 112 . Roller 114 may comprise bearings, low friction guides, enclosed or encapsulated bearings, and the like. Roller 114 is configured to allow roller tube 102 to have a limited range of vertical movement. Roller 114 is received into vertical channel 120 of floating plate 112 such that roller 114 allows roller tube 102 to translate vertically within a limited range. In one embodiment, the limited range is defined by the length of vertical channel 120 within floating plate 112 . Roller 114 may thus roll within vertical channel 120 , but the vertical motion is stopped when roller 114 hits the top or bottom of vertical channel 120 . The vertical movement of roller tube 102 causes motor plate 116 to impact the top or bottom portion of the horizontal channels within floating plate 112 , thereby causing vertical movement of floating plate 112 around roller 114 .
[0032] In another embodiment, the limited range is defined by the length of two collinear vertical channels within floating plate 112 . The two vertical channels within floating plate 112 are divided by a block such that two vertical channels are formed within floating plate 112 , thereby allowing each roller 114 to roll within a respective channel, but the vertical motion is stopped when a roller 114 hits the block between the vertical channels.
[0033] Continuing with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and in one embodiment, motor plate 116 comprises a structure configured to couple with floating plate 112 via rollers 118 . Motor plate 116 may be configured to couple with motor 130 (not shown). Motor plate 116 may partially or fully comprise aluminum, steel, copper, magnesium, titanium, or other suitable durable metal, and/or various alloys of or variations on the same, such as stainless steel, A36 steel, galvanized steel, duralumin, silumin, 6061 aluminum, and the like, or any combination thereof. Motor plate 116 may also partially or fully comprise a composite structure, a plastic structure, a carbon fiber structure, or other suitable material. Motor plate 116 may be partially or fully received into floating plate 112 via one or more rollers such as rollers 118 .
[0034] Rollers 118 are partially or fully received into the horizontal channels 124 , 126 of floating plate 112 such that rollers 118 enable roller tube 102 to translate horizontally within a limited range. In one embodiment, the limited range is defined by the length of the horizontal channels 124 , 126 within floating plate 112 . In one embodiment, the horizontal channels 124 , 126 within floating plate 112 are divided by a block such that two horizontal channels 124 , 126 are formed within floating plate 112 , thereby allowing each roller 118 to roll within a respective channel, but the horizontal motion is stopped when a roller hits the block between the channels. In another embodiment, the horizontal channels 124 , 126 within floating plate 112 are divided by vertical channel 120 such that two horizontal channels 124 , 126 are formed within floating plate 112 , thereby allowing each roller 118 to roll within a respective channel, but the horizontal motion is stopped when a roller 188 reaches the end of a respective channel. Rollers 118 may comprise bearings, low friction guides, enclosed or encapsulated bearings, and the like. Rollers 118 are configured to allow roller tube 102 to have a limited range of horizontal movement. Further, motor plate 116 is configured to allow roller tube 102 to move in a horizontal direction responsive to guidance from rollers 118 . In this manner, the ends of roller tube 102 are confined to a limited range of horizontal movement with respect to support cradle 108 . However, roller tube 102 may move within support cradle 108 , such as in response to forces generated during winding or unwinding of the shade material.
[0035] Motor 130 (not shown) may be coupled to motor plate 116 and to roller tube 102 . Motor 130 may comprise any suitable device configured to provide rotational force to roller tube 102 , such as, for example, a brushless direct current (DC) motor, a brushed DC motor, a coreless DC motor, a linear DC motor, and the like. Motor 130 may also comprise an alternating current (AC) motor, an induction motor, a cage rotor motor, a slip ring motor, a stepper motor, and the like. Moreover, any motor or similar device presently known or adopted in the future to drive shade tube 102 within trough shade system 100 falls within the scope of the present invention. In other exemplary embodiments, motor 130 may be replaced with another suitable power generation mechanism capable of moving roller tube 102 . In various exemplary embodiments, motor 130 comprises a tubular motor inserted into roller tube 102 and coupled to motor plate 116 .
[0036] In one exemplary embodiment, motor 130 may be configured as any type of stepping motor capable of moving roller tube 102 at select, random, predetermined, increasing, decreasing, algorithmic or any other increments. For example, motor 130 may be configured to move roller tube 102 in 1/16-inch or ⅛-inch increments. Further, motor 130 may also be configured to have each step and/or increment last a certain amount of time. The time of the increments may be any range of time, for example, less than one second, one or more seconds, and/or multiple minutes. In one embodiment, each ⅛-inch increment of motor 130 may last five seconds. Motor 130 may be configured to move roller tube 102 at a rate which results in virtually imperceptible movement of the shade fabric. For example, motor 130 may be configured to continually iterate finite increments, thus establishing thousands of intermediate stopping positions across a shaded area. The increments may be consistent in span and time or may vary in span and/or time across the day and from day to day in order to optimize the comfort requirements of the space and further minimize abrupt window covering positioning transitions, such as those which may draw unnecessary attention from the occupants of a building.
[0037] Motor 130 (not shown) may be activated to cause rotation of roller tube 102 in order to unroll a portion of shade fabric. Shade fabric may be deployed from the feed side of trough shade system 100 . A portion of the shade fabric may move across the feed side edge of support cradle 108 , such as bull nose 134 . In this manner, shade fabric may be guided as it exits the trough shade system 100 . Moreover, shade fabric may be deployed without moving across the feed side edge of support cradle 108 . In various exemplary embodiments, shade fabric is deployed from trough shade system 100 in a sufficiently constant and consistent plane with respect to the shaded surface. Moreover, shade fabric may be deployed from trough shade system 100 in a plane controlled by the location of the bull nose in support cradle 108 .
[0038] In other exemplary embodiments, the distance between the shade fabric and the shaded surface may vary, e.g., as a result of variation in the amount of shade fabric remaining in a wound condition on roller tube 102 , as a result of the location of bull nose 134 , and the like. Friction on the shade fabric may thus be reduced, as the shade fabric may contact bull nose 134 during only a portion of the shade deployment and/or retrieval.
[0039] In an exemplary embodiment, motor 130 may be activated to cause rotation of roller tube 102 in order to roll up a portion of shade fabric. Shade fabric may be retrieved at the feed side of trough shade system 100 . A portion of the shade fabric may move across the feed side edge of support cradle 108 , such as bull nose 134 . In this manner, shade fabric may be guided as it returns into trough shade system 100 and is wound on roller tube 102 . Moreover, shade fabric may be retrieved without moving across the feed side edge of support cradle 108 . In an exemplary embodiment, shade fabric is retrieved into trough shade system 100 in a sufficiently constant plane with respect to a shaded surface. In other exemplary embodiments, the distance between the shade fabric and the shaded surface may vary, e.g., as a result of variation in the amount of shade fabric collected in a wound condition on roller tube 102 .
[0040] In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, trough shade system 100 comprises a double shade. For example, two shades may be provided in a back to back arrangement, an over/under arrangement, and the like. The first shade may be a room darkening/blackout shade. The second shade may be a sunscreen shade. Moreover, the first and second shade may be any appropriate shade material. The shades may be deployed, retrieved, and/or operated individually and/or together.
[0041] A shade may comprise side channels to minimize edge-of-shade light leaks (such as those occurring due to distance between the edge of a fabric shade and the end of support cradle 108 ). Moreover, smooth deployment of a shade fabric without changing the location of the shade fabric in relation to side channels or windows may allow long, high shades to be inserted into side channels. Additionally, use of a floating bearing design may enable reduction of the gap between the end of a shade and the end of a support trough.
[0042] A sunscreen shade may comprise a solar protection shade fabric. The solar protection shade fabric may be installed as a single shade. The solar protection shade fabric may also be installed as a series of individual shades, for example shades adjacent to each other and having a space between shades of between approximately ¼ inch to ¾ inch, or a wider space as appropriate in order to compliment or mimic the module of one or more windows intended to be covered. Individual shades coupled to a single roller tube 102 will operate together as a single unit.
[0043] Trough shade system 100 may also comprise a triple shade, a four-shade system, and the like. Any suitable number of shades may be provided, as desired.
[0044] In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, trough shade system 100 may be provided and installed in at least two portions. For example, a housing/support portion may be installed first. At least one trough portion may then be attached to and supported by the housing/support portion. Internal leveling devices may be provided in order to level and adjust the trough to assist with uniform operation and tracking of the shade bands. Moreover, internal attachments, such as Z-type clips, may facilitate installation and/or removal of one or more trough portions from the support/housing portion.
[0045] With reference now to FIGS. 3A and 3B , and in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, trough shade system 300 comprises mounting clip 302 , housing 306 , support cradle 308 comprising anti-friction coating 309 , roller tube end portion 310 , first mounting plate 312 , horizontal control linkages 314 , bearings 316 , second mounting plate 318 , vertical control linkages 320 , and motor 322 (not shown).
[0046] Mounting clip 302 may be mounted to any appropriate surface. Mounting clip 302 is coupled to housing 306 . Mounting clip 302 may also comprise ceiling tile support hanger 304 .
[0047] Housing 306 is coupled to support cradle 308 . Housing 306 may provide support to support cradle 308 throughout the length of support cradle 308 . Shade fabric wound around a roller tube coupled to roller tube end portion 310 may be supported via support cradle 308 . Support cradle 308 may comprise an anti-friction coating in order to reduce friction between support cradle 308 and shade fabric. Support cradle 308 may further comprise various components on the feed side and/or rear side, such as a bull nose, a roller bearing, a tube dam, and the like.
[0048] Motor 322 (not shown in the figures) is coupled to roller tube end portion 310 . In this manner, force provided by motor 322 may be translated into movement of at least one shade fabric coupled to a roller tube.
[0049] Continuing to reference FIGS. 3A and 3B , roller tube end portion 310 is in turn coupled to a first mounting plate 312 . First mounting plate 312 is coupled to at least two horizontal control linkages 314 via a series of bearings 316 . Horizontal control linkages 314 may be configured to allow a roller tube to move in a substantially horizontal direction.
[0050] Horizontal control linkages 314 are coupled to second mounting plate 318 . Second mounting plate 318 is in turn coupled to housing 306 by way of at least two vertical control linkages 320 . Vertical control linkages 320 may be configured to allow a roller tube to move in a substantially vertical direction. Reactive torque loading from operation of motor 322 may thus be distributed via horizontal control linkages 314 and vertical control linkages 320 .
[0051] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims of the invention. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, indicating exemplary embodiments of the invention, are given for purposes of illustration only and not as limitations. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the instant invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. Corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other claim elements as specifically claimed. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given above. Reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, and C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
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A trough shade system and method of use provide improved support for a roller tube and shade material. The roller tube and wound shade material are located within a support cradle to minimize unwanted deflection by the roller tube and associated wrinkling and deformation of the shade material. Various mechanisms allow the roller tube a limited range of movement within the support cradle. The system is suitable for shading larger areas than other shading systems which rely on roller tubes with fixed supports at the ends.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This continuation application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/089,165, filed Apr. 18, 2011 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/760,728, filed Jun. 8, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,926,571), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/359,059, filed Feb. 22, 2006 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,322), which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/079,950, filed Mar. 15, 2005 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,172), each of which is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a system for fracing producing formations for the production of oil or gas and, more particularly, for fracing in a cemented open hole using sliding valves, which sliding valves may be selectively opened or closed according to the preference of the producer.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Fracing is a method to stimulate a subterranean formation to increase the production of fluids, such as oil or natural gas. In hydraulic fracing, a fracing fluid is injected through a well bore into the formation at a pressure and flow rate at least sufficient to overcome the pressure of the reservoir and extend fractures into the formation. The fracing fluid may be of any of a number of different media, including sand and water, bauxite, foam, liquid CO 2 , nitrogen, etc. The fracing fluid keeps the formation from closing back upon itself when the pressure is released. The objective is for the fracing fluid to provide channels through which the formation fluids, such as oil and gas, can flow into the well bore and be produced.
[0006] One of the prior problems with earlier fracing methods is they require cementing of a casing in place and then perforating the casing at the producing zones. This in turn requires packers between various stages of the producing zone. An example of prior art that shows perforating the casing to gain access to the producing zone is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,727 to Zemlak, assigned to Schlumberger Technology Corporation. The perforating of the casing requires setting off an explosive charge in the producing zone. The explosion used to perforate the casing can many times cause damage to the formation. Plus, once the casing is perforated, then it becomes hard to isolate that particular zone and normally requires the use of packers both above and below the zone.
[0007] Another example of producing in the open hole by perforating the casing is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,888 to Wiemers. One of the problems with Wiemers is the fracing fluid is delivered over the entire production zone and you will not get concentrated pressures in preselected areas of the formation. Once the pipe is perforated, it is very hard to restore and selectively produce certain portions of the zone and not produce other portions of the zone.
[0008] When fracing with sand, sand can accumulate and block flow. United States Published Application 2004/0050551 to Jones shows fracing through perforated casing and the use of shunt tubes to give alternate flow paths. Jones does not provide a method for alternately producing different zones or stages of a formation.
[0009] One of the methods used in producing horizontal formations is to provide casing in the vertical hole almost to the horizontal zone being produced. At the bottom of the casing, either one or multiple holes extend horizontally. Also, at the bottom of the casing, a liner hanger is set with production tubing then extending into the open hole. Packers are placed between each stage of production in the open hole, with sliding valves along the production tubing opening or closing depending upon the stage being produced. An example is shown in U.S. Published Application 2003/0121663 A1 to Weng, wherein packers separate different zones to be produced with nozzles (referred to as “burst disks”) being placed along the production tubing to inject fracing fluid into the formations. However, there are disadvantages to this particular method. The fracing fluid will be delivered the entire length of the production tubing between packers. This means there will not be a concentrated high pressure fluid being delivered to a small area of the formation. Also, the packers are expensive to run and set inside of the open hole in the formation.
[0010] Applicant previously worked for Packers Plus Energy Services, Inc., which had a system similar to that shown in Weng. By visiting the Packers Plus website of www.packersplus.com, more information can be gained about Packers Plus and their products. Examples of the technology used by Packers Plus can be found in United States Published Application Nos. 2004/0129422, 2004/0118564, and 2003/0127227. Each of these published patent applications shows packers being used to separate different producing zones. However, the producing zones may be along long lengths of the production tubing, rather than in a concentrated area.
[0011] The founders of Packers Plus previously worked for Guiberson, which was acquired by Dresser Industries and later by Halliburton. The techniques used by Packers Plus were previously used by Guiberson/Dresser/Halliburton. Some examples of well completion methods by Halliburton can be found on the website of www.halliburton.com, including the various techniques they utilize. Also, the sister companies of Dresser Industries and Guiberson can be visited on the website of www.dresser.com. Examples of the Guiberson retrievable packer systems can be found on the Mesquite Oil Tool Inc. website of www.snydertex.com/mesquite/guiberson/htm.
[0012] None of the prior art known by applicant, including that of his prior employer, utilized cementing production tubing in place in the production zone with sliding valves being selectively located along the production tubing. None of the prior systems show (1) the sliding valve being selectively opened or closed, (2) the cement therearound being removed, and/or (3) selectively fracing with predetermined sliding valves. All of the prior systems known by applicant utilize packers between the various stages to be produced and have fracing fluid injected over a substantial distance of the production tubing in the formation, not at preselected points adjacent the sliding valves.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The invention is a method of producing petroleum from at least one open hole in at least one petroleum production zone of a hydrocarbon well. The method comprising the steps of locating a plurality of sliding valves along at least one production tubing; inserting the plurality of sliding valves and the production tubing into the at least one open hole; cementing the plurality of sliding valves in the at least one open hole; opening at least one of the cemented sliding valves; removing at least some of the cement adjacent the opened sliding valves without using jetting tools or cutting tools to establish at least one communication path between the interior of the production tubing and the at least one petroleum production zone; directing a fracing material radially through the at least one sliding valve radially toward the at least one production zone; producing hydrocarbons from the at least one petroleum production zone through the plurality of the sliding valves the cement adjacent to which has been removed.
[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, an open hole fracing system comprises at least one production tubing inserted into the at least one open hole; a plurality of sliding valves located along the at least one production tubing and in the at least one petroleum production zone, each of the sliding valves having radially-orientated openings therethrough; cement adjacent to the plurality of sliding valves; a fluid flowable radially through the openings of the at least one sliding valve to remove at least some of the adjacent cement without using jetting tools or cutting tools; a fracing material flowable radially through the plurality of sliding valves to cause fracturing of the at least one production zone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a well with a cemented open hole fracing system in a lateral located in a producing zone.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view of a mechanical shifting tool.
[0017] FIG. 3 is an elongated partial sectional view of a sliding valve.
[0018] FIG. 4 is an elongated partial sectional view of a single mechanical shifting tool.
[0019] FIG. 5A is an elongated partial sectional view illustrating a mechanical shifting tool opening the sliding valve.
[0020] FIG. 5B is an elongated partial sectional view illustrating a mechanical shifting tool closing the sliding valve.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a pictorial sectional view of a cemented open hole fracing system having multiple laterals.
[0022] FIG. 7 is an elevated view of a wellhead.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a cemented open hole horizontal fracing system.
[0024] FIG. 9 is a cemented open hole vertical fracing system.
[0025] FIG. 10A is an elongated partial sectional view illustrating a ball-and-seat sliding valve in the “opened” position.
[0026] FIG. 10B is an elongated partial sectional view illustrating a ball-and seat sliding valve in the “closed” position.
[0027] FIGS. 11A-11C are enlarged sectional views of the valves of the cemented open hole vertical fracing system shown in FIG. 9 that disclose in more detail how the ball-and-seat sliding valves are selectively opened and closed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] A preferred embodiment of an open hole fracing system is pictorially illustrated in FIG. 1 . A production well 10 is drilled in the earth 12 to a hydrocarbon production zone 14 . A casing 16 is held in place in the production well 10 by cement 18 . At the lower end 20 of production casing 16 is located liner hanger 22 . Liner hanger 22 may be either hydraulically or mechanically set.
[0029] Below liner hanger 22 extends production tubing 24 . To extend laterally, the production well 10 and production tubing 24 bends around a radius 26 . The radius 26 may vary from well to well and may be as small as thirty feet and as large as four hundred feet. The radius of the bend in production well 10 and production tubing 24 depends upon the formation and equipment used.
[0030] Inside of the hydrocarbon production zone 14 , the production tubing 24 has a series of sliding valves pictorially illustrated as 28 a - 28 h . The distance between the sliding valves 28 a - 28 h may vary according to the preference of the particular operator. A normal distance is the length of a standard production tubing of 30 feet. However, the production tubing segments 30 a - 30 h may vary in length depending upon where the sliding valves 28 should be located in the formation.
[0031] The entire production tubing 24 , sliding valves 28 a - 28 h , and the production tubing segments 30 are all encased in cement 32 . Cement 32 located around production tubing 24 may be different from the cement 18 located around the casing 16 .
[0032] In actual operation, sliding valves 28 a - 28 h may be selectively opened or closed as will be subsequently described. The sliding valves 28 a - 28 h may be opened in any order or sequence.
[0033] For the purpose of illustration, assume the operator of the production well 10 desires to open sliding valve 28 h . A mechanical shifting tool 34 , such as that shown in FIG. 2 , connected on shifting string would be lowered into the production well 10 through casing 16 and production tubing 24 . The shifting tool 34 has two elements 34 a , 34 b that are identical, except they are reversed in direction and connected by a shifting string segment 38 . While the shifting string segment 38 is identical to shifting string 36 , shifting string segment 38 provides the distance that is necessary to separate shifting tools 34 a , 34 b . Typically, the shifting string segment 38 would be about thirty feet in length.
[0034] To understand the operation of shifting tool 34 inside sliding valves 28 a - 28 h , an explanation as to how the shifting tool 34 and sliding valves 28 a - 28 h work internally is necessary. Referring to FIG. 3 , a partial cross-sectional view of the sliding valve 28 is shown. An upper housing sub 40 is connected to a lower housing sub 42 by threaded connections via the nozzle body 44 . A series of nozzles 46 extend through the nozzle body 44 . Inside of the upper housing sub 40 , lower housing sub 42 , and nozzle body 44 is an inner sleeve 48 . Inside of the inner sleeve 48 are slots 50 that allow fluid communication from the inside passage 52 through the slots 50 and nozzles 46 to the outside of the sliding valve 28 . The inner sleeve 48 has an opening shoulder 54 and a closing shoulder 56 located therein.
[0035] When the shifting tool 34 shown in FIG. 4 goes into the sliding valve 28 , shifting tool 34 a performs the closing function and shifting tool 34 b performs the opening function. Shifting tools 34 a and 34 b are identical, except reverse and connected through the shifting string segment 38 .
[0036] Assume the shifting tool 34 is lowered into production well 10 through the casing 16 and into the production tubing 24 . Thereafter, the shifting tool 34 will go around the radius 26 through the shifting valves 28 and production pipe segments 30 . Once the shifting tool 34 b extends beyond the last sliding valve 28 h , the shifting tool 34 b may be pulled back in the opposite direction as illustrated in FIG. 5A to open the sliding valve 28 , as will be explained in more detail subsequently.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 3 , the sliding valve 28 has wiper seals 58 between the inner sleeve 48 and the upper housing sub 42 and the lower housing sub 44 . The wiper seals 58 keep debris from getting back behind the inner sleeve 48 , which could interfere with its operation. This is particularly important when sand is part of the fracing fluid.
[0038] Also located between the inner sleeve 48 and nozzle body 44 is a C-clamp 60 that fits in a notch undercut in the nozzle body 44 and into a C-clamp notch 61 in the outer surface of inner sleeve 48 . The C-clamp puts pressure in the notches and prevents the inner sleeve 48 from being accidentally moved from the opened to closed position or vice versa, as the shifting tool is moving there through.
[0039] Also, seal stacks 62 and 64 are compressed between (1) the upper housing sub 40 and nozzle body 44 and (2) lower housing sub 42 and nozzle body 44 , respectively. The seal stacks 62 , 64 are compressed in place and prevent leakage from the inner passage 52 to the area outside sliding valve 28 when the sliding valve 28 is closed.
[0040] Turning now to the mechanical shifting tool 34 , an enlarged partial cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 4 . Selective keys 66 extend outward from the shifting tool 34 . Typically, a plurality of selective keys 66 , such as four, would be contained in any shifting tool 34 , though the number of selective keys 66 may vary. The selective keys 66 are spring loaded so they normally will extend outward from the shifting tool 34 as is illustrated in FIG. 4 . The selective keys 66 have a beveled slope 68 on one side to push the selective keys 66 in, if moving in a first direction to engage the beveled slope 68 , and a notch 70 to engage any shoulders, if moving in the opposite direction. Also, because the selective keys 66 are moved outward by spring 72 , by applying proper pressure inside passage 74 , the force of spring 72 can be overcome and the selective keys 66 may be retracted by fluid pressure applied from the surface.
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 5A , assume the opening shifting tool 34 b has been lowered through sliding valve 28 and thereafter the direction reversed. Upon reversing the direction of the shifting tool 34 b , the notch 70 in the shifting tool will engage the opening shoulder 54 of the inner sleeve 48 of sliding valve 28 . This will cause the inner sleeve 48 to move from a closed position to an opened position as is illustrated in FIG. 5A . This allows fluid in the inside passage 58 to flow through slots 50 and nozzles 46 into the formation around sliding valve 28 . As the inner sleeve 48 moves into the position as shown in FIG. 5A , C-clamp 60 will hold the inner sleeve 48 in position to prevent accidental shifting by engaging one of two C-clamp notches 61 . Also, as the inner sleeve 48 reaches its open position and C-clamp 60 engages, simultaneously the inner diameter 59 of the upper housing sub 40 presses against the slope 76 of the selective key 66 , thereby causing the selective keys 66 to move inward and notch 70 to disengage from the opening shoulder 54 .
[0042] If it is desired to close a sliding valve 28 , the same type of shifting tool will be used, but in the reverse direction, as illustrated in FIG. 5B . The shifting tool 34 a is arranged in the opposite direction so that now the notch 70 in the selective keys 66 will engage closing shoulder 56 of the inner sleeve 48 . Therefore, as the shifting tool 34 a is lowered through the sliding valve 28 , as shown in FIG. 5B , the inner sleeve 48 is moved to its lowermost position and flow between the slots 50 and nozzles 46 is terminated. The seal stacks 62 and 64 insure there is no leakage. Wiper seals 58 keep the crud from getting behind the inner sleeve 48 .
[0043] Also, as the shifting tool 34 A moves the inner sleeve 48 to its lowermost position, pressure is exerted on the slope 76 by the inner diameter 61 of lower housing sub 42 of the selective keys 66 to disengage the notch 70 from the closing shoulder 56 . Simultaneously, the C-clamp 60 engages in another C-clamp notch 61 in the outer surface of the inner sleeve 48 .
[0044] If the shifting tool 34 , as shown in FIG. 2 , was run into the production well 10 as shown in FIG. 1 , the shifting tool 34 and shifting string 36 would go through the internal diameter of casing 16 , internal opening of hanger liner 22 , through the internal diameter of production tubing 24 , as well as through sliding valves 28 and production pipe segments 30 .
[0045] Pressure could be applied to the internal passage 74 of shifting tool 34 through the shifting string 36 to overcome the pressure of springs 72 and to retract the selective keys 66 as the shifting tool 34 is being inserted. However, on the other hand, even without an internal pressure, the shifting tool 34 b , due to the beveled slope 68 , would not engage any of the sliding valves 28 a - 28 h as it is being inserted. On the other hand, the shifting tool 34 a would engage each of the sliding valves 28 and make sure the inner sleeve 48 is moved to the closed position. After the shifting tool 34 b extends through sliding valve 28 h , shifting tool 34 b can be moved back towards the surface causing the sliding valve 28 h to open. At that time, the operator of the well can send fracing fluid through the annulus between the production tubing 24 and the shifting string 36 . Normally, an acid would be sent down first to dissolve the acid-soluble cement 32 around sliding valve 28 (see FIG. 1 ). After dissolving the cement 32 , the operator has the option to frac around sliding valve 28 h , or the operator may elect to dissolve the cement around other sliding valves 28 a - 28 g . Alternatively, the dissolving of the cement could also occur contemporaneously with the fracing process by using a fracing material having acidic properties.
[0046] Normally, after dissolving the cement 32 around sliding valve 28 h , then shifting tool 34 a would be inserted there through, which closes sliding valve 28 h . At that point, the system would be pressure checked to insure sliding valve 28 h was in fact closed. By maintaining the pressure, the selective keys 66 in the shifting tool 34 will remain retracted and the shifting tool 34 can be moved to shifting valve 28 g . The process is now repeated for shifting valve 28 g , so that shifting tool 34 b will open sliding valve 28 g . Thereafter, the cement 32 is dissolved, sliding valve 28 g closed, and again the system pressure checked to insure valve 28 g is closed. This process is repeated until each of the sliding valves 28 a - 28 h has been opened, the cement dissolved (or otherwise removed), pressure checked after closing, and now the system is ready for fracing.
[0047] By determining the depth from the surface, the operator can tell exactly which sliding valve 28 a - 28 h is being opened. By selecting the combination the operator wants to open, then fracing fluid can be pumped through casing 16 , production tubing 24 , sliding valves 28 , and production tubing segments 30 into the formation.
[0048] By having a very limited area around the sliding valve 28 that is subject to fracing, the operator now gets fracing deeper into the formation with less fracing fluid. The increase in the depth of the fracing results in an increase in production of oil or gas. The cement 32 between the respective sliding valves 28 a - 28 h confines the fracing fluids to the areas immediately adjacent to the sliding valves 28 a - 28 h that are open.
[0049] Any particular combination of the sliding valves 28 a - 28 h can be selected. The operator at the surface can tell when the shifting tool 34 goes through which sliding valves 28 a - 28 h by the depth and increased force as the respective sliding valve is being opened or closed.
[0050] Applicant has just described one way of shifting the sliding sleeves used within the system of the present invention. Other types of shifting devices may be used including electrical, hydraulic, or other mechanical designs. While mechanical shifting using a shifting tool 34 is tried and proven, other designs may be useful depending on how the operator wants to produce the well. For example, the operator may not want to separately dissolve the cement 32 around each sliding valve 28 a - 28 h , and pressure check, prior to fracing. The operator may want to open every third sliding valve 28 , dissolve the cement, then frac. Depending upon the operator preference, some other type shifting device may be easily be used.
[0051] Another aspect of the invention is to prevent debris from getting inside sliding valves 28 when the sliding valves 28 are being cemented into place inside of the open hole. To prevent the debris from flowing inside the sliding valve 28 , a plug 78 is located in nozzle 46 . The plug 78 can be dissolved by the same acid that is used to dissolve the cement 32 . For example, if a hydrochloric acid is used, by having a weep hole 80 through an aluminum plug 78 , the aluminum plug 78 will quickly be eaten up by the hydrochloric acid. However, to prevent wear at the nozzles 46 , the area around the aluminum plus 78 is normally made of titanium. The titanium resists wear from fracing fluids, such as sand.
[0052] While the use of plug 78 has been described, plugs 78 may not be necessary. If the sliding valves 28 are closed and the cement 32 does not stick to the inner sleeve 48 , plugs 78 may be unnecessary. It all depends on whether the cement 32 will stick to the inner sleeve 48 .
[0053] Further, the nozzle 46 may be hardened any of a number of ways instead of making the nozzles 46 out of titanium. The nozzles 46 may be (a) heat treated, (b) frac hardened, (c) made out of tungsten carbide, (d) made out of hardened stainless steel, or (e) made or treated any of a number of different ways to decrease and increase productive life.
[0054] Assume the system as just described is used in a multi-lateral formation as shown in FIG. 6 . Again, the production well 10 is drilled into the earth 12 and into a hydrocarbon production zone 14 , but also into hydrocarbon production zone 82 . Again, a liner hanger 22 holds the production tubing 24 that is bent around a radius 26 and connects to sliding valves 28 a - 28 h , via production pipe segments 30 a - 30 h . The production of zone 14 , as illustrated in FIG. 6 , is the same as the production as illustrated in FIG. 1 . However, a window 84 has now been cut in casing 16 and cement 18 so that a horizontal lateral 86 may be drilled there through into hydrocarbon production zone 82 .
[0055] In the drilling of wells with multiple laterals, or multi-lateral wells, an on/off tool 88 is used to connect to the stinger 90 on the liner hanger 22 or the stinger 92 on packer 94 . Packer 94 can be either a hydraulic set or mechanical set packer to the wall 81 of the horizontal lateral 86 . In determining which lateral 86 , 96 to which the operator is going to connect, a bend 98 in the vertical production tubing 100 helps guide the on/off tool 88 to the proper lateral 86 or 96 . The sliding valves 102 a - 102 g may be identical to the sliding valves 28 a - 28 h . The only difference is sliding valves 102 a - 102 g are located in hydrocarbon production zone 82 , which is drilled through the window 84 of the casing 16 . Sliding valves 102 a - 102 g and production tubing 104 a - 104 g are cemented into place past the packer 94 in the same manner as previously described in conjunction with FIG. 1 . Also, the sliding valves 102 a - 102 g are opened in the same manner as sliding valves 28 a - 28 h as described in conjunction with FIG. 1 . Also, the cement 106 may be dissolved in the same manner.
[0056] Just as the multi laterals as described in FIG. 6 are shown in hydrocarbon production zones 14 and 82 , there may be other laterals drilled in the same zones 14 and/or 82 . There is no restriction on the number of laterals that can be drilled nor in the number of zones that can be drilled. Any particular sliding valve may be operated, the cement dissolved, and fracing begun. Any particular sliding valve the operator wants to open can be opened for fracing deep into the formation adjacent the sliding valve.
[0057] By use of the system as just described, more pressure can be created in a smaller zone for fracing than is possible with prior systems. Also, the size of the tubulars is not decreased the further down in the well the fluid flows. Although ball-operated valves may be used with alternative embodiments of the present invention, the decreasing size of tubulars is a particular problem for a series of ball operated valves, each successive ball-operated valve being smaller in diameter. This means the same fluid flow can be created in the last sliding valve at the end of the string as would be created in the first sliding valve along the string. Hence, the flow rates can be maintained for any of the selected sliding valves 28 a - 28 h or 102 a - 102 g . This results in the use of less fracing fluid, yet fracing deeper into the formation at a uniform pressure regardless of which sliding valve through which fracing may be occurring. Also, the operator has the option of fracing any combination or number of sliding valves at the same time or shutting off other sliding valves that may be producing undesirables, such as water.
[0058] On the top of casing 18 of production well 10 is located a wellhead 108 . While many different types of wellheads are available, the wellhead preferred by applicant is illustrated in further detail in FIG. 7 . A flange 110 is used to connect to the casing 16 that extends out of the production well 10 . On the sides of the flange 110 are standard valves 112 that can be used to check the pressure in the well, or can be used to pump things into the well. A master valve 114 that is basically a float control valve provides a way to shut off the well in case of an emergency. Above the master valve 114 is a goat head 116 . This particular goat head 116 has four points of entry 118 , whereby fracing fluids, acidizing fluids or other fluids can be pumped into the well. Because sand is many times used as a fracing fluid and is very abrasive, the goat head 116 is modified so sand that is injected at an angle to not excessively wear the goat head. However, by adjusting the flow rate and/or size of the opening, a standard goat head may be used without undue wear.
[0059] Above the goat head 116 is located blowout preventer 120 , which is standard in the industry. If the well starts to blow, the blowout preventer 120 drives two rams together and squeezes the pipe closed. Above the blowout preventer 120 is located the annular preventer 122 . The annular preventer 122 is basically a big balloon squashed around the pipe to keep the pressure in the well bore from escaping to atmosphere. The annular preventer 122 allows access to the well so that pipe or tubing can be moved up and down there through. The equalizing valve 124 allows the pressure to be equalized above and below the blow out preventer 120 . The equalizing of pressure is necessary to be able to move the pipe up and down for entry into the wellhead. All parts of the wellhead 108 are old, except the modification of the goat head 116 to provide injection of sand at an angle to prevent excessive wear. Even this modification is not necessary by controlling the flow rate.
[0060] Turning now to FIG. 8 , the system as presently described has been installed in a well 126 without vertical casing. Well 126 has production tubing 128 held into place by cement 130 . In the production zone 132 , the production tubing 128 bends around radius 134 into a horizontal lateral 136 that follows the production zone 132 . The production tubing 128 extends into production zone 132 around the radius 134 and connects to sliding valves 138 a - 138 f , through production tubing segments 140 a - 140 f . Again, the sliding valves 138 a - 138 f may be operated so the cement 130 is dissolved therearound. Thereafter (or simultaneously therewith, such as when the fracing material has dissolving properties), any of a combination of sliding valves 138 a - 138 f can be operated and the production zone 132 fraced around the opened sliding valve. In this type of system, it is not necessary to cement into place a casing nor is it necessary to use any type of packer or liner hanger. The minimum amount of hardware is permanently connected in well 126 , yet fracing throughout the production zone 132 in any particular order as selected by the operator can be accomplished by simply fracing through the selected sliding valves 138 a - 138 f.
[0061] The system previously described can also be used for an entirely vertical well 140 as shown in FIG. 9 . The wellhead 108 connects to casing 144 that is cemented into place by cement 146 . At the bottom 147 of casing 144 is located a liner hanger 148 . Below liner hanger 148 is production tubing 150 . In the well 140 , as shown in FIG. 9 , there are producing zones 152 , 154 , and 156 . After the production tubing 150 and sliding valves 158 , 160 , and 162 a - 162 d are cemented into place by acid soluble cement 164 , the operator may now produce all or selected zones. For example, by dissolving the cement 164 adjacent sliding valve 158 , thereafter, production zone 152 can be fraced and produced through sliding valve 158 . Likewise, the operator could dissolve the cement 164 around sliding valve 160 that is located in production zone 154 . After dissolving the cement 164 around sliding valve 160 , production zone 154 can be fraced and later produced.
[0062] On the other hand, if the operator wants to have multiple sliding valves 162 a - 162 d operate in production zone 156 , the operator can operate all or any combination of the sliding valves 162 a - 162 d , dissolve the cement 164 therearound, and later frac through all or any combination of the sliding valves 162 a - 162 d . By use of the method as just described, the operator can produce whichever zone 152 , 154 or 156 the operator desires with any combination of selected sliding valves 158 , 160 or 162 .
[0063] Alternative embodiments of the present invention may include any number of sliding sleeve variants, such as a hydraulically actuated ball-and-seat valve 200 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B . More specifically, FIG. 10A discloses a ball-and-seat valve 200 that has a mandrel 202 threadedly engaged at its upper end 204 with an upper sub 208 and at the lower end 206 with lower sub 210 , respectively, attachable to production tubing segments (not shown). The mandrel 202 has a series of mandrel ports 212 providing a fluid communication path between the exterior of the ball-and-seat valve 200 to the interior of the mandrel 202 .
[0064] FIG. 10A shows the ball-and-seat valve 200 in a “closed” position, wherein the fluid communication paths through the mandrel ports 212 are blocked by a lower portion 214 of the outer surface of an inner sleeve 216 , which lower portion 214 is defined by a middle seal 218 and a lower seal 220 , respectively. The middle seal 218 and lower seal 220 encircle the inner sleeve 216 to substantially prevent fluid from flowing between the outer surface of the inner sleeve 216 to the mandrel ports 212 in the mandrel 202 .
[0065] The inner sleeve 216 is cylindrical with open ends to allow fluid communication through the interior thereof. The inner sleeve 216 further contains a cylindrical ball seat 222 opened at both ends and connected to the inner sleeve 216 . When the ball-and-seat valve 200 is closed as shown in FIG. 10A , fluid may be communicated through the inner sleeve 216 and cylindrical ball seat 222 affixed thereto in either the upwell or downwell direction.
[0066] FIG. 10B shows the ball-and-seat valve 200 in an “open” position. When the ball-and-seat valve 200 is to be selectively opened, a ball 223 sealable to a seating surface 224 of the cylindrical ball seat 222 is pumped into the ball-and-seat valve 200 from the upper sub 208 . The ball 223 is sized such that the cylindrical ball seat 222 impedes further movement of the ball 223 through the ball-and-seat valve 200 as the ball 223 contacts the seating surface 224 and seals the interior of the seat 222 from fluid communication therethrough. In other words, the sealing of the ball 223 to the ball seat 222 prevents fluid from flowing downwell past the ball-and-seat valve 200 .
[0067] To open the ball-and-seat valve 200 —in other words, to move the inner sleeve 216 to the “open” position—downward flow within the production tubing (not shown) is maintained. Because fluid cannot move through the seat 222 because the ball 223 is in sealing contact with the seating surface 224 thereof, pressure upwell from the ball 223 may be increased to force the ball 223 , and therefore the inner sleeve 216 , downwell until further movement of the inner sleeve 216 is impeded by contacting the lower sub 210 .
[0068] As shown in FIG. 10B , when the inner sleeve 216 is in the “open” positioned, a series of sleeve ports 226 provide a fluid communication path between the exterior and interior of the inner sleeve 216 and are aligned with the mandrel ports 212 to permit fluid communication therethrough from and to the interior of the ball-and-seat valve 200 , and more specifically to the interior of the inner sleeve 216 . When the ball-and-seat valve 200 is “open,” fluid communication to and from the interior of the ball-and-seat valve 200 other than through the mandrel ports 212 and sleeve ports 226 is prevented by an upper seal 228 and the middle seal 218 encircling the outer surface of the inner sleeve 216 . The ball-and-seat valve 200 may thereafter be closed through the use of conventional means, such as a mechanical shifting tool lowered through the production tubing, as described with reference to the preferred embodiment.
[0069] When multiple ball-and-seat valves are used in a production well, each of the ball-and-seat valves will have a ball seat sized differently from the ball seats of the other valves used in the same production tubing. Moreover, the valve with the largest diameter ball seat will be located furthest upwell, and the valve with the smallest diameter ball seat will be located furthest downwell. Because the size of the seating surface of each ball seat is designed to mate and seal to a particularly-sized ball, valves are chosen and positioned within the production string so that balls will flow through any larger-sized, upwell ball seats until the appropriately-sized seat is reached. When the appropriately-sized ball seat is reached, the ball will mate and seal to the seat, blocking any upwell-to-downwell fluid flow as described hereinabove. Thus, when selectively opening multiple ball-and-seat valves within a production string, the valve furthest downwell is typically first opened, then the next furthest, and so on.
[0070] Referring to FIGS. 11A-11C in sequence, and by way of example, assume that the production well shown in FIG. 9 uses four ball-and-seat valves 162 a - 162 d in the production zone 156 . As shown in FIG. 11A , further assume that the ball-and-seat valves 162 a - 162 d are sized as follows: The deepest ball-and-seat valve 162 d has a ball seat 163 d with an inner diameter of 1.36″ and matable to a ball (not shown) having a 1.50″ diameter; the next deepest ball-and-seat valve 162 c has a ball seat 163 c with an inner diameter of 1.86″ and matable to a ball (not shown) having a 2.00″ diameter; the next deepest valve 162 b has a ball seat 163 b with an inner diameter of 2.36″ and matable to a ball (not shown) having a 2.50″ diameter; and the shallowest ball-and-seat valve 162 a has a ball seat 163 a with an inner diameter of 2.86″ and matable to a ball (not shown) having a 3.00″ diameter. The ball-and-seat valves 162 a - 162 d are connected with segments of production tubing 150 . The ball-and-seat valves 162 a - 162 d and production tubing 150 are cemented into place in an open hole with cement 164 .
[0071] As shown in FIG. 11B , to open the deepest valve 162 d , a ball 165 d having a 1.50″ diameter is pumped through the production tubing 150 and shallower ball-and-seat valves 162 a - 162 c . Because the 1.50″ diameter of the ball 165 d is smaller than the inner diameters of each of the ball seats 163 a - 163 c of the other valves 162 a - 162 c —which are 2.86″, 2.36″, and 1.86″, respectively—the ball 165 d will flow in a downwell direction 172 through each of the shallower ball-and-seat valves 162 a - 162 c until further downwell movement is impeded by the smaller 1.36″ diameter ball seat 163 d of the deepest ball-and-seat valve 162 d . At that point, if the ball-and-seat valve 162 d is in the closed position (see FIG. 10A ), fluid pressure within the production tubing 150 may be increased to selectively open the ball-and-seat valve 162 d as previously described with reference to FIG. 10B hereinabove. After selectively opening the deepest ball-and-seat valve 162 d , the cement 164 adjacent thereto may be dissolved with a solvent 171 and the production zone 156 can be fraced and produced through ball-and-seat valve 162 d , as previously described. As shown in FIG. 11C , dissolving the cement 164 adjacent thereto leaves passages 170 through which fracing material may be forced into cracks 180 in the production zone 156 and through which oil from the surrounding production zone 156 may be produced.
[0072] Further referring to FIG. 11C , to open the next deepest ball-and-seat valve 162 c , a ball 165 c having a 2.00″ diameter is pumped through the production tubing 150 and two shallower ball-and-seat valves 162 a , 162 b . Because the 2.00″ diameter of the ball 165 c is smaller than the inner diameters of the two shallower ball-and-seat valves 162 a , 162 b —which are 2.86″ and 2.36″, respectively—the ball 165 c will flow in a downwell direction 172 through each of the ball-and-seat valves 162 a , 162 b until further downwell movement is impeded by the smaller 1.86″ diameter ball seat 163 c of the second deepest valve 162 c . If the ball-and-seat valve 162 c is closed, fluid pressure within the production tubing 150 may be increased to selectively open the ball-and-seat valve 162 c as previously described with reference to FIG. 10B hereinabove. After selectively opening the ball-and-seat valve 162 c , the cement 164 adjacent thereto may be dissolved and the production zone 156 can be fraced and produced through ball-and-seat valve 162 c . This process may be repeated until all desired valves within the production well have been selectively opened and fraced and/or produced.
[0073] After having been pumped into the production well to selectively trigger corresponding ball-and-seat sliding valves, the balls may be pumped from the production well during production by reversing the direction of flow. Alternatively, seated balls may be milled, and thus fractured such that the pieces of the balls return to the well surface and may be retrieved therefrom.
[0074] By use of the method as described, the operator, by cementing the sliding valves into the open hole and thereafter dissolving the cement, can frac just in the area adjacent to the sliding valve. By having a limited area of fracing, more pressure can be built up into the formation with less fracing fluid, thereby causing deeper fracing into the formation. Such deeper fracing will increase the production from the formation. Also, the fracing fluid is not wasted by distributing fracing fluid over a long area of the well, which results in less pressure forcing the fracing fluid deep into the formation. In fracing over long areas of the well, there is less desirable fracing than what would be the case with the present invention.
[0075] The present invention shows a method of fracing in the open hole through cemented in place sliding valves that can be selectively opened or closed depending upon where the production is to occur. Preliminary experiments have shown that the present system described hereinabove produces better fracing and better production at lower cost than prior methods.
[0076] The present invention is described above in terms of a preferred illustrative embodiment of a specifically described cemented open-hole selective fracing system and method, as well as an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other alternative embodiments of such a system and method can be used in carrying out the present invention. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a study of this disclosure and the drawings, along with the appended claims.
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A method of producing petroleum from at least one open hole in at least one petroleum production zone of a hydrocarbon well comprising the steps of locating a plurality of sliding valves along at least one production tubing; inserting the plurality of sliding valves and the production tubing into the at least one open hole; cementing the plurality of sliding valves in the at least one open hole; opening at least one of the cemented sliding valves; removing at least some of the cement adjacent the opened sliding valves without using jetting tools or cutting tools to establish at least one communication path between the interior of the production tubing and the at least one petroleum production zone; directing a fracing material radially through the at least one sliding valve radially toward the at least one production zone; producing hydrocarbons from the at least one petroleum production zone through the plurality of the sliding valves the cement adjacent to which has been removed.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention pertains to floor structures having sound attenuation properties, and more specifically it pertains to a floor structure having vibration dampers incorporated therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] At the present time, the National Building Code of Canada asks for a sound attenuation of 50 decibels through the walls separating apartments in a multi-apartment residential building. This standard is now under review, however. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for example, recently published sound attenuation objectives of over 55 decibels through walls and hard floors separating residential apartments, and over 65 decibels through carpet-covered floors. These objectives apply to sounds originating away from the floor, referred to as airborne sounds, and sound originating from the floor surface, referred to as impact sounds.
[0003] While several known floor structures can meet the requirement for airborne sound attenuation, the objective for impact sound attenuation has been a serious challenge in the construction industry.
[0004] The only prior art found disclosing a floor structure for minimizing impact noise transmission is the U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,475 issued to M. J. Kodaras on Sep. 6, 1966. This structure comprises a base layer made of low density material, fastened to the floor joists. Spaced-apart nailing strips are laid on the base layer perpendicularly to the floor joists and are retained to the base layer by spacer strips which are nailed to the base layer. The spacer strips have bevelled edges and define with the base layer spaced-apart dovetail slots in which the nailing strips are held without nail. The top flooring strips are nailed to the nailing strips with the nails not traversing the nailing strips. As the nails which secure the flooring strips to the nailing strips are completely isolated from the joists, there is no direct transmission of sound energy to the joists.
[0005] Although this document does not mention specific impact sound attenuation measurements, it is believed that this type of floor structure has great merits. This particular floor structure, however, is difficult and expensive to build by modern-day construction practices. It is believed that this difficulty constitutes a main reason, basically, why this method has not enjoyed a lasting commercial success.
[0006] Also, there is a trend in the construction industry to use 24 inch joist spacings as opposed to the long lasting standard of 16 inch spacings. The larger spacing requires more rigid floor and sub-floor layers. This trend motivates builders to combine rigidity and sound transmission attenuation performances in building systems.
[0007] As such, there is a need in the construction industry for a floor structure having acceptable sound attenuation characteristics without imposing a burden on existing construction trends and practices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In the present invention, however, there is provided a floor structure that is compatible with modern-day construction practices with a joist spacing of 24 inches. The floor structure according to the present invention has an airborne sound attenuation of 65 decibels and an impact sound attenuation of 56 decibels. These sound transmission measurements were confirmed by the Acoustic Institute of the National Research Council of Canada.
[0009] More specifically, the present invention comprises a floor structure having spaced-apart floor joists, a base layer fastened to the joists, a resilient layer laid over the base layer, and a top layer mounted over the resilient layer. The top layer has a stiffness that is much greater than a stiffness of the base layer. The top layer is fastened to the base layer by wood screws which are placed substantially along a median between two adjacent floor joists, and each wood screw has a threaded portion extending simultaneously in both the top layer and the base layer.
[0010] The installation of the wood screws through both the top and the base layers causes a backlash in the advance of the screws upon entering the base layer, thereby causing the occurrence of a larger gap between the top layer and the base layer as compared with an installation using nails for example. The threaded portions of the screws being engaged simultaneously in both the top layer and the base layer act as spacers between the top layer and the base layer. The larger gap relaxes a pressure on the foam layer to reduce a transmission of sound and noise energy between the top layer and the joists.
[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the top layer is made of balsam fir boards having a thickness of about 2 inches, and the base layer is made of oriented fibre boards having a thickness of ¾ inch. The balsam fir boards have a width of 24 inches, a length of 16 feet, and tongue-and-groove edges. The floor structure according to the present invention is very strong as compared with common floor structures, and is particularly appropriate for use with low-deflection flooring surfaces such as ceramic tiles.
[0012] This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor structure according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a low-density wood board used in the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-section view of the preferred floor structure illustrating a general concept of a sound attenuating joint between floor layers in the preferred floor structure;
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates the tip of a common wood screw;
[0018] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate two common floor structures of the prior art;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a table illustrating sound attenuation properties of the preferred floor structure as compared with floor structures of the prior art;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a cross-section view through the floor structure at a fastening point, with a fastener partly installed;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a cross-section view through the floor structure at a fastening point, with the fastener fully inserted through the floor layers, as seen in circle 10 , in FIG. 7 ;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of the preferred floor structure at a fastening point, in a loaded condition, with the gap between the layers shown in an exaggerated mode.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described in details herein one specific embodiment of a floor structure with improved sound attenuation properties. The present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated and described. For example, precise dimensions are used herein for convenience only to provide a better understanding of the structure of the present invention. Such dimensions should not be considered as being absolute and limiting.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the preferred floor structure comprises floor joists 20 spaced 24 inches apart. A base layer 22 , is fastened to thejoist using nails or screws in any usual way. The base layer is made of plywood sheets or OSB™ (Oriented Strand Board) panels, having a thickness of ⅝ or ¾ inch, and more preferably ¾ inch.
[0026] A second layer 24 made of resilient material is laid on the base layer 22 . The second layer is made of foam sheeting, geo-textile, rubber, felt or a similar material and has a thickness of about ⅛ inch. This second layer 24 is fastened to the base layer 22 in a conventional way, with staples for example. For economical reasons, the second layer 24 in the preferred embodiment is made of foam sheeting and is referred to herein as the foam layer 24 for convenience. The purpose of this second layer 24 is to prevent hard contact region or direct contact point between the base layer 22 and the top layer 26 .
[0027] The top layer 26 is laid on the foam layer 24 , and is fastened to the base layer 22 with wood screws 28 extending along medians 30 between adjacent joists 20 such that there is no direct transmission of sound energy from the top layer to the joists.
[0028] The top layer 28 is made of wood boards 32 having a thickness of 2 inches; a width of 24 inches and a length of 8 to 16 feet. The wood boards 32 are made of balsam fir and have a tongue-and-groove profile along their edges. The fir boards 32 are made of three plies with a different fibre alignment in the middle ply, as it is customary in plywood boards. This type of wood board is described in Applicant's Canadian patent application #2,434,248, filed on Jul. 3, 2003.
[0029] The two inch thick fir boards 32 have a moment of inertia which is about 32 times greater than a ⅝ inch sheet, and about 18 times greater than a ¾ inch panel (proportional to the cube of the thickness). The stiffness of the fir boards 32 is therefore greater than the stiffness of the base layer 22 by about the same proportions.
[0030] The principal contributing feature to obtain the sound attenuation properties of the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be explained while making reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . This feature is explained briefly using FIGS. 3 and 4 , and in greater details when making references to FIGS. 9, 10 , and 11 .
[0031] In FIGS. 3 and 4 , the screws 28 that are used to fasten the balsam fir boards 32 to the base layer 22 are three-inch common wood screws having threaded portions of about two inches long. In the installed position the threaded portion of each screw extends in both the balsam fir board 32 and in the base layer 22 . Because of the nature of these screws 28 , and its relatively blunt tip 34 , the pressure on the screw 28 when exiting the balsam fir board 32 and entering the base layer 22 causes a thread backlash to occur, as the tip 34 of the screw digs into the surface of the base layer 22 . This pressure also causes the base layer 22 to move away from the top layer 26 before the screw 28 can resume its advance into the base layer 22 .
[0032] It will be appreciated that because of the engagement of the threaded portion in both the fir board 32 and the base layer 22 , the screw cannot pull the base layer 22 against the fir board 32 at the end of its insertion. The screw segment ‘A’ traversing the foam layer 24 remains in compression to retain the top layer 26 at a distance from the base layer 22 .
[0033] The combination of the thread backlash, the foam layer 24 and the long threaded portion of the screw 28 , causes the occurrence of a joint 36 that has spacing and vibration-absorbing properties as illustrated schematically in FIG. 3 . For visual description purposes, the spacer 38 represents the thread backlash or gap ‘A’ between the top layer 26 and the base layer 22 , and the spring 40 represents the flexibility of the base layer 22 relative to the top layer 26 .
[0034] Because of this type of joint 36 , the base layer 22 is pre-stressed at every screw 28 . Under no load condition, the base layer 22 springs back straight and pushes the top layer 26 upward, to release a compression in the foam layer 24 . Because of this type of joint 36 , it is believed that an impact force on the floor surface is partly absorbed by the deflection 42 in the base layer 22 . It is also believed that a load on the top layer 26 is partly absorbed by a deflection 42 in the base layer 22 before a pressure is applied to the foam layer 24 in a region 44 above each joist 20 for example.
[0035] It is believed that sound transmission is effected primarily along these regions 44 above each joist 20 when the floor is loaded. It is also believed that the relaxation of pressure on the foam layer 24 due to the thread backlash or gap ‘A’ in each joint 36 contributes significantly to obtain the sound attenuation properties observed in the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment.
[0036] The sound attenuation properties referred to herein will be better understood when making reference to FIGS. 5-8 . In FIG. 5 , there is illustrated a floor structure made of floor joists 20 that are spaced 16 inches apart. Spaces between the joists 20 are partly filled with fibre-glass insulation 50 . The floor portion is made of two layers of plywood sheets or OSB™ boards 52 laid over each other. Two layers of gypsum boards 54 are suspended to the joists 20 by suspension mouldings 56 , which are common in the industry. The gypsum boards 54 constitute a ceiling for the apartment below the floor structure. The sound attenuation properties of this structure has been found to be 57 dB for airborne sounds and 50 dB for impact sounds, as shown in FIG. 8 .
[0037] Another common type of floor structure, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , has a 1- 1 / 2 inch thick cement slab 60 laid over a base layer 62 made of ⅝ or ¾ inch thick plywood sheets or OSB™ boards. The floor joists 20 are also spaced at 16 inches, and the insulation and ceiling arrangements are the same as in the first-described example. The sound attenuation characteristics of this second common floor structure has been found to be 69 dB for airborne sounds and 44 dB for impact sounds. The high density of this type of structure does not allow for wide span between joists.
[0038] Tests on the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment, however, have demonstrated that the sound attenuation properties of this preferred structure are 65 dB for airborne sounds and 56 dB for impact sounds. It will be appreciated that the sound attenuation properties of the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment exceeds the proposed requirement of 55 dB for both sound sources. It will also be appreciated that the high stiffness and relative low density of the floor structure according to the preferred embodiment allow for wide span of 24 inches or more between joists.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 9-11 , the formation of screw joint 36 will be explained in greater details. As mentioned, a common 3-inch wood screw 28 has two inches of threads. When this screw is inserted in the fir board 32 , whether it is inserted at right angle with the surface of the fir board 32 , or at a slight angle in the tongue of the fir board 32 , there is always a substantial portion of the thread length which remains engaged into the fir board 32 . The tip 34 of a common wood screw 28 , as shown in FIG. 4 , does not have much axial grip or pull in a wood surface. The tip 34 normally extends to a length ‘B’ of about 0.050 to 0.080 inch. When the screw 28 reaches the surface of the base layer 22 , the tip 34 drills into the surface of the base layer 22 for a few degrees or even a full turn or more before the thread starts pulling itself into the OSB™ or plywood layer 22 .
[0040] During this initial drilling of the surface of the OSB™ or plywood layer 22 , the engagement of the thread into the fir board 32 causes the screw 28 to continue to advance at a constant rate of speed. Consequently, a pressure is applied on the tip 34 of the screw and against the base layer 22 .
[0041] Because the stiffness of the fir board 32 is much greater than the base layer 22 , the base layer 22 is caused to move away from the fir board 32 , one or few thousands of an inch or maybe more. When the screw 28 resumes its advance into the base layer 22 , a small gap ‘A’ remains between the base layer 22 and the fir board 32 .
[0042] Because of such screw backlash between the fir board 32 and the base layer 22 , and because the screw 28 has thread engagement in both the fir board 32 and the base layer 22 , the screw 28 constitutes a spacer for separating the fir board 32 from the base layer 22 . Such a spacer means is represented by a block-type spacer 38 in FIG. 3 . The gap ‘A’ define by this spacer 38 is perhaps very small but nonetheless contributes to relaxing a compression of the foam layer 24 to some extent. Such gap would not be formed in an installation using nails for example.
[0043] Because the fir boards 32 are much more rigid than the base layer 22 , a loading on the floor structure deflects the base layer 22 before the fir boards 32 , and before the fir boards 32 can apply a pressure on the foam layer 24 above the joists 20 , as indicated by the regions 44 . The base layer 22 acts as a shock absorber or a suspension system to support the fir boards 32 in a floating mode above the foam layer 24 and the joists 20 .
[0044] FIG. 11 illustrates in an exaggerated manner the gap ‘A’ caused by the screw backlash mentioned before, and an initial deflection of the base layer 22 , as in a leaf spring, when the floor structure is loaded. It is believed that such a suspension system contributes greatly to obtaining the sound attenuations properties described herein.
[0045] As to other manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description and accompanying drawings, and accordingly further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the invention would be considered repetitious and is not provided.
[0046] While one embodiment of the floor structure according to the present invention has been illustrated and described herein above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is known that similar advantageous results can be obtained with screws other than common wood screws, as long that their threaded portions extend simultaneously in the base layer and the fir boards. Therefore, the above description and the illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
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The floor structure has a base layer fastened to floor joists, a resilient layer laid over the base layer, and a top layer mounted over the resilient layer. The top layer has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the base layer. The top layer is fastened to the base layer by wood screws that are placed substantially along a median between two adjacent floor joists. Each screw has a threaded portion extending simultaneously in both the top and the base layers. The installation of screws through the top and the base layers causes a backlash in the advance of the screws upon entering the base layer, thereby causing the occurrence of a larger gap between the layers as compared with an installation using nails. The larger gap relaxes a pressure on the foam layer and reduces the transmission of sound energy to the joists.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD
The embodiments herein relate generally to rotary directional drilling apparatuses for downhole steering of a drill bit and methods for steering a drill string.
BACKGROUND
During rotary drilling, a drill bit is rotated from the surface of a well by rotating a drill string. It is often desirable to control the direction in which the drilling proceeds through use of a downhole steerable drilling apparatus. Steerable drilling apparatuses include hydraulic devices that apply a lateral bias to a drill string, bent or bendable housing members for drilling at angles, and rotary devices that use a rotatable member, actuators, and/or retractable members to control the direction of the drill string.
Conventional downhole rotary directional drilling assemblies use gravity and compression to force an under gauge stabilizer to the bottom side of a hole, with a drill collar acting as a lever, and a near bit stabilizer acting as a fulcrum. This lever-like motion pushes the drill bit upward, causing the drill bit to drill on the top of a hole, thereby increasing the angle of the hole. The angle of the drilling can be modified through changes in the length of the drill collar, the diameter of the stabilizers, or modifying one or more drilling parameters.
Conventional rotary directional drilling assemblies can steer a drill bit only within a single plane, and not along the azimuth.
A need exists for a rotary directional drilling apparatus that can allow an operator to steer a drill string in any direction, controlling directional changes both in hole angle and along the azimuth.
A need also exists for a rotary directional drilling apparatus that can utilize fixed steering elements without use of actuators, rather than conventional retractable and movable biasing and thrusting members.
A further need exists for a rotary directional drilling apparatus able to selectively adjust the orientation of a drill bit through control of the flow of drilling fluid or mud through the mud motor.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
SUMMARY
In an embodiment, the present apparatus for steering a drilling string includes a downhole drilling motor having a rotor for imparting rotational movement to the drill bit, and a stator rotatably disposed about the rotor. The stator can be freely rotatable about the rotor, enabling counter rotation of the stator relative to the rotor. One or more bearings, rollers, and/or seals, as known in the art, can be disposed between the rotor and the stator to enable this rotation.
It should be noted that the drill string is connected to the rotor, rather than to the stator, while conventional rotary directional drilling assemblies typically utilize a connection between the drill string and the stator. Rotation of the drill string, such as when drilling, as known in the art, thereby imparts rotation to the rotor without imparting this rotation to the stator. Various bearings, rollers, and/or seals, as known in the art, can be disposed at each end of the motor to facilitate this rotation and prevent the loss of drilling fluid from the stator, In an embodiment, the drill string can have a concentric stabilizer connected thereon.
A first passage is disposed through the rotor for flowing drilling fluid through the rotor to the drill bit. One or more fluid passages are disposed through the rotor to flow drilling fluid between the first passage and the stator. The stator can include a fluid passage having vanes, lobes, or similar protrusions, as known in the art, adapted to enable the flow of fluid to impart rotational motion to the stator in a direction counter to the rotation of the rotor imparted by the drill string. The flow rate of drilling fluid or mud to the stator controls the rate of rotation of the stator. In an embodiment, the rotor can include an upper diverter passage disposed through a first end of the rotor and a lower diverter passage disposed through a second end of the rotor.
In a further embodiment, the first passage can include a flow restrictor for facilitating the flow of drilling fluid to at least one of the fluid passages to cause counter rotation of the stator relative to the rotor.
One or more seals can be disposed between the rotor and the stator, exterior to each of the fluid passages.
A valve is disposed in communication with the first passage and one of the fluid passages to the stator for selectively controlling the flow of drilling fluid between the first passage and the stator. The flow rate of drilling fluid conveyed to the stator can be controlled by the valve, thereby controlling the rotational speed of the stator.
In an embodiment, the valve can be in communication with a measurement while drilling device and can be controlled responsive to data from the measurement while drilling device. In a further embodiment, the valve can include an actuator, a power supply, or combinations thereof.
One or more blades can be fixedly disposed on the exterior surface of the stator. The one or more blades are usable to orient the drill bit and steer the drill string by providing an asymmetrical moment to the drill string. By selectively controlling the rate of counter rotation of the stator relative to the rotor, the direction of drilling operations can be controlled. The stator can be counter rotated at an equal rate with respect to the rotation of the rotor to maintain the one or more blades in a stationary orientation with respect to a fixed position within a borehole. The one or more blades thereby offset the apparatus' rotational center from the center of the borehole by providing the apparatus with an asymmetrical moment, thereby enabling reorientation of the drill bit in any horizontal or vertical direction through selective positioning of the blades. In an embodiment, the one or more blades can be over-gauge blades.
The blades are also usable to maintain the orientation of the drill bit and continue drilling in a straight direction by selectively controlling the flow rate of drilling fluid through the stator to maintain constant rotation of the one or more blades with respect to the rotor.
In an embodiment, the apparatus can include an electronic member in communication with the measurement while drilling device and with the valve for determining the current position of the one or more blades and controlling the valve in response to data obtained from the measurement while drilling device.
The present embodiments also relate to methods for steering a drill string using similar rotatable asymmetrical moments about a drill string. In an embodiment, a rotary directional drilling assembly, which can include a motor, valve, and blade, as described previously, is provided, coupled with a measurement while drilling device in communication with a drill string.
Data from the measurement while drilling device is received, and a position of the blade necessary to orient the drill bit in a desired direction is determined. The current location of the blade can be determined using the measurement while drilling device.
The valve is then controlled to achieve the necessary flow of drilling fluid to the stator, to cause counter rotation of the stator relative to the rotor until the desired position of the blade is reached. The valve can then be adjusted to change the rotational speed of the stator to maintain the blade in the desired position with respect to the borehole. The position of the blade causes reorientation of the drill bit. The valve can then be readjusted to change the rotational speed of the stator to cause drilling to continue in a generally straight direction.
The valve can be controlled to enable fluid flow to the stator such that the blade remains stationary with respect to a fixed point within the bore hole, thereby causing the drill string to change direction through reorientation of the drill bit. Alternatively, the valve can be controlled to regulate the flow of drilling fluid to the stator such that the stator continuously rotates relative to the rotor, thereby causing the drill string to drill in a constant direction.
The present embodiments thereby enable steering of a drill string through control of a rotatably moveable asymmetrical moment about a drill string, which can be rotated about the drill string through selective control of the flow of drilling fluid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the detailed description of the embodiments presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 depicts a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present rotary directional drilling apparatus attached to a drill string.
FIG. 2 depicts a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the motor of the rotary directional drilling apparatus of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 depicts a cross sectional view of the diverter valve of the rotary directional drilling apparatus of FIG. 1 .
FIGS. 4A and 4B depict an end view of an embodiment of the present rotary directional drilling appratus showing the rotation of the rotor and the stator.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Before explaining the present embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the particular descriptions and that the embodiments can be practiced or carried out in various ways.
Referring now to FIG. 1 , a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present rotary directional drilling apparatus is depicted, usable to orient a drill bit ( 36 ) for steering a drill string ( 32 ).
The apparatus is shown having a downhole motor ( 10 ), which includes a rotor ( 12 ) and a stator ( 14 ). A passage ( 16 ) is shown extending through the rotor ( 12 ), which is depicted extending along the central axis of the rotor ( 12 ).
An upper diverter passage ( 18 ) and a lower diverter passage ( 20 ) are shown extending through the rotor ( 12 ) between the passage ( 16 ) and the stator ( 14 ). A blade ( 22 ), which in an embodiment, can include an over-gauge blade, is shown disposed on the exterior surface of the stator ( 14 ). The blade ( 22 ) offsets the apparatus' rotational center from the center of a borehole, thereby enabling reorientation of the drill bit ( 36 ) through selective placement of the blade ( 22 ).
The stator ( 14 ) is freely rotatable about the rotor ( 12 ), such that the blade ( 22 ) can be selectively maintained in a stationary position with respect to a bore hole, to reorient the drill bit ( 36 ), or selectively maintained in constant counter rotational motion with respect to the rotor ( 12 ), to maintain a straight drilling direction. One or more bearings, rollers, or similar devices, as known in the art, can be used to enable the stator ( 14 ) to rotate independent of the rotor ( 12 ). Due to the ability of the blade ( 22 ) to be positioned on any side of the drill string ( 32 ) through rotation of the stator ( 14 ), the blade ( 22 ) is usable to orient the drill bit ( 36 ) in any horizontal or vertical direction.
A valve ( 24 ) is shown disposed within the upper diverter passage ( 18 ) of the rotor ( 12 ), in communication with the passage ( 16 ). A sub ( 26 ), shown connected to the rotor ( 12 ), can contain electronic controls and/or a power supply for the valve ( 24 ) and/or a measurement while drilling device, or other similar devices in communication with the drill string ( 32 ).
The valve ( 24 ) is controllable to regulate the flow of drilling fluid from the passage ( 16 ), through the upper diverter passage ( 18 ), to a stator passage ( 25 , shown in FIG. 2 ) disposed in the stator ( 14 ). The stator passage can include one or more interior vanes ( 14 A) (e.,g., lobes or similar protrusions), as known in the art, such that the flow of drilling fluid through the stator passage imparts rotation to the stator ( 14 ) as fluid impacts one or more of the vanes ( 14 A). The flow rate of drilling fluid to the stator ( 14 ) controls the rate of counter rotation of the stator ( 14 ) with respect to the rotor ( 12 ).
FIG. 1 also depicts a measurement while drilling device ( 30 ) attached to the sub ( 26 ). The drill string ( 32 ) is depicted attached to the measurement while drilling device ( 30 ). A concentric stabilizer ( 34 ) is depicted attached to the drill string ( 32 ). Data from the measurement while drilling device ( 30 ) is usable to control the valve ( 24 ) for positioning of the blade ( 22 ) to reorient the drill bit ( 36 ).
It should be noted that the drill string ( 32 ) is attached to the rotor ( 12 ), via the measurement while drilling device ( 30 ) and the sub ( 26 ), rather than to the stator ( 14 ), while a conventional rotary directional drilling apparatus utilizes a connection between the drill string and the stator. The rotor ( 12 ) is also shown attached to a near-bit stabilizer ( 35 ), which is in turn attached to the drill hit ( 36 ). In an embodiment, the near-bit stabilizer ( 35 ) can include a reamer. Bearings andior rollers, as are known in the art, can be disposed at each end of the rotor ( 12 ) to facilitate rotation of the rotor ( 12 ). Bearings and/or seals, as known in the art, can be disposed at each end of the stator ( 14 ) to facilitate rotation of the stator ( 14 ) and prevent the exodus of drilling fluid from the stator passage into the annulus.
Referring now to FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of the downhole motor ( 10 ) is shown.
The stator ( 14 ), having the blade ( 22 ) disposed thereon, is shown rotatably disposed about the rotor ( 12 ). Bearings and/or rollers, as known in the art, can be disposed between the rotor ( 12 ) and the stator ( 14 ) to facilitate rotation of the stator ( 14 ). The passage ( 16 ) is shown in communication with the upper diverter passage ( 18 ) and lower diverter passage ( 20 ) for conveying drilling fluid to and from a stator passage ( 25 ) within the stator ( 14 ). The stator passage ( 25 ) can include various vanes ( 14 A) (and/or other similar protrusions) adapted to enable rotation of the stator ( 14 ) as drilling fluid is flowed through the stator passage ( 25 ). The valve ( 24 ) is shown disposed within the upper diverter passage ( 18 ) in communication with the passage ( 16 ), for controlling the flow of drilling fluid from the passage ( 16 ) through the upper diverter passage ( 18 ) to the stator ( 14 ), thereby controlling the rotational speed of the stator ( 14 ) relative to the rotor ( 12 ).
An upper seal ( 38 ) is shown disposed between the rotor ( 12 ) and the stator ( 14 ) above the upper diverter passage ( 18 ). A lower seal ( 40 ) is shown disposed between the rotor ( 12 ) and the stator ( 14 ) below the lower diverter passage ( 20 ).
FIG. 2 also depicts a flow restriction ( 42 ) within the passage ( 16 ), which facilitates the flow of drilling fluid to the upper diverter passage ( 18 ) via the valve ( 24 ), while allowing excess fluid to flow through the passage ( 16 ) to the drill bit.
Referring now to FIG. 3 , a cross-sectional view of the valve ( 24 ) is depicted.
FIG. 3 depicts an actuator and power supply ( 44 ) usable to actuate a movable member ( 46 ) until partially or fully aligned with the valve passage ( 48 ). While the actuator and power supply ( 44 ) are depicted in close proximity to the valve ( 24 ), in an embodiment, the actuator and power supply could be remote from the motor, such as disposed within an adjacent sub. Through selective actuation of the valve ( 24 ), the flow rate of drilling fluid to the stator can be controlled to achieve a desired rate of counter rotation of the stator relative to the rotor.
The present rotary directional drilling apparatus is thereby able to use the flow rate of drilling mud to selectively position an exterior blade with respect to a bore hole to orient the direction of a drill bit, without use of thrusting, actuatable, or retractable steering members, by enabling counter rotation of the stator and blade relative to the rotor.
FIGS. 4A and 4B depict end views of the rotor ( 12 ) having the fluid passage ( 16 ) extending therethrough, with the stator ( 14 ) rotatably disposed about the rotor ( 12 ). FIG. 4A depicts the blade ( 22 ) disposed on the exterior surface of the stator ( 14 ) in a first position, while FIG. 4B depicts the blade ( 22 ) in a second position rotationally displaced from the first position. A bearing surface ( 15 ), which can include various bearings and/or rollers as known in the art, can be disposed between the rotor ( 12 ) and stator ( 14 ) to facilitate the rotation of the stator ( 14 ) relative to the rotor ( 12 ). As a drill string connected to the rotor ( 12 ) is rotated, such as when drilling, rotation is imparted to the rotor ( 12 ) in a first direction ( 23 ). Selectively, fluid that flows through the fluid passage ( 16 ) to the drill bit can be diverted through diverter passages (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to a stator passage ( 25 ) disposed within the stator ( 14 ), which can include vanes ( 14 A) (or similar protrusions) adapted to provide counter rotation to the stator ( 14 ) in a second direction ( 27 ) opposite the first direction ( 23 ). The blade ( 22 ) disposed on the exterior of the stator ( 14 ) can thereby be rotated to any position about the drill string, as illustrated.
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An apparatus for steering a drill string is disclosed herein, the apparatus comprising a drilling motor comprising a rotor, a stator, and at least one fluid passage for flowing drilling fluid to the stator. A blade is fixedly disposed on the exterior surface of the stator. A diverter valve controls the flow rate of drilling fluid to the stator, to provide counter rotational movement to the stator with respect to the rotor. Placement and movement of the blade is thereby controlled. When the blade is rotated such that it remains stationary with respect to a fixed point in a borehole, the drill bit is turned. When the blade is counter-rotated in a constant motion with respect to the rotor, the drill bit continues to drill in a straight direction.
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[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/892,359 filed Mar. 1, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an electronic toilet tank monitor utilizing a bistable latching solenoid control circuit to operate solenoid actuated valves. More generally, the present invention relates to a control circuit for controlling bistable latching solenoids used to control actuated valves.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] Certain common flush toilets include a water tank positioned above a toilet bowl. The tank holds enough water so that when the water in the tank is released into the bowl fast enough, the water will activate a siphon in the drain line of the toilet. In addition to requiring a certain volume of water, it is critical that the water is released into the bowl within a relatively small time frame, generally about 3 seconds in order to activate the siphon to flush the water out of the toilet bowl and into the drain pipe. After flushing the water out of the toilet, it is necessary to again fill the tank with the same volume of water. Current tank level controls on toilets use mechanical means to achieve the desired amount of water in the tank.
[0006] The flush mechanisms include a handle on the exterior of the tank that is mechanically coupled to a chain, which is connected to a flush valve within the tank. When a user pushes on the handle, the chain is pulled, thereby lifting the flush valve. This moves the flush valve out of the way, revealing a drain hole that is generally about 2- to 3-inches (5.08- to 7.62-cm) in diameter. Uncovering the drain hole allows the water to enter the toilet bowl. In addition to the volume of water in the tank and the diameter of the drain hole, the height of the water in the tank impacts the speed with which the water is released from the tank into the toilet bowl.
[0007] In many toilets, the toilet bowl has been molded so that the water enters the rim, and some of it drains out through holes in the rim. A good portion of the water flows down to a larger hole at the bottom of the bowl. This hole is known as the siphon jet. It releases most of the water directly into the siphon tube. Because all of the water in the tank enters the bowl in about three seconds, it is enough to fill and activate the siphon effect, and all of the water and waste in the bowl is sucked out.
[0008] Once the tank has emptied, the flush valve is repositioned over the drain hole in the bottom of the tank, so the tank can be refilled with water. A refill mechanism is then used to refill the tank to a predetermined height so it is ready for the next flush. The refill mechanism includes a valve that turns the water on and off. In current toilets, the valve is controlled by a filler or ball float. When the water level in the tank is low, the filler float or ball float falls. The valve is thereby opened in order to refill the tank and the toilet bowl. As the water level in the tank rises, the filler float or ball float also rises. Once the water level has reached the desired height as determined by the buoyancy of the float, the valve is switched into the closed position. An overflow tube within the tank allows excess water in the tank to be drained into the bowl to prevent the tank from overflowing.
[0009] In alternative embodiments, level indicators are electromechanical devices that work in combination with some control circuits, systems, and the like. Naturally, these types of devices require electrical power to operate. However, the known mechanical design used for refill mechanisms (discussed above) does not require electrical connections at the toilet. As such, existing toilets are not equipped with a constant power source. Further, bathroom facilities do not presently include power source which would be convenient to the installed toilet (such as outlets in close proximity). In addition, electro-mechanical level indicators used in toilet tank refilling mechanisms must function even during power outages. Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a toilet tank water control system that does not require a constant external power supply.
[0010] Based on the high frequency of toilet use, there exists a need for a mechanically reliable toilet tank water control system that can be operated at low power consumption levels.
[0011] Solenoids are well known electromechanical devices used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy and particularly into short stroke mechanical motion. As such, solenoids have long been employed to actuate valves in response to an electrical signal. Typical applications of these solenoid valves include controlling fluid flow, gas flow, and the like. Conventional (non-latching) solenoids require a continuous energized state to maintain actuation.
[0012] To decrease the power dissipated by the solenoid, and particularly in applications where the solenoid is to be retained in the actuated position for significant time periods, latching mechanisms can be used to hold the mechanical output of the solenoid in one position or the other without requiring continuous power to the solenoid. Self-latching solenoid actuated valves are known in the art. Despite advances in self-latching solenoid actuated valves, there continues to be a need for smaller, faster acting self-latching solenoid actuated valves with low power consumption.
[0013] Bistable actuators have been used to provide some reduction in power consumption. With the introduction of new actuator designs, there has been the introduction of new control circuitry. Some known circuits for controlling bistable actuators have been integrated into actuators intended to replace conventional solenoid actuators for controlling water flow. While these integrated latching actuators consume substantially less power in the actuated state than conventional solenoid actuators, input signals to the latching actuators must remain on at all times in order to keep the actuators in position. Maintaining the coil of the actuator in an energized state in order to maintain the actuator in a predetermined position increases overall power consumption. Accordingly, there exists a need for a bistable latching solenoid control circuit with minimal power requirements for actuating a water flow valve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is one object of the present invention to provide a refill mechanism that can reliably control water level in toilet tanks by controlling the inflow of water. Such a refill mechanism will receive with input signals provided by toilet tank level indicators appropriately positioned in the tank to signal when predetermined water levels exist. It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet tank water control system that does not require a constant power supply. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mechanically reliable toilet tank water control system that can be operated at low power consumption levels. It is still another object of the present invention to provide smaller, faster acting self-latching solenoid actuated valves with low power consumption. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a bistable latching solenoid control circuit with minimal power requirements for actuating a water flow valve.
[0015] The present invention achieves many of the above-referenced advantages by utilizing a control system and control components which are specifically designed for power consumption concerns. More specifically, a bistable latching solenoid is utilized as the control for opening and closing a related water or fluid valve. By using a bistable latching solenoid, the valve can be opened and closed using small pulse signals from the control system. Most significantly, the control system is not required to continuously energize the solenoid, thus operating in a more energy efficient manner. In addition, the control circuitry is also specifically configured to conserve power and operate in an energy efficient manner.
[0016] In addition to the power concern outlined above, fluid level sensing is achieved in a relatively straightforward and efficient manner. In one embodiment, this includes the use of two probes exposed within the tank capable of differentiating between the existence of fluid versus the existence of air. As such, when fluid covers both probes, the resistance therebetween changes which is detectable by the control circuitry. Naturally, other alternative fluid sensors could be utilized.
[0017] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished by the toilet tank electronic monitor and bistable latching solenoid control circuit in accordance with the present invention. The invention will be further described with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an overall fill tube assembly for the toilet tank electronic monitor in accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is top perspective view of the overall fill tube assembly of FIG. 1 shown mounted in a toilet tank;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wired printed circuit board assembly connected to a power supply in accordance with the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the printed circuit board assembly of FIG. 3 shown wired to a solenoid;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the printed circuit board in accordance with the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is an illustration of one embodiment of the operation of a latching valve in accordance with the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of the bistable latching solenoid control circuit;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a schematic circuit diagram of the bistable latching solenoid control circuit of FIG. 7 ; and
[0026] FIGS. 9( a )-( c ) are timing diagrams of power preconditioning based on the various input signals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] A toilet tank electronic monitor 10 in accordance with the present invention senses the presence or absence of water, i.e. the water level, in a toilet tank 28 ( FIG. 2 ) using detection pins. This detection methodology is thus used to control at least one flow valve via a control circuit. Referring to FIG. 1 , the toilet tank electronic monitor 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a fill tube assembly 12 , a valve 14 , a solenoid 16 and a control box 18 . Fill tube assembly 12 includes a water conduit 20 , a water inlet end 22 and a valve inlet end 24 . While water conduit 20 is depicted as a generally tubular shape in the figures, those skilled in the art can appreciate that water conduit 20 can have various shapes and sizes to accommodate water feed to valve 14 . A water source is connected to water inlet end 22 such that water is supplied from water inlet end 22 through water conduit 20 into valve inlet end 24 . Water is provided to fill nozzle 26 only when valve 14 is in the open position. Fill tube assembly 12 can be comprised of any water resilient materials, including but not limited to copper, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the like. The components of fill tube assembly 12 can be individual components that are operably connected to one another, one integrated assembly, or a combination of both.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 2 , the toilet tank electronic monitor 10 of the present invention is shown mounted in a toilet tank 28 . A handle 30 on the exterior of tank 28 is connected to a flush valve 32 via a connecting means 34 . Connecting means 34 can be a chain, a polymeric segment, a metal pole, or any such device that can be used to connect handle 30 to flush valve 32 while resisting corrosion and/or degradation due to being submerged in water. An overflow tube 36 is positioned within tank 28 such that tank fill nozzle 26 does not spray water directly into overflow tube 36 . However, a portion of the water fill will be directed to the overflow tube 36 to provide toilet bowl sidewall rinse during the tank refill.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 3 , control box 18 is shown with a cover 38 removed to expose a power supply 40 . Power supply 40 shown in FIG. 3 is a nine volt alkaline battery. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that various power supplies can be used, depending on the necessary requirements of the system. The present embodiment utilizes any power supply that provides at least 5 V DC, including but not limited to a plurality of 1.5 V batteries, a DC wall transformer, and the like.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 4 , control box 18 is again shown with cover 38 removed to expose a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 42 therein. PCBA 42 includes level indicators 44 and contains the necessary circuitry to carry out the control functions of the present invention. PCBA 42 is also wired to solenoid 16 in order to provide appropriate power signals based on input readings of water level from level indicators 44 . In one embodiment, level indicators 44 utilize complimentary metal oxide silicon technology to sense the difference in resistance between air and water. This difference can then be used to establish a bistable input control for toggling solenoid 16 . Those skilled in the art can appreciate that different types of level indicators, including but not limited to laser level indicators, sonic level indicators, and the like, can be used in accordance with the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows more detail of one embodiment of PCBA 42 in accordance with the present invention. The design and operation of this embodiment of PCBA 42 is discussed in greater detail below with regard to FIGS. 7-9 . Those skilled in the art can appreciate that PCBA 42 can scaled up or down for use in various water flow valve and /or water level control applications.
[0032] Referring again to FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, valve 14 is a magnetically latching solenoid valve. In this embodiment, valve 14 may have an internal diaphragm that can be hydraulically maintained in the open position. In another embodiment, valve 14 is a custom valve with similar operating characteristics.
[0033] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 6 , in one embodiment, solenoid 16 is 2/2 magnetically latching bistable solenoid having a coil resistance of 18±1 Ω and an operating voltage range of 6-12 V DC. Solenoid 16 in this embodiment can operate with latching valve 14 at a power down to 5 V DC and with a pulse width of 0.020 seconds (to close) and 0.060 seconds (to open). Operation under these parameters maximizes battery life for bistable latching solenoids. In position 1 46 on FIG. 6 , if valve 14 is in the closed position and coil is supplied with voltage pulsed current 64 having a pulse width of 60 mS at inputs 60 and 62 , valve 14 is placed in the open position where it remains until supplied with additional power. Supply of additional power is shown in Position 2 48 of FIG. 6 . Here, when valve 14 is opened by supplying current as occurs in position 1 , valve 14 can only be closed by again supplying pulsed current 66 . Valve 14 remains in the closed or off position until additional power is supplied again. Further detail regarding this operation is outlined in relation to the control circuitry discussed below.
[0034] Those skilled in the art can appreciate that timing durations, solenoid driver devices, battery voltage, input control, and the like will be dependent upon application specific “latching solenoids” having unique operational requirements. Because various application specific “latching solenoids” can be used to control a variety of different types and sizes of flow valves, one embodiment of a bistable latching solenoid control circuit 50 in accordance with the present invention is discussed hereinafter without specifying particular timing durations, solenoid driver devices, battery voltage, input control, and the like.
[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8 , there is shown a schematic diagram 52 of bistable latching solenoid control circuit 50 . The circled alphabetical references (A) through (L) are used as operational reference points referring to the application of power to circuit 50 and the power preconditioning that initializes operation of circuit 50 . These circled alphabetical references also correspond to information in the circuit diagram of FIG. 8 and the timing diagram of FIGS. 9( a )-( c ) as follows: “A” represents an input stage. “B” represents an input pulse delay. “C” represents a power preset. “D” represents a two input Schmitt Trigger NAND gate. “E” represents a positive edge triggered one shot pulse. “F” represents a positive edge triggered one shot pulse inverter. “G” represents a positive triggered one shot pulse delay. “H” represents a negative edge triggered one shot pulse. “I” represents a negative edge triggered one shot pulse inverter. “J” represents a negative edge triggered one shot pulse delay. “K” represents a latching solenoid line 1 for unlatch control. “L” represents a latching solenoid line 2 for latch control.
[0036] Referring in more detail to FIG. 7 , schematic diagram 52 illustrates the existence of an input stage 70 which will receive a latched or unlatched signal at its input. Input stage 70 also receives power from battery 100 which has its output limited by a current limiting resister 102 . An output from input stage 70 is then passed to an input pulse delay 72 which will feed one side of a two input Schmitt Trigger NAND gate 76 . In addition, a power preset circuit 74 supplies a second input to Schmitt Trigger NAND gate 76 (in addition to any necessary power signals). The output from two input Schmitt Trigger NAND gate 76 is then provided to a pair of one shot pulse generators: negative edge triggered pulse generator 78 and positive edge triggered pulse generator 80 . As will be recognized, each of these circuits will generate pulses at appropriate times in response to received falling or rising edges of pulses, received at the respective input. Connected to the output of negative edge triggered pulse generator 78 is an inverter 92 along with a pulse delay circuit 94 . Inverter 92 feeds a high side MOSFET switch 98 , while pulse delay circuit 94 feeds a low side MOSFET switch 96 . Similarly, outputs from positive edge triggered one shot pulse generator 80 is provided to inverter 82 and pulse delay 84 . Inverter 82 then feeds high side MOSFET switch 86 while pulse delay circuit 84 will feed a low side MOSFET switch 88 . As discussed in greater detail below, each of these components cooperate with one another to provide appropriate control of latching solenoid 90 .
[0037] Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9( a )-( c ), component references (R 1 , C 1 , U 1 , and the like) are used to identify certain components of circuit 50 which are configured to carry out the desired operation. Further, these references are also referring to the application of power to circuit 50 and the power preconditioning that initializes operation.
[0038] Circuit 50 depicted in FIGS. 7-9( a )-( c ) is designed using complimentary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) technology for water level indication and Schmitt Trigger gating to obtain low frequency operation and low power consumption ideal for battery applications. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that various level indication and gating technology can be used when designing circuit 50 for various applications, including but not limited to control of substances other than water.
[0039] Circuit 50 performs one of two stable control operations based upon the input state “unlatch” or “latch” for latching style solenoids. Circuit 50 is powered by a single DC power source. When the DC power is applied to the circuit it will perform a solenoid “unlatch” operation as part of its power preconditioning initialization state. After the power preconditioning operation the circuit will respond to its input state. If the input state is “unlatch” then no further operation is performed. If the input state is “latch” then the circuit will perform the “latch” solenoid operation routine.
[0040] The “unlatch” and “latch” input control commands each initialize one fixed pulse to trigger the bistable latching solenoid. The input pulse is time delayed which limits how fast circuit 50 can toggle between the two input control states preventing both circuit paths from simultaneously actuating the solenoid operation. Bistable control of the latching solenoid requires bi-directional electrical current. In between a change of input states, circuit 50 will default to sleep mode for low power consumption.
[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 9( a )-( c ) there is depicted a timing diagram which illustrates operation in accordance with the design of circuit 50 in the present invention. T 1 through T 9 along the top of the FIG. 9( a ) are used to identify timing events. The timing events show the specific logic level states (“0” or “1”) for timing identifiers listed along the left side of FIGS. 9( a )-( c ). These timing identifiers correlate with circled alphabetical references (A) through (L) and also correspond to like indicators on FIGS. 7 and 8 .
[0042] Referring specifically to FIG. 9( a ), there is shown a timing diagram for the application of power to circuit 50 and the power preconditioning that initializes operation of circuit 50 where the input state is set to “LATCH.” Timing Event T 1 represents the application of DC power to circuit 50 . As previously discussed, circuit 50 can be powered by a single DC power supply source (+V BATT). When power is applied to circuit 50 , input bias voltage level (A) will begin to charge capacitor C 2 through resistor R 7 (B). Likewise, the applied power will begin to charge capacitor C 3 through resistor R 5 (C). In the power preconditioning stage, the input to U 1 C pin 9 will be at logic level “0” (C) until the capacitor C 3 charge voltage exceeds the Logic Threshold Value (LTV) (Timing Event T 5 ). Similarly, until the capacitor C 2 charge voltage exceeds the LTV (Timing Event T 6 ) the input to U 1 C pin 8 will be logic level “0” (B). As will be appreciated, U 1 C corresponds to the two input Schmitt Trigger NAND gate 76 as illustrated in FIG. 7 .
[0043] With both inputs to U 1 C equal to logic level “0” the U 1 C pin 10 output (D) will be logic level “1” triggering the positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse (E). (Again, corresponding to pulse generator 80 shown in FIG. 7 .) The positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse (E) will begin to charge capacitor C 6 through resistor R 12 . The inverted positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse will bias the high side MOSFET Q 3 into conduction (F). The pulse is inverted by UC 2 (inverter 82 ) to provide this signal.
[0044] Timing Event T 2 represents the beginning of the “UNLATCH” solenoid pulse. This is provided by an appropriate delay using pulse delay 84 . Specifically, when capacitor C 6 charge voltage exceeds the LTV of the U 3 A pin 1 & 2 input the delayed positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse (G) will bias the low side MOSFET Q 4 into conduction initializing the latching solenoid “UNLATCHED” state (K).
[0045] Timing Event T 3 represents the end of the “UNLATCH” solenoid pulse. When the positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse (E) completes the one pulse time period it will switch to logic level “0”. The inverted positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse (F) will bias the high side MOSFET Q 3 into non-conduction de-energizing the solenoid (K) and causing a “free wheeling current,” or inductive kickback, from the inductive load of the solenoid.
[0046] Timing Event T 4 represents dampening of the free wheeling current, or inductive kickback, from the solenoid. The positive triggered “one shot” pulse (E) logic “0” will begin to discharge capacitor C 6 through resistor R 12 . When capacitor C 6 discharge voltage drops below the LTV the delayed positive edge triggered “one shot” pulse (G) will bias the low side MOSFET Q 4 into non-conduction and the unlatch cycle of the solenoid is complete. During the time period between T 3 and T 4 the MOSFET Q 4 remains conductive allowing its internal “drain to source” protection zener diode to forward conduct the “free wheeling current” caused by the inductive load of the solenoid.
[0047] Timing Event T 5 represents the end of power preconditioning. When the capacitor (C 3 ) charge voltage exceeds the LTV (from Timing Event T 1 ) the input to U 1 C pin 9 will be logic level “1” (C). As illustrated, Capacitor C 3 and resister R 5 correlate to power preset circuit 74 . The circuit will remain in this state until further events are encountered.
[0048] Timing Event T 6 represents operation of the solenoid with “LATCH” as the input command. This change will be in response to a change at the input, thus indicating that fluid is no longer present at the desired level. When the capacitor (C 2 ) charge voltage exceeds the LTV (from Timing Event T 1 ) the input to U 1 C pin 8 will be logic level “1” (B). With both inputs to U 1 C set to logic level “1” the U 1 C pin 10 output (D) will be logic level “0” and will trigger the negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (H), which is generated by the components making up pulse generator 78 . The negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (H) will begin to charge capacitor C 4 through resistor R 6 of pulse delay 94 . The inverted negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (inverted by inverter 92 ) will bias the high side MOSFET Q 1 into conduction (I).
[0049] Timing Event T 7 represents the beginning of the “LATCH” solenoid pulse. When capacitor C 4 charge voltage exceeds the LTV of the U 1 D pin 12 & 13 input delayed negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (J) will bias the low side MOSFET Q 2 into conduction initializing the latching solenoid “LATCHED” state (L).
[0050] Timing Event T 8 represents the end of the “LATCH” solenoid pulse. When the negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (H) completes the one pulse time period it will switch to logic “0”. The inverted negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (I) will bias the high side MOSFET Q 1 into non-conduction de-energizing the solenoid (L) and causing a “free wheeling current” (inductive kickback) from the inductive load of the solenoid.
[0051] Timing Event T 9 represents dampening of the “free wheeling” current from the Solenoid. The negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (H) logic level “ 0 ” will begin to discharge capacitor C 4 through resistor R 6 . When capacitor C 4 discharge voltage drops below the LTV the delayed negative edge triggered “one shot” pulse (J) will bias the low side MOSFET Q 2 into non-conduction and the latch cycle of the solenoid is complete. During the time period between T 8 and T 9 the MOSFET Q 2 remains conductive allowing its internal “drain to source” protection zener diode to forward conduct the “free wheeling current” caused by the inductive load of the solenoid.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 9( b ), there is shown a timing diagram for operation of circuit 50 when the input changes to the “UNLATCH” state. Referring now to FIG. 9( c ), there is shown a timing diagram for operation of circuit 50 when the input changes again to the “LATCH” state.
[0053] While the invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims and their equivalents.
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A fluid control circuit system is capable of maintaining fluid within a fluid tank at a desired level using electronic sensors and control circuitry, where the control circuitry and actuators are configured for low power consumption, thus allowing operation to be powered by a self contained internal power supply. To provide appropriate fluid control, the system includes a fluid sensor indicating if fluid is at a predetermined level, control circuitry attached to the fluid sensor, a latching solenoid attached to the control circuitry and also attached to a fluid control valve, and an internal power supply to power all electrical components.
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PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] The present application claims priority from PCT/EP2008/053625, filed 27 Mar. 2008, which claims priority from EP Application 07105070.2, filed 28 Mar. 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In the industry of hydrocarbon fluid production from a wellbore it is common practice to complete a lower section of the wellbore, extending into the hydrocarbon fluid-bearing formation, with a completion that stabilises the wellbore wall and/or reduces sand production from the wellbore. For example, screens or gravel packs are generally placed in open-hole wellbore sections to support the wellbore wall and prevent caving-in of loose material, and to restrain sand from flowing with the formation fluids to surface. Basically, gravel packing includes the steps of installing a production liner provided with small inlet openings, e.g. in the form of slots or screens, in the wellbore and then filling the annular space between the production liner and the wellbore wall with particulate material such as sand and gravel. The resulting gravel pack maintains structural integrity of the wellbore in the absence of a casing, while still allowing flow of fluid from the reservoir into the wellbore. Screens and gravel packs also control the migration of formation sands into production tubulars and surface equipment, which can cause washouts and other problems, particularly from unconsolidated sand formations. After a flow path is made, acids and fracturing fluids can be pumped into the wellbore to fracture, clean, or otherwise prepare and stimulate the reservoir rock to optimally produce hydrocarbons into the wellbore. Finally the wellbore is sealed-off above the reservoir section, inside the casing, and connected to the surface via one or more production tubings.
[0003] In the description and claims hereinafter the terms “wellbore” and “borehole” will be used interchangably, and without intended difference of the meaning of such terms.
[0004] Many wellbores are drilled such that a lower wellbore section extends inclined or horizontally into the reservoir formation to increase the contact length of the wellbore with the reservoir formation. For example, wells that are drilled from an offshore platform all deviate in different directions so that hydrocarbon fluid can be produced from a large surface area of the reservoir formation. Although deviated and horizontal wellbore sections significantly enhance the production potential of a wellbore, particularly when compared to vertical wellbores, it has been experienced that problems may occur in properly installing completions in such deviated or horizontal wellbore sections. One such problem relates to the proper placement of a gravel pack. Generally, gravel packs are installed using a liner provided with a cross-over sub assembly to allow a slurry of particulate material and viscous fluid to be pumped through the liner and the cross-over sub assembly into the annulus of a lower wellbore section where the particulate material settles out of the slurry. The viscous fluid is then circulated back via the cross-over sub assembly and the annulus between the liner and the wellbore wall (or casing), to surface. Experience has shown that in an inclined or horizontal section it is difficult, if not impossible, to fill the entire annular space between the liner and the wellbore wall with the gravel pack particulate material. This is due to the particulate material that settles out of the slurry, tending to fall to the bottom of the inclined or horizontal wellbore section so that an upper portion of the wellbore section remains uncovered with particulate material.
[0005] As a result, an undesired flow passage remains above the gravel pack, which allows fluid to flow in longitudinal direction through the wellbore section thereby bypassing the gravel pack. This can lead to several problems such as, for example, the ability of locally produced sand from the formation to spread along the length of the gravel pack thereby potentially negatively affecting the permeability of the entire gravel pack. Another problem becomes apparent if a treatment fluid needs to be injected via the liner into the open-hole section. The treatment fluid will tend to flow through the flow passage above the gravel pack, thereby rendering it impossible to accurately position the treatment fluid at a desired location in the open-hole section. For example, if a portion of the open-hole section needs to be shut-off in order to reduce or prevent formation water from flowing into the wellbore, a treatment fluid is preferably used that reduces or eliminates the permeability of the gravel pack at the location where the water flows into the wellbore. However it has been experienced that the injected treatment fluid tends to flow through the flow passage above the gravel pack thereby spreading in the open-hole section and potentially affecting the permeability of the entire gravel instead of at the desired location only.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,456 discloses a wellbore completion assembly whereby a horizontal wellbore section is provided with a fluid-permeable liner provided with a cross-over sub and vanes for imparting a spiralling flow to a gravel pack slurry which is pumped into the horizontal wellbore section. The spiralling flow is intended to enhance the distribution of gravel pack particulate material in the horizontal wellbore section.
[0007] However there remains a need for an improved wellbore system and completion method, which overcomes the problems of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the invention there is provided a wellbore system comprising a borehole formed in an earth formation, the borehole having a borehole section containing a volume of gravel pack particles and at least one body of a swellable material, each body of swellable material being adapted to expand from an unexpanded state to an expanded state upon contact of the swellable material with a selected fluid, wherein a flow passage is present in said borehole section allowing fluid to bypass the volume of gravel pack particles when the body of swellable material is in the unexpanded state, and wherein the body of swellable material is arranged to substantially close the flow passage upon expansion of the body of swellable material to the expanded state.
[0009] Thus, by swelling of the swellable material, the flow passage becomes closed or vanishes, so that fluid no longer can flow unhindered in longitudinal direction through the borehole section. Also, locally produced sand is thereby prevented from spreading along the entire gravel pack, but instead remains in the wellbore location where it was produced. Furthermore, treatment fluid that is injected into the wellbore is confined to the injection location rather than spreading along the gravel pack.
[0010] In an advantageous embodiment, the body of swellable material is arranged to push the volume of gravel pack particles into the flow passage upon swelling of the swellable material, so that the flow passage gets blocked. Also, the body of swellable material, after expansion, can be arranged to completely fill the cross-section of the borehole section and thereby block the flow passage.
[0011] Suitably, the body of swellable material includes a sleeve arranged around a tubular element extending into said borehole section. The tubular element is, for example, a production liner provided with slots, openings or screens for the inflow of hydrocarbon fluid from the formation.
[0012] Movement of the volume of gravel pack particles into the flow passage is optimal if the sleeve is at least partly covered by the volume of gravel pack particles.
[0013] Preferably the tubular element is provided with a plurality of said sleeves mutually spaced along the tubular element. In this manner it is ensured that the annular space between the tubular element and the wellbore wall is formed into compartments which prevent fluid or formation sand from bypassing the gravel pack. In such arrangement the tubular element is suitably provided with fluid inlet means arranged at a portion of the tubular element located between a pair of adjacent sleeves.
[0014] In an alternative application, said at least one body of swellable material includes a plurality of particles of swellable material. Such application has the advantage that the particles of swellable material can be pumped into the wellbore section, and are allowed to flow into irregular wellbore portions. Preferably the particles of swellable material are intermixed with the gravel pack particles. To achieve adequate intermixing, the particles of swellable material and the gravel pack particles suitably have about equal density. This can be achieved, for example, by providing the particles of swellable material with a weighting material so as to increase their density. A suitable weighting material is Iron powder or a similar material. Since the function of the weighting material is to adapt the density of the swellable particles to the density of the gravel pack particles, a weighting material may be applied that lowers the density of the swellable particles in case the density of the swellable particles, absent the weighting material, exceeds the density of the gravel pack particles.
[0015] The wellbore system of the invention is most advantageous for application in wellbore sections that extend inclined or substantially horizontally. This is because it is generally difficult, if not impossible, to fill the entire cross-section of such inclined or substantially horizontal wellbore section with gravel particles. In most such applications an undesired flow passage remains above the volume of gravel pack particles.
[0016] Furthermore, the selected fluid can be fluid from the earth formation flowing into the wellbore section, such as water or oil, or fluid that is pumped from surface into the wellbore section.
[0017] In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of completing a borehole formed in an earth formation, the method comprising:
[0018] inserting a volume of gravel pack particles into a borehole section of the borehole;
[0019] inserting at least one body of swellable material into the borehole section, each body of swellable material being adapted to expand from an unexpanded state to an expanded state upon contact of the swellable material with a selected fluid, wherein a flow passage is present in said borehole section allowing fluid to bypass the volume of gravel pack particles when the body of swellable material is in the unexpanded state, and wherein the body of swellable material is arranged to substantially close the flow passage upon expansion of the body of swellable material to the expanded state; and
[0020] allowing the body of swellable material to expand due to contact of the swellable material with the selected fluid, thereby substantially closing the flow passage.
[0021] Preferably the body of swellable material pushes the volume of gravel pack particles into the flow passage upon swelling of the swellable material.
[0022] To allow accurate placement of a treatment fluid in the borehole section, the method suitably further comprises injecting a treatment fluid into the volume of gravel pack material after the volume of gravel pack material is pushed into the flow passage. For example, if the purpose of the treatment fluid is to shut-off a selected portion of the wellbore, the treatment fluid suitably is adapted to locally reduce or eliminate the permeability of the gravel pack material in such portion.
[0023] The swellable material may be an elastomer adapted to swell when in contact with water and/or oil. Examples of materials that swell upon contact with hydrocarbon fluid are natural rubber, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, acrylate butadiene rubber, poly acrylate rubber, butyl rubber, brominated butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, chlorinated polyethylene, neoprene rubber, styrene butadiene copolymer rubber, sulphonated polyethylene, ethylene acrylate rubber, epichlorohydrin ethylene oxide copolymer, ethylene-propylene-copolymer (peroxide crosslinked), ethylene-propylene-copolymer (sulphur crosslinked), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, fluoro rubbers, fluoro silicone rubber, and silicone rubbers. Preferred materials are EP(D)M rubber (ethylene-propylene-copolymer, either peroxide or sulphur crosslinked), EPT rubber (ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber), butyl rubber, brominated butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, or chlorinated polyethylene.
[0024] Instead of, or in addition to, the swellable material being adapted to swell upon contact with hydrocarbon fluid, the swellable material may be adapted to swell upon contact with water. Suitably, such water-swellable material may be selected from rubbers based on acrylonitrile butadiene (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile butadiene (HNBR), acrylonitrile butadiene carboxy monomer (XNBR), fluorinated hydrocarbon (FKM), perfluoroelastomers (FFKM), tetrafluoroethylene/propylene (TFE/P), or ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). In order to enhance the swelling capacity of the water-swellable material, even for saline water conditions, said material suitably is a matrix material wherein a compound soluble in water is incorporated in the matrix material in a manner that the matrix material substantially prevents or restricts migration of the compound out of the swellable seal and allows migration of water into the swellable seal by osmosis so as to induce swelling of the swellable seal upon migration of said water into the swellable seal. Said compound suitably comprises a salt, for example at least 20 weight % salt based on the combined weight of the matrix material and the salt, preferably at least 35 weight % salt based on the combined weight of the matrix material and the salt. In order to prevent, or reduce, leaching of the compound out of the matrix material, it is preferred that the matrix material is substantially impermeable to said compound or to ions of said compound. The compound can be present in the matrix material, for example, in the form of a plurality of compound particles dispersed in the matrix material. If the matrix material is an elastomer, the compound can be mixed into the matrix material prior to vulcanisation thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The invention will be described hereinafter in more detail and by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0026] FIG. 1 schematically shows a borehole extending into an earth formation, provided with an embodiment of the wellbore system of the invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 schematically shows detail A of FIG. 1 ;
[0028] FIG. 3 schematically shows cross-section 3 - 3 of FIG. 2 ;
[0029] FIG. 4 schematically shows detail A of FIG. 1 after swelling of a body of swellable material; and
[0030] FIG. 5 schematically shows cross-section 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Referring initially to FIG. 1 , there is shown a borehole extending into an earth formation 2 , in the form of wellbore 1 having a vertical upper wellbore section 4 provided with a scheme of casings and an open-hole lower section 8 that extends substantially horizontally into a reservoir zone 10 containing hydrocarbon fluid. For ease of reference, the scheme of casings is referred to hereinafter as casing 6 . A tubular production liner 12 extends from a wellhead 14 at surface 16 through the upper wellbore section 4 and into open-hole lower section 8 , whereby a production packer 18 seals the production liner 12 to the lower end of the casing 6 . Production liner 12 has a lower part 20 provided with a plurality of sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d of elastomeric material susceptible of swelling with a selected fluid, such as water and/or oil. In the present example, the elastomeric material is selected to swell upon contact with oil from reservoir zone 10 . Sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c , 22 d are spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of the liner 12 , whereby liner portions 24 between sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d are provided with small openings or slots 23 ( FIG. 2 ), which provide fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the liner 12 . Liner portions 24 can be provided in the form of sandscreens, slotted pipes or other devices suitable for inflow of produced hydrocarbon fluid into liner 12 , or outflow of treatment fluid from liner 12 into wellbore 1 . The open-hole section 8 of wellbore 1 is furthermore provided with a gravel pack 26 containing particulate material such as gravel, sand and the like, as is well known in wellbore completions. For ease of reference the volume of gravel pack particles 26 is referred to hereinafter as “gravel pack 26 .”
[0032] Referring further to FIGS. 2 and 3 , there is shown detail A of FIG. 1 , including open-hole section 8 provided with gravel pack 26 and liner 12 . Only one elastomeric sleeve 22 b is shown for ease of reference, the other elastomeric sleeves 22 a, 22 c, 22 d being similar to sleeve 22 b. Gravel pack 26 does not occupy the entire cross-sectional area of the open-hole section 8 , but instead leaves a flow passage 30 in the open-hole section 8 through which fluid can flow in axial direction of the open-hole section 8 and thereby bypass the gravel pack 26 .
[0033] In FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown detail A of FIG. 1 after swelling of the elastomer of sleeve 22 b due to contact with water or oil from the earth formation, whereby sleeve 22 b has increased in diameter and thereby has pushed gravel pack 26 into flow passage 30 . As a result, flow passage 30 is blocked, or in other words, the flow passage vanishes at the location opposite the sleeve 22 b so that fluid no longer can bypass gravel pack 26 .
[0034] During normal operation, wellbore 1 is drilled from surface 16 using a drilling rig (not shown), and casings 6 are installed in vertical wellbore section 4 . Production liner 12 is then installed in the wellbore so that sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d of swellable elastomer are located in the reservoir zone 10 of earth formation 2 . Thereafter, a slurry of gravel pack particles and a viscous fluid, such as crude oil or a polymer-type water-based fluid, is pumped into open-hole section 8 of wellbore 1 . For this purpose, end part 20 of production liner 12 is provided with a cross-over sub assembly (not shown) that packs off open-hole section 8 and allows the gravel pack slurry to be pumped via liner 12 into a portion of open-hole section 8 below the cross-over assembly. There the gravel pack particles settle out from the slurry in open-hole section 8 to form gravel pack 26 , while the viscous fluid is circulated back to surface via the cross-over sub assembly and the annulus formed between liner 12 and wellbore wall or casing 6 . The cross-over sub assembly will not be described in more detail since it does not form part of the invention, and since it is a well known tool for completing wellbores. Production packer 18 is installed between the 12 and the lower end of casing 6 after gravel pack 26 has been placed in wellbore 1 .
[0035] Although it is desired that gravel pack 26 occupies the entire annular space between liner part 20 and the wall of open-hole section 8 , it has proved difficult, or even impossible, to fill the entire annular space with gravel pack particles. The problem is more pronounced in horizontal, or inclined, wellbore sections where the particles have a tendency due to gravity to fall to the lower side of the wellbore section. Thus, in the present instance of substantially horizontal open-hole section 8 , it is almost inevitable that the flow passage 30 remains between the volume of gravel pack particles 26 and the wellbore wall.
[0036] When oil starts flowing from reservoir zone 10 into open-hole section 8 , such oil contacts sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d, thereby inducing the elastomer of the sleeves to swell. As a result sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d expand in diameter and thereby push gravel pack 26 into flow passage 30 which, as a result, gradually vanishes at the location of sleeves 22 a , 22 b, 22 c, 22 d. After sleeves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d have expanded, gravel pack 26 completely fills the annular space between each sleeve 22 a, 22 b, 22 c, 22 d and the wellbore wall in open-hole section 8 . In this manner, gravel pack 26 divides open-hole section 8 into compartments that prevent free flow of fluid and rock particles through the open-hole section 8 in longitudinal direction thereof. Thus, sand particles from the rock formation can only locally flow into gravel pack 26 rather than flowing along the whole length thereof as in the prior art. It is thereby achieved that any negative effect on the permeability of gravel pack 26 as a result of such inflow of sand particles is confined to local spots of the gravel pack. Oil from reservoir zone 10 flows through gravel pack 26 into openings or slots 23 and from there through liner 12 to surface.
[0037] The method of the invention also enables better placement of treatment fluid in open-hole section 8 of the wellbore. For example, if such fluid is pumped via liner 12 and openings 23 into open-hole section 8 , the fluid can no longer freely flow in longitudinal direction through the open-hole section 8 by virtue of the compartments formed in gravel pack 26 . This allows the treatment fluid to be placed more accurately in open-hole section 8 . In an exemplary application, it may be desired to shut-off a selected portion of open-hole section 8 if after some time of continued oil production, formation water starts flowing into such portion of open-hole section 8 . A treatment fluid that substantially reduces, or eliminates, the permeability of gravel pack 26 is then pumped via production liner 12 and openings 23 into gravel pack 26 at the selected location. Due to the compartments formed in gravel pack 26 , the treatment cannot freely flow in longitudinal direction through open-hole section 8 , so that the treatment fluid can be accurately placed at the desired location of gravel pack 26 . As a result, only the desired portion of open-hole section 8 is shut-off, while other portions of open-hole section 8 remain unaffected by the treatment fluid.
[0038] In an alternative embodiment of the wellbore system of the invention, particles of swellable material susceptible of swelling upon contact with water and/or oil are intermixed with the particulate material of the gravel pack. Suitably such particles of swellable material are made of one or more of the swellable elastomers described hereinbefore. The elastomer particles can be mixed into the gravel pack slurry at surface and pumped with the slurry into the wellbore section. Also the gravel pack slurry can be pumped first into the wellbore, whereafter the elastomer particles are pumped into the gravel pack. Upon flow of oil or water from the earth formation into the wellbore section, the elastomer particles start swelling. As a result the volume of the combined gravel pack particles and elastomer particles increases so that the volume is pushed into the flow passage which thereby gradually becomes blocked and eventually completely vanishes. In this manner it is achieved that injected fluid, such as treatment fluid, and sand particles from the formation can no longer bypass the gravel pack.
[0039] In the above detailed description it is indicated that the body of swellable material or the swellable particles swell by contact with oil or water from the earth formation. However it is envisaged that swelling of the swellable body or the swellable particles also can be triggered by inducing the selected fluid to flow from surface into the borehole, for example by pumping oil or water into the borehole to contact the body of swellable material or the swellable particles.
[0040] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the procedure described hereinbefore, whereby a slurry of gravel pack particles and a viscous fluid is pumped into the wellbore, includes applications whereby the gravel particles not only are pumped into the open-hole section of the wellbore, but also into fractures of the earth formation which are in communication with the wellbore. Such applications are sometimes referred to as “frac and pack.”
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A wellbore system comprises a borehole formed in an earth formation, the borehole having a borehole section containing a volume of gravel pack particles and at least one body of a swellable material. Each body of swellable material is adapted to expand from an unexpanded state to an expanded state upon contact of the swellable material with a selected fluid, wherein a flow passage is present in said borehole section allowing fluid to bypass the volume of gravel pack particles when the body of swellable material is in the unexpanded state. The body of swellable material is arranged to substantially close the flow passage upon expansion of the body of swellable material to the expanded state.
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BACKGROUND
[0001] This disclosure is related to the field of analysis of fluid production from subsurface wellbores to evaluate expected future fluid production and ultimate total fluid production therefrom. More specifically, the disclosure relates to methods for statistical analysis of time-dependent fluid production rate and cumulative produced fluid volume measurements to obtain improved estimates of future fluid production rate and ultimate cumulative production volumes.
[0002] Statistical prediction of well fluid production rates is known in the art for use in estimating wellbore reserves and wellbore economic value. Several methods known in the art are used to quantify the uncertainty in wellbore fluid production forecasts, which is useful for representing a range of reserves in accordance with United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reserves reporting rules, and estimating the chance of commercial success of oil and gas wells given the inherent uncertainty in forecasting.
[0003] Production forecasts are engineering interpretations of fluid production volumetric or mass rate data to predict the performance of hydrocarbon producing (oil and gas) wells. Data used for production forecasts may be obtained from disparate sources, but most often when a wellbore is already producing fluids (including oil and/or gas), the data used are typically solely measurements of production rates. The fluid production rate is often displayed on a Cartesian coordinate graph wherein the fluid production rate is shown on the y-axis, and the time of measurement shown on the x-axis. An example fluid production rate graph is shown in FIG. 1 . Many different versions of the same basic data display also known in the art to be used, such as log-log and semi-log axis display of the same fluid production rate data (shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 ), as well as other transforms of the fluid production rate data. These manipulations and transforms may identify different trends used to characterize the change in fluid production rate over time, and to evaluate the quality of the fit of a model to the fluid production rate measurement data. A model may be a representation of inferred physical characteristics of a particular subsurface reservoir, such as fluid pressure, fractional volumes of pore space occupied by oil, gas and water, viscosities and composition of the reservoir fluids, geometry of the reservoir, and the drive mechanism by which fluid is moved from the reservoir to the Earth's surface.
[0004] Interpretation of the fluid production rate measurement data to generate a fluid production rate and/or cumulative produced fluid volume forecast is usually performed by analysis of the interpreter in a process of “tuning ” Estimates of the parameters used in the model used for forecasting may be obtained from interpretation or diagnosis of the fluid production rate measurement data, or, when the data displays no strong indications, from analogous data such as data from geodetically proximate (“offset”) wells or subsurface reservoirs having similar characteristics. For example, a wellbore having a well-defined fluid production rate measurement trend is shown in FIG. 4 , while a wellbore having fluid production rate measurement data that may be characterized as “noisy” is shown in FIG. 5 .
[0005] Interpretation of fluid production rate measurement data using known techniques such as curve fitting to generate fluid production rate forecasts and/or cumulative fluid production volume forecasts typically does not include a calculation of error between the forecast and the measurement data. Such forecasts are typically performed by a human interpreter and are based at least in part on informed but subjective judgment of the human interpreter. There are limitations associated with forecasting based on such human interpretation including, for example, difficulties associated with consistently reproducing interpretations among different human interpreters, non-uniqueness of interpretations among interpreters, the inability to rapidly make interpretations using computer algorithms, the inability to quantify the uncertainty inherent in any prediction of future well production, and the requirement that the interpreter be highly skilled in the art of fluid production rate measurement data interpretation so as to make subjective judgments well informed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 shows a graph of production data with production rate on the y-axis, and the time of measurement on the x-axis in Cartesian coordinates.
[0007] FIG. 2 shows a graph such as in FIG. 1 with a logarithmic scale on the y-axis.
[0008] FIG. 3 shows a graph such as in FIG. 1 with a logarithmic scale on both axes.
[0009] FIG. 4 shows a graph such as FIG. 1 for an example well having a well-defined production decline trend with respect to time.
[0010] FIG. 5 shows a graph such as FIG. 1 for an example well having what may be described as a “noisy” production rate with respect to time.
[0011] FIG. 6 shows a histogram of distribution of accepted model proposals ranked by estimated ultimate recovery (EUR).
[0012] FIG. 7 shows a cumulative distribution function of accepted model proposals ranked by EUR.
[0013] FIG. 8 shows P90, P50, & P10 percentile neighborhood production forecasts.
[0014] FIG. 9 shows mean percentile neighborhood production forecast.
[0015] FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C show a flow chart of an example method according to the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 11 shows an example computer system for performing analysis according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] In performing analysis methods according to the present disclosure, at selected times a rate of fluid production from a wellbore is measured. The fluid production rate measurements may include measurements of any or all of volumetric and/or mass flow rates of gas, water and oil. Gas production may be quantified volumetrically in units of thousands of standard cubic feet per day (wherein the volume of gas is corrected to the volume it would occupy at “standard’ conditions of 25 degrees C. and a pressure of 1 bar), Oil and water production may be quantified volumetrically in barrels per day (1 barrel is equal to 42 U.S. gallons). The fluid production rate measurements may be entered into a computer or computer system for processing as will be explained further with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 .
[0018] In analysis methods according to the present disclosure, certain parameters and attributes may be defined. The first nine attributes listed below correspond to a specific production forecast model which may be used in some embodiments. In the present example embodiment the Transient Hyperbolic Model (described below) may be used. Different production forecast models may be used in other embodiments; such other production forecast models may require substitution of or modification of some or all of the below listed attributes for the respective production forecast model's specific parameters.
[0019] 1. Initial Rate Attribute: This attribute is the initial fluid production rate of the model, written as the parameter q 1 .
[0020] 2. Initial Decline Attribute: This attribute is the initial fluid production decline rate used for the production forecast model, expressed herein as the parameter D i .
[0021] 3. Initial Hyperbolic (b-) Parameter Attribute: This attribute is the initial hyperbolic parameter of the production forecast model, also referred to as the b-parameter, hyperbolic exponent, or n-exponent. It is expressed herein as the parameter b i .
[0022] 4. Final Hyperbolic Parameter Attribute: This attribute is the final hyperbolic parameter of the production forecast model, expressed herein as the parameter b f .
[0023] 5. Time to End of Linear Flow Attribute: This attribute is the time to the end of linear flow of the production forecast model, expressed herein as the parameter t etf .
[0024] 6. Distribution of Initial Decline Attribute: This attribute is an estimate of a range of possible values for the Initial Decline Attribute. This attribute constrains randomly generated production forecast models and production forecast model parameters to within boundaries determined, by, for example, expert opinion (i.e., informed, subjective human judgment), allowing for more accurate fluid production forecasts. Any type of distribution may be used. In some embodiments a uniform distribution is used.
[0025] 7. Distribution of final b-parameter Attribute: This attribute is an estimate of the range of possible values for the b-parameter. This attribute constrains randomly generated models and model parameters to within boundaries determined, by, for example, expert opinion (i.e., informed, subjective human judgment), allowing for more accurate fluid production forecasts. Any type of distribution may be used. In some embodiments a uniform distribution is used.
[0026] 8. Distribution of time to end of linear flow (0 Attribute: This attribute is an estimate of a range of possible values for the t eif parameter. This attribute constrains randomly generated models and model parameters to within boundaries determined, by, for example, expert opinion (i.e., informed, subjective human judgment), allowing for more accurate fluid production forecasts. Any type of distribution may be used. In some embodiments a log-normal distribution is used.
[0027] 9. Prior Likelihood of Model Parameter Attribute: This attribute is the likelihood of any model parameter represented by a probability distribution. This attribute is useful for measuring likelihood of any fluid production model parameter given an expert opinion (i.e., an informed, subjective human judgment) of the fluid production model parameter's distribution. For a uniform probability distribution, the likelihood is normalized by itself and therefore expresses no substantial indication of the likelihood of any parameter value within bounds of the distribution, but only that the fluid production model parameter must fall within the bounds expressed. This is referred to as an uninformative prior. For a parameter in which an informative prior is used as a distribution, such as the time to end of linear flow attribute, this attribute is defined as:
[0000]
π
(
θ
|
q
i
,
D
i
,
b
i
,
b
f
,
t
elf
)
=
1
2
π
t
elf
σ
t
elf
-
(
L
N
(
t
elf
)
-
μ
t
elf
)
2
2
σ
t
elf
2
*
…
etc
[0028] Using the likelihood of the time to end of linear flow parameter as an example for the prior likelihood, the prior likelihood may be substituted for any fluid production model parameter, as well as the product of likelihood of multiple fluid production model parameters.
[0029] The following attributes are general to the present disclosure and are not related to any specific production forecast model that may be used.
[0030] 10. Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute evaluates the logarithm residuals between the input data (the fluid production rate measurements with respect to time) and the values of fluid production with respect to time calculated by a specific fluid production forecast model at corresponding values of time. The logarithm residuals may be evaluated for every fluid production rate input data point (i.e., the fluid production rate measurements and time at which the measurements were made), and may be expressed as:
[0000] ε=ln(data)−ln(model)
[0031] 11. Standard Deviation of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute is a measure of the standard deviation of the above described logarithm residuals, ε. This attribute is useful for measuring a difference in curvature between the input data and the forecast values for any particular fluid production forecast model. This attribute may be expressed as:
[0000]
σ
ɛ
=
1
n
-
1
∑
i
=
1
n
(
ɛ
i
-
ɛ
_
)
2
[0000] where n represents the number of input data points being evaluated, and ε is the logarithm residual. ε represents the average of all values of logarithm residuals.
[0032] 12. Minimum Standard Deviation of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute is the minimum standard deviation of logarithm residuals determined during the evaluation of any particular fluid production forecast model. This attribute may be determined by means of a genetic algorithm as each of a plurality of fluid production forecast models is randomly generated from a prior “accepted” (defined below) fluid production forecast model. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000] σ ε min =min[σ ε ]
[0033] 13. Distribution of Standard Deviation of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute represents the distribution of the standard deviation of logarithm residuals between the input data and the values calculated by a particular fluid production forecast model. The distribution is assumed to be a normal distribution, with a standard deviation empirically tuned for an optimum rate of acceptance of fluid production forecast models generated, e.g., randomly. This attribute may be expressed as as:
[0000] θ ε ˜ (σ ε min , 0.01)
[0034] 14. Likelihood of Standard Deviation of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute evaluates the likelihood of the standard deviation of logarithm residuals as a function of the normal distribution with a mean of the minimum standard deviation of logarithm residuals, and standard deviation of 0.01. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000]
f
(
θ
ɛ
|
σ
ɛ
)
=
1
2
π
-
1
2
(
(
σ
ɛ
-
σ
ɛ
min
)
2
0.01
2
)
[0035] 15. Magnitude of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute evaluates the magnitude of logarithm residuals between the input data and the values calculated by any particular fluid production forecast model. The magnitude of logarithm residuals may be evaluated for every input data point, and are defined as:
[0000] ε=abs[LN(data)−LN(model)]
[0036] 16. Mean of Magnitude of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute is a measure of the arithmetic mean of the logarithm residuals, ε. This attribute is useful for measuring the absolute error between the input data and the values calculated using an particular fluid production forecast model. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000] μ ε = ε
[0000] where ε is the magnitude of the logarithm residual.
[0037] 17. Minimum Mean of Magnitude of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute is the minimum mean of logarithm residuals measured during the evaluation of any particular fluid production forecast model. This attribute may be determined by means of a genetic algorithm as each fluid production forecast model is randomly generated from a prior accepted fluid production forecast model. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000] μ ε min [μ ε ]
[0038] 18. Distribution of Mean of Magnitude of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute describes the distribution of the mean of magnitude of logarithm residuals between the data and the model fluid production rate forecast. The distribution is assumed to follow a normal distribution, with a standard deviation empirically tuned for an optimum acceptance rate of possible fluid production forecast models, e.g., as generated randomly from a prior accepted fluid production forecast model. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000] θ ε ˜ (μ ε min , 0.1)
[0039] 19. Likelihood of Mean of Magnitude of Logarithm Residuals Attribute: This attribute evaluates the likelihood of the mean of magnitude of logarithm residuals as a function of the normal distribution with a mean of the minimum mean of magnitude of logarithm residuals, and standard deviation of 0.1. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000]
f
(
θ
ε
|
μ
ε
)
=
1
2
π
-
1
2
(
(
μ
ε
-
μ
ε
min
)
2
0.1
2
)
[0040] 20. Likelihood of Model Proposal Attribute: This attribute evaluates the likelihood that a particular fluid production forecast model is an acceptable description of the fluid production rate measurements (i.e., the input data). The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000]
f
(
θ
|
σ
ɛ
,
μ
ε
)
=
1
2
π
-
1
2
(
(
σ
ɛ
-
σ
ɛ
min
)
2
0.01
2
+
(
μ
ε
-
μ
ε
min
)
2
0.1
2
)
*
π
(
θ
|
q
i
,
D
i
,
b
i
,
b
f
,
t
elf
)
[0041] 21. Model Acceptance Attribute: This attribute uses the “Metropolis” algorithm to evaluate the acceptance probability of any particular fluid production forecast model. Each fluid production forecast model is accepted with probability normalized by the likelihood of the prior accepted fluid production forecast model. If the current fluid production forecast model is more likely, it is accepted. Otherwise the fluid production forecast model is accepted with a determinable or determined probability. The attribute may be expressed as:
[0000]
α
=
min
(
1
,
f
(
θ
)
π
(
θ
)
f
(
θ
i
-
1
)
π
(
θ
i
-
1
)
)
[0000] where α is the acceptance probability, θ is the current model proposal, and θ i−1 is the prior accepted fluid production forecast model.
[0042] 22. Distribution of Accepted Model Proposals Attribute: This attribute is the result of the evaluation and acceptance of fluid production forecast models from the fluid production forecast model acceptance attribute. This attribute is the set of possible forecasts, referred to as the statistical distribution of well performance.
[0043] 23. Histogram of Distribution of Accepted Model Proposals Attribute: A histogram or “density function” of the distribution of accepted fluid production forecast models, after ranking by expected ultimate recovery (EUR). This attribute is useful for illustrating the likelihood of the EUR from the accepted fluid production forecast models, and can be observed in FIG. 6 .
[0044] 24. Cumulative Distribution Function of Accepted Model Proposals Attribute:
[0045] The cumulative distribution function of the distribution of accepted fluid production forecast models, after ranking by EUR. This attribute is useful for illustrating the percentiles of the distribution of accepted fluid production forecast models, and can be seen in FIG. 7 .
[0046] 25. Production Forecast of Percentile Neighborhood Attribute: The forecast of a given percentile neighborhood represents features from a plurality accepted fluid production forecast model, as well as the possible accepted fluid production forecast models that are not generated due to limiting the number of iterations in the simulation for the purpose of reducing calculation time. At each percentile of interest, a production forecast representative of the features of a plurality of forecasts proximate the given percentile (hence “percentile neighborhood”) is created by averaging each parameter of the fluid production forecast model among all iterations in the neighborhood. A neighborhood size of +/−1 percentile is typically chosen. The 10 th , 50 th , and 90 th percentiles, referred to as P90, P50, and P10, respectively, are typically chosen for a simplified representation of the full distribution of production forecasts, although any percentile may be chosen. Examples of P90, P50, and P10 forecasts are shown in FIG. 8 . The mean forecast is determined as the percentile neighborhood's forecast which results in the mean EUR. An example of a mean forecast is shown in FIG. 9 .
[0047] Methods according to the present disclosure may use, without limitation, any of the following methods that may be advantageously applied for statistical prediction of fluid production rates, including but not limited to the attributes described above:
[0048] 26. Markov Chain Monte Carlo Method: This method utilizes a Markov chain to generate random model proposals for evaluation of likelihood of acceptance for the set of possible fluid production rate forecasts.
[0049] 27. Production Forecast Method: This method uses a production forecast to calculate an expected time-dependent array of fluid production rates. The results of any forecast are referred to as the “fluid production forecast model”. While any production forecast model may be used, in the present example implementation, the Transient Hyperbolic Model is used.
[0050] 28. Expected Ultimate Recovery Integral Method: This method evaluates the integral of the rate-time array of fluid production rates from a fluid production forecast model to forecast the EUR for such fluid production forecast model.
[0051] 29. Rank of Accepted Model Proposals Method: This method ranks the set of fluid production forecast models by the EUR to evaluate the chance that the EUR of the fluid production forecast models exceed a value of interest. This method is useful for reporting the confidence interval of EUR for the production data that has been analyzed.
[0052] Referring to FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C , an example well fluid production rate analysis method according to the present disclosure will now be explained. In FIG. 10 A, at 10 , fluid production rate measurements with respect to time (i.e., the elapsed time since initiation of fluid production from a wellbore) may be input to a computer or computer system ( FIG. 11 ) programmed to perform a method as described herein. At 12, prior beliefs (e.g., subjective human interpretations) of fluid production forecast model parameters are input to the computer or computer system. The prior beliefs may be represented by attributes 6 through 8 listed above. At 14, random values of parameters for a fluid production rate forecast model for an initial simulation iteration (this is the initial fluid production forecast model and may be represented by parameters 1-5 above) are entered into the computer or computer system.
[0053] At 16, a fluid production rate forecast is generated by the computer or computer system. The fluid production rate forecast may be attribute 27 described above in the present implementation. At 18, differences (errors) between the fluid production rate forecast and the input data fluid production rate measurements (at the time(s) of the measurements) are calculated. The errors may be expressed by attributes 10, 11, 15 and 16 described above At 20, the errors may be stored in the computer or computer system as minimum errors, for example as attributes 12 and 17 set forth above. At 22, the likelihood of a fluid production forecast model relative to minimum errors may be determined by the computer or computer system. This may be performed by the computer or computer system using attributes 12-14 and 18-20 as set forth above.
[0054] In FIG. 10B , at 24, an iterative process, using, for example, the Markov Chain
[0055] Monte Carlo method (attribute 26 as set forth above) may be initiated. At 24A, parameters of a fluid production rate forecast generated using a random walk from a prior accepted fluid production rate forecast model are generated by the computer or computer system. At 24B, a fluid production rate forecast may be generated, e.g., using model attribute 27 as set forth above. At 24C, errors between the fluid production rate forecast and the input data are calculated by the computer or computer system as attributes 10, 11, 15 and 16 set forth above. At 24D, if the current iteration errors are smaller than the previous iteration errors, the current iteration errors are stored in the computer or computer system. At 24E, a likelihood of the fluid production rate forecast model relative to minimum error is calculated by the computer or computer system.
[0056] At 24F, acceptance probability as likelihood relative to the prior accepted fluid production rate forecast model is calculated in the computer or computer system This may be performed using attribute 21 set forth above. At 24G, the fluid production rate forecast model is accepted or rejected, which may be based on attribute 22 as set forth above. At 24J, if the fluid production rate forecast model is accepted, it becomes the “prior” accepted fluid production rate forecast mode in a subsequent iteration. If the fluid production rate forecast model is rejected, then the most recent accepted fluid production rate forecast model is retained as the “prior” accepted model proposal, e.g., as evaluated using attribute 22 given above.
[0057] In FIG. 10C , at 26, a selected number, n, of fluid production rate forecast models may be discarded during an initialization period in which convergence to a selected number of fluid production rate forecast models is obtained, which may be referred to as the “posterior distribution.” At 28, an EUR may be calculated for all iterations of all accepted fluid production rate forecast models. At 30, a fluid production rate forecast model distribution may be sorted by EUR. At 32, the percentiles of the fluid production rate forecasts may be generated in the computer or computer system using attribute 25 set forth above. At 34 and 36, respectively, a histogram and cumulative distribution plot sorted by EUR of the selected fluid production rate forecast models may be generated by the computer or computer system. At 38, fluid production rate forecasts from all iterations may be displayed, e.g. on a graphic computer user interface.
[0058] FIG. 11 shows an example computing system 100 in accordance with some embodiments. The computing system 100 may be an individual computer system 101 A or an arrangement of distributed computer systems. The individual computer system 101 A may include one or more analysis modules 102 that may be configured to perform various tasks according to some embodiments, such as the tasks explained with reference to FIG. 10 . To perform these various tasks, the analysis module 102 may operate independently or in coordination with one or more processors 104 , which may be connected to one or more storage media 106 . A display device 105 such as a graphic user interface of any known type may be in signal communication with the processor 104 to enable user entry of commands and/or data and to display results of execution of a set of instructions according to the present disclosure.
[0059] The processor(s) 104 may also be connected to a network interface 108 to allow the individual computer system 101 A to communicate over a data network 110 with one or more additional individual computer systems and/or computing systems, such as 101 B, 101 C, and/or 101 D (note that computer systems 101 B, 101 C and/or 101 D may or may not share the same architecture as computer system 101 A, and may be located in different physical locations, for example, computer systems 101 A and 101 B may be at a well drilling location, while in communication with one or more computer systems such as 101 C and/or 101 D that may be located in one or more data centers on shore, aboard ships, and/or located in varying countries on different continents).
[0060] A processor may include, without limitation, a microprocessor, microcontroller, processor module or subsystem, programmable integrated circuit, programmable gate array, or another control or computing device.
[0061] The storage media 106 may be implemented as one or more computer-readable or machine-readable storage media. Note that while in the example embodiment of FIG. the storage media 106 are shown as being disposed within the individual computer system 101 A, in some embodiments, the storage media 106 may be distributed within and/or across multiple internal and/or external enclosures of the individual computing system 101 A and/or additional computing systems, e.g., 101 B, 101 C, 101 D. Storage media 106 may include, without limitation, one or more different forms of memory including semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic or static random access memories (DRAMs or SRAMs), erasable and programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) and flash memories; magnetic disks such as fixed, floppy and removable disks; other magnetic media including tape; optical media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs); or other types of storage devices. Note that computer instructions to cause any individual computer system or a computing system to perform the tasks described above may be provided on one computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, or may be provided on multiple computer-readable or machine-readable storage media distributed in a multiple component computing system having one or more nodes. Such computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium or media may be considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture). An article or article of manufacture can refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. The storage medium or media can be located either in the machine running the machine-readable instructions, or located at a remote site from which machine-readable instructions can be downloaded over a network for execution.
[0062] It should be appreciated that computing system 100 is only one example of a computing system, and that any other embodiment of a computing system may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine additional components not shown in the example embodiment of FIG. 11 , and/or the computing system 100 may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components shown in FIG. 11 . The various components shown in FIG. 11 may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits.
[0063] Further, the acts of the processing methods described above may be implemented by running one or more functional modules in information processing apparatus such as general purpose processors or application specific chips, such as ASICs, FPGAs, PLDs, or other appropriate devices. These modules, combinations of these modules, and/or their combination with general hardware are all included within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0064] While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.
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A method for optimizing a well production forecast includes a) inputting initial production rate measurements made at selected times, b) inputting probability distributions to estimate production forecast model parameters, c) generating an initial forecast of fluid production rates and total produced fluid volumes using a selected production forecast model, d) at a time after a last one of the selected times, comparing the initial forecast with actual production rate and total produced fluid volume measurements to generate an error measurement, e) adjusting parameters of the selected production forecast model to minimize the error measurement, thereby generating an adjusted production forecast model, f) repeating (d) and (e) for a plurality of iterations to generate a plurality of production forecast models each having a determined likelihood of an error measurement and displaying the plurality of production forecast models with respect to likelihood of error.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The disclosure herein relates generally to the field of severing a tubular member. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for cutting downhole tubulars. Yet more specifically, described herein is a method and apparatus for optimizing cutting tubulars wherein lubrication is maintained between the cutting member and the tubular.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Tubular members, such as production tubing, coiled tubing, drill pipe, casing for wellbores, pipelines, structural supports, fluids handling apparatus, and other items having a hollow space can be severed from the inside by inserting a cutting device within the hollow space. As is well known, hydrocarbon producing wellbores are lined with tubular members, such as casing, that are cemented into place within the wellbore. Additional members such as packers and other similarly shaped well completion devices are also used in a wellbore environment and thus secured within a wellbore. From time to time, portions of such tubular devices may become unusable and require replacement. On the other hand, some tubular segments have a pre-determined lifetime and their removal may be anticipated during completion of the wellbore. Thus when it is determined that a tubular needs to be severed, either for repair, replacement, demolishment, or some other reason, a cutting tool can be inserted within the tubular, positioned for cutting at the desired location, and activated to make the cut. These cutters are typically outfitted with a blade or other cutting member for severing the tubular. In the case of a wellbore, where at least a portion of the casing is in a vertical orientation, the cutting tool is lowered (such as by wireline, tubing, or slickline) into the casing to accomplish the cutting procedure.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Disclosed herein is a tubular cutting system and method wherein lubrication is delivered during cutting. The system employs a rotating blade and a lubrication system for dispensing lubrication between the blade's cutting surface and the tubular to be cut. Optionally an isolation material may be included for retaining the lubrication in the cutting region.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0006] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a cutting tool in a tubular.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a cutting tool in a tubular.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a cutting tool in a tubular.
[0009] FIG. 4 a is a side view of a cutting tool having a lubrication system.
[0010] FIG. 4 b is a magnified side view of a cutting tool with a lubrication system.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an overhead view of a cutting blade having lubrication delivery ducts.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a partial cut away view of a cutting tool disposed in a cased wellbore.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Described herein is a method and apparatus for cutting and severing a tubular. While the apparatus and method described herein may be used to cut any type and length of tubular, one example of use involves severing tubing disposed within a wellbore, drill pipe, wellbore tubular devices, as well as wellbore casing. One embodiment of a cutting tool 10 as described herein is shown in side partial cut away view in FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, the cutting tool 10 comprises a body 11 disposed within a tubular 5 . As noted, the tubular 5 may be disposed within a hydrocarbon producing wellbore, thus in the cutting tool 10 may be vertically disposed within the wellbore tubular. Means for conveying the cutting tool 10 in and out of the wellbore include wireline, coiled tubing, slick line, among others. Other means may be used for disposing the cutting tool 10 within a particular tubular. Examples of these include drill pipe, line pigs, and tractor devices for locating the cutting tool 10 within the tubular 5 .
[0014] Included within the body 11 of the cutting tool 10 is a cutting member 12 shown pivotingly extending out from within the body 11 . A lubricant 18 is shown (in cross hatch symbology) disposed in the cutting zone 22 formed between the outer surface of the tool 10 and the inner circumference 6 of the tubular 5 . For the purposes of discussion herein, the cutting zone 22 is designed as the region on the inner circumference of the tubular, as well as the annular space between the tool and the tubular proximate to the portion of the tubular that is being cut by the cutting tool. Examples of lubricants include hydrogenated polyolefins, esters, silicone, fluorocarbons, grease, graphite, molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum sulfide, polytetrafluoro-ethylene, animal oils, vegetable oils, mineral oils, and petroleum based oils.
[0015] Lubricant 18 inserted between the cutting member and the inner circumference 6 enhances tubular machining and cutting. The lubricant 18 may be injected through ports or nozzles 20 into the annular space between the tool 10 and the tubular 5 . These ports 20 are shown circumferentially arranged on the outer surface of the tool housing 11 . The size and spacing of these nozzles 20 need not be arranged as shown, but instead can be fashioned into other designs depending upon the conditions within the tubular as well as the type of lubricant used. As discussed in more detail below, a lubricant delivery system may be included with this device for storing and delivering the lubricant into the area between the cutting member and the inner circumference of the tubular 6 . In many situations when disposing a cutting tool within a tubular, especially a vertically oriented tubular, lubricants may be quickly drawn away from where they are deposited by gravitational forces. Accordingly, proper lubrication during a cutting sequence is optimized when lubrication is maintained within the confines of the cutting zone 22 .
[0016] Additional ports 16 are shown disposed on the outer surface of the housing 11 for dispensing an isolation material 14 into the space between the tubular 5 and the tool 10 . The lubricant port 20 location with respect to the isolation port 16 location enables isolation material 14 to be injected on opposing sides of the lubricant 18 . Isolation material being proximate to the lubricant can retain a lubricant within or proximate to the cutting zone 22 . Referring again to FIG. 1 , an isolation material 14 is disposed in the annular space between the tool 10 and the tubular 5 and on opposing ends of the lubricant 18 . Thus the isolation material should possess sufficient shear strength and viscosity to retain its shape between the tool 10 and the tubular and provide a retention support for the lubricant 18 .
[0017] Examples of isolation materials include a gel, a colloidal suspension, a polysaccharide gum, xanthan gum, and guar gum. One characteristic of suitable isolation material may include materials that are thixotropic, i.e. they may change their properties when external stresses are supplied to them. As such, the isolation material should have a certain amount of inherent shear strength, high viscosity, and surface tension in order retain its form within the annular space and provide a retaining force to maintain the lubricant in a selected area. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 , the presence of the isolating material on opposite sides of the lubricant helps retain the lubricant within the cutting zone.
[0018] An alternative embodiment of a cutting tool 10 a is provided in side partial cross sectional area in FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, a single set of nozzles 16 is provided on the body 11 a. Optionally, in this situation, the isolation material nozzles 16 could be disposed lower than the lubrication nozzles 20 .
[0019] Yet another embodiment of a cutting tool 10 b for use in cutting tubulars with added lubrication is provided in side view in FIG. 3 . In this embodiment the cutting member 12 a is a straight blade affixed to a portion of the body 11 b. Although in this embodiment a single set of nozzles 16 is shown for disposing isolation material 14 into the annular space between the cutting tool 10 b and the inner surface 6 of the tubular 5 , multiple sets of nozzles can be included with this embodiment along the length of the cutting tool lob. As shown, the lubricant 18 has been injected into the tubular 5 between the tool 10 b and the tubular inner circumference 6 . Thus, the cutting zone 22 includes lubrication for enhancing any machining or cutting by the tool 10 b. Isolation material 14 is also injected into the annular space between the tool 10 b and the tubular thereby providing a retaining support for the lubricant 18 .
[0020] Another embodiment for delivering lubrication to a cutting surface is provided in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b. Here an example is provided of delivering a lubricant 18 to the cutting surface of a cutting blade by installing conduits within the blade itself. More specifically a cutting tool 10 c is shown in side view in FIG. 4 a. In this embodiment the cutting member 12 b is a blade attached to a portion of the body 11 c. The cutting tool 10 c is rotated thereby urging the single blade into rotational cutting contact with the inner surface 6 of a tubular 5 . A reservoir (not shown) is disposed within the body 11 c for delivering lubricant 18 in this space between the cutting surface and the tubular inner surface 6 . A series of passages or conduits attached to the reservoir for the lubricant to flow to the tip of the cutting member 12 b. As shown in partial cut away side view in FIG. 4 b, is a supply line 24 formed co-planerly along the length of the blade and terminating in a nozzle exit 26 at the tip of the blade 12 b on its cutting surface 27 . As such, lubricant 18 may be constantly supplied out into the nozzle exit 26 during a tubular cutting procedure. Thus lubricant is provided between the cutting surface 27 and the inner surface 6 for enhancing machining of the tubular by the cutting tool 10 c.
[0021] FIG. 5 provides an overhead view of one example of a cutting member 12 c. In this view the cutting member comprises a blade 15 having conduits formed within its surface for delivering lubricant to a cutting surface. In this embodiment, the cutting member 12 c includes an inlay 28 on its cutting surfaces. The blade 15 can be rotationally attached and rotated during cutting so that the opposing cutting surfaces 26 a may be used for severing a tubular. As with the cutting member of FIG. 4 b, a supply line 24 a is shown traveling along the side length of the cutting surface and terminating at an exit nozzle 26 a proximate to the cutting surface. Therefore during cutting operations delivering a lubricant through a nozzle exit 26 a will deliver lubricant on the cutting surface during a cutting sequence for optimizing machining of the tubular. By injecting lubricant on the cutting surface just prior to cutting that surface ensures lubricant will be in place during cutting. Optionally a nozzle could be formed on the blade 15 cutting edge so that lubricant is added during the entire cutting sequence and is present between the cutting blade 15 and the cutting surface.
[0022] FIG. 6 provides a partial side cut away view of an embodiment of a cutting system used in cutting a tubular 7 . In this embodiment a cutting tool 10 d is shown disposed in a cased wellbore 4 by a conveyance means 8 . The tubular 7 is coaxially disposed within the wellbore casing. Optionally, the cutting tool 10 d may be employed for cutting the wellbore casing and used in the same fashion it is used for cutting the tubular 7 . Examples of means used in deploying the tool in and out of a wellbore by the conveyance means include wireline, slick line, coil tubing, and any other known manner for disposing a tool within a wellbore. This embodiment of the cutting tool 10 d includes a controller 38 , a lubricant delivery system 40 , an isolation material delivery system 46 , and a cutting member 12 . The controller 38 , which may include an information handling system, is shown integral with the cutting tool 10 d and used for controlling the operation of the cutting tool 10 d when disposed within the tubular. The controller may be configured to have preset commands stored therein, or can receive commands offsite or from another location via the conveyance means 8 .
[0023] As its name suggests, the lubricant delivery system 40 comprises a system for delivering lubricant within the space between the cutting member and the tubular. In this embodiment the system comprises a lubricant pressure system 42 in communication with a lubricant reservoir 44 . Here the pressure system 42 (which may be spring loaded, a motor driven pump, or have pressurized gas) is used for propelling lubricant within the reservoir 44 through the tool 10 d and adjacent the cutting member 12 as described above.
[0024] Similar to the lubricant delivery system, the isolation material delivery system 46 also comprises a pressure supply 48 and a reservoir 50 . The pressure supply 48 (may also be a pump, spring loaded device, or have compressed gas) is used in propelling the isolation material from the reservoir 50 and out into the annular space surrounding the tool 10 d and inside the tubular. It should be pointed out that the sequence of introducing the isolation material and the lubricant into the tubular can be simultaneous. Optionally either the isolation material or the lubricant may be delivered into the annular space before the other in sequential or time step fashion. As far as the amount of lubricant or isolation material delivered, it depends on the particular dimensions of the tool as well as the tubular being severed, it is believed it is well within the capabilities of those skilled in the art to design a system for delivering a proper amount of lubricant as well as isolation material.
[0025] As shown with the embodiment of FIG. 6 , the cutting member is in a cutting sequence for cutting the tubular 7 and isolation material 14 is shown retaining a quantity of lubricant adjacent the cutting member 12 thereby maintaining the lubricant in the space between the cutting member and the tubular 7 . A controller 34 disposed at surface may be employed to control the tool 10 d. The controller may be a surface truck disposed at the surface as well as any other currently known or later developed manner of controlling a wellbore tool from the surface. Included optionally is an information handling system 36 that may be coupled with the controller 34 either in the same location or via some communication either wireless or hardwire.
[0026] It should be pointed out that the exit nozzles can have the same cross sectional area as the supply lines leading up to these nozzles, similarly other types of nozzles can be employed, such as a spray nozzle having multiple orifices, as well as an orifice type arrangement where the cross sectional area at the exit is substantially reduced to either create a high velocity stream or to atomize the lubricant for more dispersed application of a lubricant.
[0027] The present invention described herein, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for purposes of disclosure, numerous changes exist in the details of procedures for accomplishing the desired results. These and other similar modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be encompassed within the spirit of the present invention disclosed herein and the scope of the appended claims.
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The tubular cutter disclosed herein is useful for severing downhole tubulars and comprises a drive system, a pivoting system, a cutting head, and a cutting member. Cutting is accomplished by rotatingly actuating the cutting head with an associated motor, and then radially extending the cutting blade away from the cutting head. In one embodiment, the cutting head includes a cutting member that pivotally extends from the cutting head upon rotation of the cutting head.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to preformed reinforced concrete wall units and particularly to a reinforced concrete wall unit having a unitary interlocking base or pedestal, the method of manufacturing each of the reinforced concrete wall units into individually molded units to meet a specific design criteria with reusable casting beds forms, and the method of construction of the building utilizing these reinforced concrete wall units.
BACKGROUND ART
As is well known in the building industry, those skilled in this art have attempted to produce a structural concrete wall system that would be competitive with composite masonry or wood frame construction. Such systems have never attained complete acceptance because they either lacked sufficient design flexibility or that they are not economically competitive. An example of prior art structural concrete wall system is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,491 granted to Phillips on Feb. 20, 1990 and entitled "Concrete Building Construction". As noted in this patent, the walls formed by generally planar concrete wall panels are affixed to concrete corner posts, and the panels include enlarged footers that rests on an underlying ground surface. A complex metal strap connection structure is employed to attach the panels and erect the building. This construction, is not only uneconomical, but is complex in its design, construction and assembly. Other systems form the exterior load bearing walls of the one or two story buildings by utilizing a series of planar shaped wall segments of various sizes butting end-to-end to form a three dimensional polygon. These systems leave something to be desired particularly in view of the fact they lack sufficient design flexibility and/or are not cost effective.
I have found that I can obviate the problems of the heretofore known reinforced concrete building constructions by providing a single precast concrete wall unit with an integral base that is self-sustaining in the vertical position while replacing the four separate elements in these conventional wall building processes which are, namely the concrete foundation, the masonry wall, the tie beams and columns and the stucco finish. In accordance with my invention each single wall unit would be individually designed and engineered to perform its intended function of defining the aesthetics of the building, forming a viable load bearing wall system, and attaining an economical building that is easier to assemble resulting in simplifying the erection of the building and reducing construction time.
Each concrete wall is individually designed utilizing for the most part reusable casting forms that allow for the casting on site or at a remote location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide an improved precast reinforced concrete wall that is characterized as being relatively inexpensive to fabricate, can be manufactured to a higher degree of precision than heretofore known precast walls, and have structural and aesthetic design flexibility.
A feature of this invention is that the use of the precast concrete walls facilitates, reduces the cost, and expedites the erection of a building.
A feature of this invention is that each of the reinforced concrete wall units has an integrally formed base allowing each wall unit to be self-sustaining in the vertical position and carries an interlocking design that interlocks the adjacent reinforced concrete wall units.
The method of construction of the individual wall units includes the steps of forming a mold on a planar horizontal table that conforms to the dimensions and design of the individual walls by utilizing edge forms to dimension the outer edges of the panel and interior edges of the individual cut-outs for windows, doors and the like. One end of the table includes forms defining a well and forms for defining integrally formed base. The forms are laid out horizontally and the liquid concrete is poured between the form edges. The reinforcing metal rods and support members are positioned to structural support the concrete and allow for carrying the wall to its building cite and to secure adjacent walls.
Prior to the installation of the wall units at the site the bearing strata is brought to the precise desired elevation and density and a thin mixture of sand and crushed stone is applied to construct the final smooth level and flat bearing surface for the wall units. After the bearing surface is constructed it is thoroughly wetted to facilitate the installation ("seating") of the wall units.
The integral base supports each wall unit vertically. Since the unattached walls may not align correctly due to manufacturing and construction tolerances the walls are held in the aligned position and the bearing surface is vibrated which will cause the walls to be permanently aligned relative to each other or be seated and thereafter fastened.
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating the invention being utilized in a one and two story building;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective illustrating a pair of corner precast reinforced concrete panels;
FIG. 3 portrays a mitered corner;
FIG. 4 is a view in cross section illustrating a two story panel;
FIG. 5 is a partial view in section showing the details of the wall unit foundation section supported on an additional concrete pad for point loading or uplift;
FIG. 6 is a partial view in section illustrating the imbedded lifting brackets in the panel;
FIG. 7 is a view of a lifting bracket;
FIG. 8 is a partial view in section illustrating the welding plates embedded in the panel;
FIG. 9 is a view in elevation of a garage unit and gable end section illustrating how the wall unit can accommodate a recessed or sloping garage floor;
FIG. 10 is a view in section illustrating the horizontal table and forms for casting a two story panel;
FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view in section showing the forms for casting the wall unit;
FIG. 12 is a view in plan showing how a concrete wall unit would be formed on a two story casting bed; and
FIG. 13 is a schematic view in elevation showing the final panel interlocking configuration to complete the periphery of the building.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As will be appreciated by one skilled in this art the preferred embodiment describes the inventive wall units or panels utilized to erect a building and that the panels have infinite utility in constructing buildings where it is desirable to fabricate the building to meet different aesthetic designs. As will be appreciated from the perspective view of FIG. 1 panels 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are illustrative of the many panel designs capable of being prefabricated in reinforced concrete panels of this invention. While each panel has similar characteristics, it will be appreciated that this is not a modular system notwithstanding that each individual wall unit is made from a common forming technique which will be described in more detail hereinbelow.
In the event the uplift or point loading exceeds the capacity of the soil conditions or foundation section of the wall unit, an additional precast pad 21 may be utilized. In FIG. 1 the assembled precast concrete wall units can be utilized to support a typical gable end type of roof structure 23 or a typical hip type roof structure 24, as will be explained in further detail hereinbelow. Lateral stability reinforced rods 26 will be embedded into the wall unit to attach the units to the four (4) inch poured in place interior floor slab which is placed after the erection of the wall units. As is well known the slab rests on compacted fill 27. A typical interior dry wall room partition 28 is also shown. To best utilize the building system of this invention, the individual precast wall units should meet at these locations wherever possible. When the building has a second story structure a composite second floor deck 29 could be partially or totally supported by the exterior walls. The integral expansion joint 38 at the interior floor slab elevation is shown.
Also shown in FIG. 1 are the window and door openings 50, the prepared grade 34, the excavation cut 35 exterior grade 51 and the garage step down 52, which will be described in further detail hereinbelow.
As shown in FIG. 2 the base of the concrete wall units 17 and 18 are preformed with off-sets that may include slots 31 which serve to support the next adjacent panel. As noted panel 17 includes the leading edge off-set 30 that fits into slot 31 and rests on the off set foundation section 42 of panel 18. In order to complete the perimeter of the building structure, the first wall unit will have both a trailing off set foundation section 42 and a leading edge off-set foundation section 42 and will not have a leading edge off-set 30, and the last wall unit will have both a leading edge off-set 30 and a trailing edge off-set 30 and will not have an off-set foundation section 42. In other words the end panels will have the projection off-set 42 on both edges of one of the panels and a leading edge off-set (recess) on both edges on the other of the perimeter with the panel 149 having a pair of off-set foundation sections 42, panel 151 includes opposing leading edges 30 and the interlocking portion of panel 153 is identical to the other panels as described in FIG. 1.
While square corners are shown in the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that the corners may be mitered as shown in FIG. 3. In the erection of the building the base sections of the panels 17 and 18 rest on a carefully prepared grade 34 which may consist of the natural soil conditions brought to within minus one half inch of the desired elevation. The excavation cut 35 should be wide enough to accept the base section of the wall unit plus enough room to accommodate the vibrating mechanism, compacted and stabilized to the required design specification. The remaining one half inch of bearing strata should consist of a mixture of rock screening and sand which will be placed on the previously prepared surface and graded to the precise required elevation.
Prior to placing precast concrete wall units, the prepared grade is thoroughly wetted. The wall units such as 17 and 18 are then carefully placed into position by use of a crane, that lifts the precast panel by the use of lifting brackets 53. As is the situation with most constructions due to manufacturing tolerances and/or unevenness of the grade the wall units will tend to be unaligned. To overcome these small deviations from the vertical and in accordance with one aspect of this invention this problem is corrected by the temporary use of a commercially available suitable bracing arm 200 (shown in phantom). The wall units are then temporarily braced in a satisfactory position and a commercially available vibrating mechanism 201 is applied to the grade. The vibrations will cause the wall unit to seat itself in the grade and assure satisfactory contact between the supporting grade and the base element of the wall unit. Once the bracing arms 201 are removed and the panels will remain in the correct position, the clip angles 33 are welded to the embedded welding plates 32 and the void between slot 31 and leading edge 30 is filled with a non shrink grout.
The two story precast wall unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 is shown in cross section in FIG. 4 and also shows the window and door openings 50 with integral concrete mounting "bucks" 56. The furring strips 57 which would be applied to the interior faces of the interior of the panels serve to support the topical drywall finish 58.
The foundation section of the two story wall unit 14 is detailed in FIG. 5. When the point loading or up lift exceed the capacities of the foundation section 60 of wall unit an additional precast pad 21 can be placed prior to the wall unit being erected into place. Pad 21 would be placed in the same manner as a wall unit as previously described. The top of the pad would be one half inch below the elevation 34 required for the wall unit. The wall unit 14 would then be placed on prepared grade 34 at the higher elevation and on a bed of grout 63. The foundation section 60 would then be bolted to the foundation pad 21 via wedge anchors 77 or the like. As previously mentioned, the wall unit will be vertically stable in and of itself, due to the integral base. Obviously, the successive panels once erected will add to the stability of all the other panels. Additional support will be had as a result of the back fill 27 in preparation for the interior slab and the exterior grade 51, the embedding of the lateral stability reinforcing rods 26 in the interior slab 25 and the proper application of a second floor 29 (FIG. 5) or roof 24.
Additionally and as shown in FIG. 5 is the tapered section 40 which will help to spread the downward load to the base section 60 of the panels. This tapered section will also serve to better accommodate the transition of the reinforcing in this area. The tapering of the forms in the manufacturing process as will be shown in detail hereinbelow, will act as a restriction nozzle for the liquid concrete and allow the wall unit to be cast as one piece. The portion of the panel section 59 elevation transition section of the wall unit will allow for the change in elevation of the floor slabs in the assembled structure. This is the area through which the lateral stability reinforcing rods 26 project from the wall unit through the integral expansion joint 38 into the interior slab. The importance of this area in the manufacturing process will be explained hereinbelow.
As is apparent from the foregoing, the size and reinforcing of each panel would be dictated by the structural and architectural demands placed on them. However, it is the teachings of this invention to have the reinforcing divided into two mats, an interior mat 37 and exterior mat 36. The purpose of this is to create a chase area 39 in the panel section 61 and 62 in which electrical conduits and the like can be placed.
FIG. 5 shows how the second floor panel section 62 could become proportionally thinner due to the decreased loading. Also it is generally beneficial to have a ledger 76 to support the second floor system. FIG. 5 also illustrates the truss strap 54 which is utilized to attach the trusses to the wall units. Like the weld plate 32 (FIG. 8), the truss straps are preferably located in the beam area 64 of the wall units and are imbedded therein so that the truss strap 54 will protrude out of the top of the panel on the interior side thereof. While the soffit area 65 on the underneath side of the roof typically is covered with a stucco material, other commercially available materials such as ventilated aluminum or vinyl could be utilized.
FIG. 6 shows how lifting brackets 53 (FIG. 7) suitably made form reinforcing rods, would be placed in the beam area 64 of the pane section. The bracket would protrude out the top of the interior face side of the panel. The purpose for this location being to lessen the likelihood of chipping the exposed face of the panel. The location of the bracket is also important in the manufacturing process as will be explained hereinbelow.
As can be seen in FIG. 8 the weld plate 32 is imbedded into the wall unit. It will be noted that the weld plate is shown in relation to the beam area 64.
In certain buildings changes in floor elevations may be desired. For example, the floor on the garage may need to be sloped or a room in the building may be sunken. FIG. 9 is illustrative of such a construction and is shown in the elevation of wall unit 20 with a cross section of the gable end wall unit 11. The elevation of wall unit 20 demonstrates how the wall unit can adjust to changes in elevation of the slab level 25 by adjusting the location of the lateral stability reinforcing rods 26. FIG. 9 illustrates a typical 4 inch garage floor drop down 52 and a sloping floor.
The forms required to cast the concrete wall units and casting bed are shown in FIG. 10. and will now be described. As noted the casting bed generally indicated by reference numeral 100 is portable and can be used on sight or in a remote location as in a factory or the like and it is formed from several elements. As shown in FIG. 10, the bed 100 is rigged for a two-story building as depicted by portions 67, 68 and 69 referred to as main bed 68, elevation transition element 67 and extension bed 69. Main bed 68 , sacrificial bed 67 and extension bed 69 each have a horizontal flat table top 168 and 169 with a planar surface. The beds are supported to a scaffold type construction supported with adjustable legs 101. The table and forms are made from any suitable wood and the table top would preferably be of plywood. As shown in FIG. 11, whether the beds are utilized for a single story building depicted by main bed 68 or a two-story building as depicted by extension bed 69 the desired wall unit will have the unitary base 60 integrally cast therein.
The forms are constructed by boards such as 2×4's and would include the top and opposing side edges that define the overall dimension of the wall unit which in this instance is rectangular in shape. The bottom portion of the wall unit will be defined by the wooden forms depicted in FIG. 11. As was explained previously (and as is shown in FIG. 11) lifting brackets 53 and truss straps 54 protrude from the wall unit on the interior face, allowing the edge form 71 to pass over, thus defining the perimeter of the wall unit without customized alteration of the edge form 71.
Within the outer edge forms that define the outer edges of the wall units and its generally rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 12, the forms that define the cutouts that are used for the doors and windows are placed in locations within the outer edge forms as desired. Obviously, these forms (as are the beds) are reusable and can be utilized over and over for other wall units. As noted, window form 107 defining the top of window 50 would be placed on the horizontal table top 169 103 in the desired position. The opposing side edge and bottom edge forms would likewise be placed and attached to the various beds.
As is apparent from the foregoing, there is an enormous amount of latitude of locating the forms on the beds and the wall units can take almost any shape to meet the desired requirements. This gives the architect or builder tremendous amount of options to design the building in the manner best suited for his needs.
The enlarged view of FIG. 11 illustrates the bottom portion of the wall unit and particularly the forms for casting the base. Also illustrated is the elevation transition portion of the bed 67 which is useful in the event a sloped floor or sunken room is desired. The lateral stability rods pass through the integral expansion joint 38 which defines the slope or elevation of the sunken room or the garage floor, so that the cast wall unit would include the lateral stability rods protruding at the proper elevation to attach the wall units to the floor slab.
An important aspect of this invention is the casting of the base section of the wall unit which is generally depicted by reference numerals 72, 73 and 74. As noted the form 72 is displaced vertically from the interior face of the wall unit and extends perpendicularly for the distance necessary to define the width of the base. The form 73 defines a rectangular shaped cavity and the sloping forms 72 and 74 define a nozzle for restricting the flow of concrete out of the cavity. The top the base forms is open allowing for the introduction of the concrete.
The method of manufacturing the wall unit comprises the following steps:
1) Assemble the casting bed elements such as beds 68, 69 etc.;
2) Lay out panel-edge forms 71 and the forms defining the openings for window, door or the like on the beds, include the truss straps, lifting brackets, welding plates, etc on the bed;
3) Insert first mat of reinforcing 37 and lateral stability rods 26;
4) Install electrical conduits, if required;
5) Drop in second mat of reinforcing 36;
6) Secure second foundation section form 74 in place;
7) Pour from the top of the beds liquid concrete into the space between the edge forms using any of the commercially available traveling vibrating leveling mechanisms shown as blank 205;
The vibrating leveling mechanism passes over the concrete filled form assuring that the form is completely filled and all the honeycomb is removed and the exposed surface is flat and even;
8) A water mist is immediately applied to the exposed surface of the concrete;
9) A dry 50--50 mixture of sand and cement is broadcast on the surface of the concrete before it dries; This dry mixture can be dispersed in many different ways to produce the finish desired. This surface is then worked mechanically by use of trowels and other well known suitable tools to produce the results desired;
10) Once the concrete is cured to the degree of hardness desired, the forms are stripped and the cast wall unit is removed from the bed to be used in the erection of the desired building.
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In a building construction individual concrete panels are formed utilizing a horizontal casting platform to tailor the panels to meet structural and aesthetic requirements with each panel having abutting joints that interlock. The method of installing the panels to erect the building is to prepare the strata including a final layer of mixed sand and stone, wetting the surface, erecting the panels in position and temporarily bracing them and vibrating the strata, attaching the adjacent panels and removing the bracing. The panels are individually molded with a interlocking base on a planar horizontal table including the form edges that are oriented to define the configuration of the panels.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is generally that of toilets and, more particularly, that type of toilet which has a flush tank positioned above the level of a toilet bowl and which is adapted to normally be refilled after each flushing operation to a predetermined level and to then be abruptly released during a flushing operation, in response to the operation of a flush lever or handle, so that the entire quantity of water in the flush tank is then abruptly discharged, under the influence of gravity through a large discharge valve and into the toilet bowl for effectively flushing it out. This prior art type of toilet discharges a very large quantity of water during each such flushing operation, and in the light of ever-increasing awareness of the necessity of conserving water, particularly in certain relatively dry or drought-stricken areas, it would be a vast improvement if a smaller quantity (preferably selectively adjustable) of water could be discharged during each flushing operation. The conventional toilet flush tank defines an interior chamber of substantial volume, and there are large numbers of such relatively expensive pieces of equipment already in the field, which would be very expensive to replace with flush tanks of smaller volumetric capacity. The desirable thing would be to provide some way of making it possible to reduce the volume of water discharged during each flushing operation while using the pre-existing, relatively large flush tanks which are already installed in millions of homes and buildings. While means for controlling the main discharge valve might accomplish this, all such arrangements which have been developed to date are arrangements which partition off portions of a tank so that only a part of the tank will be emptied during a flushing operation, and they require relatively complicated and expensive equipment and have certain operational disadvantages, including installation problems, adaptability problems with respect to the installation of same in various different sizes and types of pre-existing flush tanks, and the maintenance problems. It is clear that it would be highly desirable to provide a simple, virtually maintenance-free and relatively inexpensive means for providing for a reduced volume (in certain forms, selectively adjustably reduced volume) of water discharged during a flushing operation, which would have none of the above-mentioned prior art disadvantages and yet would be efficient, effective and adaptable to a great variety of types and sizes of pre-existing flush tanks. It is precisely such a highly desirable and advantageous type of simple, inexpensive, easy-to-install and virtually universally adaptable device for use with either newly manufactured flush tanks or with the vast number of pre-existing flush tanks, which have been manufactured and are now in use, which is provided by and in the present invention, and which has advantages completely overcoming the above-mentioned problems, disadvantages and limitations of prior art constructions intended for the same purpose, and all of which advantages flow from and occur by reason of the specific features of the invention pointed out hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, the water-saving float-to-inlet valve adapter device of the present invention comprises a modified attachment arm adapter, which may be a replacement adapter for replacing a conventional, pre-existing, normally substantially transversely directed float-to-inlet valve attachment arm of a prior art toilet mechanism or which may be provided as original equipment in such a toilet-operating mechanism, with the adapter having a first end adapted to be attached in any suitable manner with respect to an inlet valve opening and closing operating member (which, in certain cases, may be a conventionally provided receiver type of operating member, although not specifically so limited) and with the adapter having a second end remote from said first end and substantially downwardly displaced from the level of said first end and adapted to be attached to a conventional buoyant toilet tank float member at a normal filled-tank water level substantially below that of the normal prior art location of such a buoyant toilet tank float member when in a filled-tank water level location substantially above that provided by reason of the downward displacement of the second end of the adapter of the present invention. The downward displacement of the second end of the adapter may be said to effectively relatively downwardly displace the normal vertical position of such a hollow buoyant float member corresponding to the closing of the inlet valve and, thus, causes a toilet flush tank to only partially refill to a substantially lower refilled level than has been the customary practice with a conventional attachment arm interconnecting the inlet valve opening and closing operator member and such a buoyant float member.
In one preferred form of the invention, the effective downward displacement of the second end of the adapter relative to the first end thereof, is provided by an intermediate, downwardly offset portion of the adapter, which effectively displaces the entire second end correspondingly downwardly from the entire first end thereof by an amount determined by the magnitude of the intermediate downwardly offset portion which, as referred to hereinafter in greater detail, may, in certain cases, be provided with manually operable controllable adjustment means for making it possible to adjust the magnitude of the downward displacement of the second end of the adapter relative to the first end thereof and to correspondingly make it possible to adjust the refilling water level of a toilet flush tank to any desired level below the conventional prior art level thereof.
The attachment of the first and second ends of the adapter relative to the operating member of the inlet valve and relative to the buoyant float member respectively, may be made possible through the provision of, and the use of, any of a variety of different types of attachment means, certain of which have been employed in similar situations in prior art toilet flush controlling mechanisms. However, one widely used arrangement is an arrangement where the inlet valve has a transversely directed operating member which closes the valve when it is moved upwardly to a predetermined extent and which opens the valve when it is moved downwardly to a predetermined extent. In such a prior art type of inlet valve operating member, a receiver or recess may be provided for receiving therein the corresponding first end of the adapter, which may then be fastened in place by a set screw, which can be threadedly advanced into firm locking engagement with an appropriate transverse surface of said first end of the adapter. This type of arrangement and another arrangement including threaded engagement means male-to-female or vice versa, with respect to the first end of the adapter and with respect to the inlet valve operating member are also intended to be included and comprehended within the scope of the invention as well as various substantially functionally equivalent constructions. The same may be said of the attachment of the remote second end of the adapter to a buoyant float member. This may be provided by a receiver and locking set screw arrangement or male-to-female or female-to-male threaded engagement structure similar to that just described in connection with the attachment of the first end relative to the inlet valve operating member, and all such arrangements (including substantially functionally equivalent arrangements) are intended to be included and comprehended within the scope of the present invention.
On one preferred form, the intermediate displacement portion of the adapter may comprise an offset portion which is substantially perpendicular with respect to a first portion attached to said first end and with respect to a second portion attached to said second end and, as previously mentioned, in one preferred form, said intermediate portion may be provided with manual adjustment means operable for controllably manually adjusting the effective length of the intermediate displacement portion and correspondingly adjusting the magnitude of the vertical displacement of said second end relative to said first end and to thus, in effect, modify the normal valve closing position of a buoyant float member attached to said second end, whereby to correspondingly similarly modify the normal water refilling level within a toilet flushing tank. This makes it possible to adjust the normal water refilling level within a flush tank to half of the usual height, to a third of the usual height or even to as little as one-quarter of the usual height, which is about a minimum level for providing an effective gravity-caused flushing operation when a main flushing discharge valve at the bottom of the flush tank is abruptly opened.
The manual adjustment means referred to above may preferably comprise two relatively vertically slidably engageable (in certain cases telescopically engageable) adjustment portions and locking means (in certain cases, locking means of the set screw type, although not specifically so limited) for controllably locking the two relatively vertically slidably engageable adjustment portions in any relatively adjusted position.
It is also possible that in certain forms of the invention where it is to be used in a flush tank of greatly different size from the usual--for example, in a flush tank of substantially different width than the usual flush tank width--it may be found that the adapter would not mount a buoyant float member in a convenient location for proper operation. It might be too close to some of the other mechanisms or too near to an opposite wall of a narrow flush tank. For the purpose of making the device universally adaptable for even widely variable flush tanks, one preferred form of the invention may provide the adapter with effectively longitudinally directed adjustment means for adjusting the relative longitudinal space between first and second ends of the adapter and for correspondingly adjusting the longitudinal space which would exist between an inlet valve and a buoyant float member when interconnected by such a longitudinally adjusted adapter. In one preferred form, the longitudinally directed adjustment means may comprise two slidably engageable (in certain instances telescopically slidably engageable) longitudinally relatively adjustable members provided with controllably operable locking means (such as set screw means or any other functionally equivalent thereof, although not specifically so limited in all forms of the invention) whereby to make it possible to properly adjust the positioning of a buoyant float member in a toilet flush tank irrespective of the width of the tank or of the interior location of the operating mechanism contained therein.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
With the above points in mind, it is an object of the invention to provide a novel water-saving float-to-inlet valve adapter or modifier intended for use as a replacement in a pre-existing toilet flushing mechanism, or as original equipment in newly manufactured toilet flushing mechanisms, and which can be arranged to modify the water-refilling level of a toilet flush tank from an original, relatively high level to a substantially lower level in keeping with current water conservation policies and practices.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel water-saving adapter of the character referred to herein which is capable of being adjusted so as to correspondingly adjust the refilling water level of a toilet flush tank to any desired new refilling level.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel device of the character referred to herein, generically and/or specifically, and which may include any or all of the features referred to herein, either individually or in combination, and which is of an extremely easy-to-mount-and-dismount and easy-to-use construction, and which, further, is of extremely simple, inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture construction, suitable for ready mass manufacture, distribution of the water-saving adapter in any of its various forms at extremely low cost, both as to the initial capital cost (including production set-up cost) and as to the subsequent per-unit manufacturing cost, whereby to be conducive to widespread production, distribution and use of the novel water-saving adapter for the purposes outlined herein or for any substantially equivalent or similar purposes.
Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows.
For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, several exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying single drawing sheet and are described in detail hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one exemplary embodiment of the present invention in cooperative mounted relationship with respect to a conventional toilet flushing mechanism, which is also shown in front elevation, and a conventional toilet flush tank with the sides, bottom and cover thereof being shown in vertical section. This view illustrates in dashed lines the normal water refilling level of such a flush tank when equipped with such flushing mechanisms and a conventional float-to-inlet valve attachment arm, and illustrates in solid lines the new, very substantially lower, refilling water level when the apparatus is provided with the novel water-saving float-to-inlet valve adapter of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, partially broken-away view of just certain operative portions of the toilet flushing mechanism of FIG. 1, with the novel water-saving float-to-inlet valve adapter of the present invention connected thereto and with all portions of the toilet flush tank and water normally contained therein removed for reasons of drawing simplicity, and with the adapter, the float at the second end thereof, and the inlet valve operating member at the first end thereof all in downwardly extreme inlet-valve-open relationship such as they assume when a toilet is flushed by the operation of the main discharge valve member upwardly away from the main discharge valve seat for flushing a connected toilet bowl (not shown).
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partially broken-away elevational view of the adapter of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, but with a substantial intervening transverse portion broken-away and removed for drawing space-saving reasons. The adapter is shown by itself with the toilet tank and toilet flush mechanisms of FIG. 1 completely removed in order to clearly show that portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 which primarily comprises the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, partially broken-away elevational view of a slightly modified form of the adapter of the present invention and is generally similar in aspect to FIG. 3, except for the modification of the intermediate downwardly directed offset portion, which in this modification includes manual adjustment means for controllably, manually adjusting the degree of offset relationship which will exist between transversely spaced first and second ends of the adapter and thus, to correspondingly vertically adjust the water level which will normally be maintained in a toilet flush tank similar to that shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 5--5 of FIG. 4, and clearly illustrates one exemplary, representative but non-specifically limiting water volume selector and indicator means intended to represent a variety of functionally equivalent constructions capable of operating for the same water volume selecting and/or indicating purposes. In this view, the outer one of the two vertically, slideably, telescopically engaging adjustment members is shown broken away and in vertical section, while the other inner one of said two vertically, slideably, telescopically engaging adjustment members is shown in elevation so the visibly perceptible scale means carried thereby may be readily seen.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar in many respects to FIG. 3, but illustrating a further slight modification wherein some part of the two transversely directed portions (in this case a second part adjacent to a second end) is made transversely adjustable as to the length between first and second ends by the inclusion of manually controllable adjustment means, to make it possible to manually adjust and readily control the effective transverse spacing between the first and second ends of the adapter for use in providing the optimum cooperative relationship thereof with respect to toilet flush tanks of different widths and/or also wherein the interior flushing mechanism may be differently positioned. This transverse length adjustment is for the purpose of properly locating the buoyant float member so that it will neither strike the flush tank wall nor interfere with any of the interior flushing mechanisms in various different types and/or sizes of toilet flush tanks and/or mechanisms.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating a further slight modification of the first end of the novel adapter of the present invention for convenient attachment to a slightly different type of a modified inlet valve.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating a slightly different type of second end of the adapter of the present invention arranged for convenient attachment, in a slightly different manner, to a modified attachment structure of a buoyant float member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The exemplary first form of the water-saving float-to-inlet valve adapted of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. It is shown in cooperative mounted association with, and relationship with respect to, one representative, but non-specifically limiting type of conventional toilet flush tank, such as is indicated generally at 12, and with respect to one representative type of conventional toilet flushing mechanism, comprising a conventional inlet pipe 14 adapted to be connected to a source of water under pressure and provided at its upper end with a conventional inlet valve, indicated generally at 16, operable by a substantially transversely directed operating member 18 between opened and closed condition; and further comprising a buoyant float member, such as is indicated generally at 20, which is adapted to normally be connected to the valve operating member 18 by a substantially transversely directed attachment arm (shown in broken lines in FIG. 1) and which is shown as having been replaced by the novel adaptor 10 of the present invention (shown in solid lines), and a main toilet flushing discharge valve, indicated generally at 22, adapted to be operated in an entirely conventional manner by an operating linkage (largely not shown since it is well-known in the art) connected between the member 24 and an externally positioned flushing handle 26. The conventional flushing mechanism also includes an overflow tube 28, and the entire arrangement is provided with appropriate anti-backsyphoning means (not shown in detail since such is well-known in the art.)
The novel adaptor 10 of the present invention is intended as a replacement for the conventional substantially transversely directed attachment arm which usually interconnects the inlet valve operating member 18 and the buoyant float member 20. In fact, the normal position of the float member 20 is shown in broken lines at a substantially higher level than the solid line showing thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 1, when the adaptor 10 of the present invention is in place. The conventional prior art, substantially transversely directed attachment arm is indicated in broken lines at 30.
The replacement adaptor 10 has a first end 32, which is adapted to be effectively attached to the inlet valve 16 in a manner such that upward movement of the buoyant member 20 to a predetermined height, such as that indicated by the top surface 34 of the body of water indicated generally at 36, positioned within the bottom portion of the hollow, interior chamber 38 defined within the flush tank 12, will cause the closure of the inlet valve 16 and such that substantial downward movement of the buoyant float member 20 below its normal at-rest position as shown in FIG. 1 will move the inlet valve operating member 18 downwardly to an extent sufficient to cause the opening of the inlet valve 16, whereby to cause water to be fed into the hollow interior 38 of the flush tank 12 such as to cause refilling of the previously emptied flush tank 12 until a body of water 36 of the substantially the height shown in FIG. 1 having a top surface 34 at substantially the predetermined height indicated by the broken line 40, will be reached and maintained thereafter. It will be maintained thereafter because at that location the buoyant float member 20 will cause the inlet valve operating arm 18 to effectively close the inlet valve 16 and stop the flow of water into the interior 38 of the flush tank 12.
In the example illustrated, the first end 32 of the adaptor 10 is effectively provided with attachment means for attaching same to the inlet valve opening and closing operating member 18. In the form illustrated, this may comprise merely the end portion 42 thereof and a flatted or keyed surface 44 thereof, which is adapted to cooperate with a receiver member 46 carried by the inlet valve operating member 18 and merely comprising a corresponding aperture 48 extending thereinto and effectively provided with an attachment or fastening portion of said attachment means taking the form of a threaded set screw 50 threaded into a correspondingly tapped transverse aperture in the receiver member 46, whereby to extend into the receiver recess 48 and against the flatted surface 44 of the first end 42. All of said elements cooperate to effectively comprise said first attachment means for firmly locking said first end 32 of the adaptor 10 in firmly attached relationship to the operating member 18 of the inlet valve 16 for movement between the lower extreme valve-opened position, as shown in FIG. 2, and an upper valve-closed position, as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 illustrated fragmentarily and in somewhat reduced schematic and diagrammatic form the movement of the operating member 18 from the normally closed relationship shown in FIG. 1 into the open relationship mentioned above as a consequence of temporarily manually opening the main discharge and flushing valve 22, which lowers the water level and allows the buoyant float member 20 to correspondingly move downwardly.
The adaptor 10 has a downwardly displaced second end 52 remote from the first end 32 and adapted to be attached to a buoyant float member, such as the representative, but non-specifically limiting, form thereof shown at 20 in FIG. 1. In the example illustrated, the attachment of the second end 52 of the adaptor 10 to the buoyant float member 20 is made possible by the provision of a second attachment means, indicated generally at 54, for effectively joining together the second end 52 of the adaptor 10 and a corresponding end of the buoyant float member 20.
In the example illustrated, the second attachment means 54 comprises threaded attachment means, including a male exteriorly threaded portion 56 carried by the second end 52 of the adaptor 10 and a corresponding interiorly threaded female receiver portion, indicated at 58, carried by the buoyant float member 20. However, this is merely illustrative of one exemplary form which said second attachment means 54 may take, but it is not to be construed as specifically limiting same to this representative exemplary arrangement and construction.
It should be clearly noted that the important feature of the adaptor 10 is the fact that the second end 52 thereof is effectively downwardly displaced relative to the first end 32 thereof, whereby to cause the buoyant float member 20 to be correspondingly normally downwardly displaced from a conventional at-rest location, such as that shown in broken lines at the upper water level location 60 of FIG. 1, downwardly to the solid line lower normal water level location indicated by the surface 34 of the water designated by the reference numeral 36. The effective downward displacement of the second end 52 relative to the first end 32 in the example illustrated is provided by the inclusion of an intermediate downwardly offset portion 62 of the adaptor 10, which effectively displaces the entire second end 52 correspondingly downwardly from the entire first end 32 thereof by an amount determined by the magnitude of said intermediate downwardly offset portion 62. This, of course, may be originally designed in a manner such as to produce a lowering of the water level which is thought to be suitable for the particular water-saving purposes of the present invention while still providing adequate flushing capability for a toilet to which the toilet flush tank 12 is adapted to be connected in the conventional gravity-flushing manner.
The operation of the exemplary first form of the invention is believed to be apparent from the showing of the figures of the drawing and the foregoing description. However, a very brief summary thereof will be provided immediately hereinafter in order to make the water-saving operation of the apparatus completely clear.
When it is desired to flush a toilet to which the main discharge valve 22 is connected in the conventional gravity flushing manner, the flushing handle 26 is rotated or otherwise operated in a manner which will lift the valve stem 64 of the main discharge valve 22 so as to lift the elastomeric valve member 66 off of the tapered valve seat 68 for either a predetermined period of time or for that period of time required for the downward return of the valve member 66 from its temporarily elevated flushing position into an engagement position with the valve seat 68. This is normally arranged so that it will not occur until after the entire volume of water 36 contained in the flush tank 12 has been quickly emptied, under the action of gravity, downwardly through the open valve seat 68 of the main flushing and discharging valve 22. This rapid discharge of the volume of water previously contained in the flush tank 12, normally causes a complete flushing action to occur in a toilet bowl or receptacle to which the main discharge and flushing valve 22 is connected.
As soon as the tank 12 has been emptied and the valve member 66 has again become re-engaged with the valve seat 68 and it can be said that the main discharging and flushing valve 22 is again closed, it is now possible for the tank 12 to be refilled, which operation has already begun just as soon as the water level 34 within the flush tank 12 was lowered during the preceding flushing operation. This occurs by reason of the fact that the lowering of the top surface 34 of the water allows the buoyant float member 20 to move downwardly and to effectively move the inlet valve operating member 18 downwardly from its previously closed condition into an open condition. The refilling operation will then continue until the rising top surface level 34 of the water 36 again reaches the predetermined level 40 of FIG. 1 which will correspond to that level where the valve operating arm 18 reaches a valve-closing position, at which point, the inlet valve 16 will again be turned off and no more water will flow into the tank 12 and all of the interior apparatus within the tank 12 will become inoperative and quiescent awaiting the next flushing operation.
It is clear that the magnitude 62 of the vertical offset portion of the adaptor 10 has, in effect, correspondingly reduced the total volume of water 36 discharged during one complete valve flushing operation, thus providing a substantial saving of water inasmuch as many conventional prior art valve flushing operations have discharged between 3 and 7 gallons during each such flushing operation.
It may be desirable in many circumstances to provide an arrangement where the modification of the amount of water which will be discharged during each flushing operation can be manually adjusted to correspond to particular circumstances and needs. One such arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4, wherein the adaptor 10a is provided with manual adjustment means, indicated generally at 69, which, in the example illustrated, comprises two relatively vertically slidably, telescopically engageable adjustment portions 70 and 71 for adjusting the vertical magnitude of the entire intermediate portion 62a. This is facilitated by the provision of locking means taking the form of set screw means 72 adapted to extend through a tapped aperture in the sleeve-shaped telescopic member 71 for locking abutment with the other inserted rod-shaped telescopic member 70. This makes it possible to adjust the vertical magnitude of the displacement in the manner clearly indicated by the broken line increased displacement portion of the first end 32a shown in FIG. 4. Of course, it is to be understood that normally the manual adjustment means 69 will be located in a mid-range position so that the vertical extent thereof may be either increased or decreased as desired, after which it may be locked by the set screw means 72, thus controlling the volumetric capacity of the water discharged during each flushing operation.
FIG. 5 clearly illustrates the fact that the manual adjustment means 69 in the vertical off-set portion 62a is provided with water volume selector and indicator means, designated generally by the reference numeral 73, which makes it possible to select any desired degree of downward displacement of the second end 52a relative to the first end 32a and to correspondingly select any desired modification of the total amount of water which will be dispensed in any one flushing operation. The water volume selector and indicator means 73 is illustrated in a form wherein it includes scale means 75 carried by the rod member 70 and functional index means 77 carried by the hollow receiver member 71 of the two vertically, slideably, adjustable portions. The index 77 merely comprises the top edge of the hollow receiver 71 which when aligned with any of the scale markings 75 indicates the extent of reduction or modification of the total water volume which will be flushed which has been achieved by the manual adjustment means 69 and the water volume selector and indicator means 73. Of course, it should be understood that the structure illustrated in FIG. 5 is exemplary only and that any other functional equivalent may be employed in lieu thereof and all such are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention. Corresponding parts of the FIG. 4 modification are designated by similar reference numerals followed by the letter "a", however, and apart from the portion already described, the remainder thereof is constructed substantially the same as, and functions substantially the same as the first form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 and described in considerable detail hereinabove. Therefore, no further detailed description of the FIG. 4 slight modification is thought to be necessary or desirable.
FIG. 6 illustrates a further slight modification and corresponding parts are, therefore, designated by similar reference numerals followed by the letter "b", however. In this modification, the major difference from the first form of the invention is that the lower or second end portion 52b is effectively transversely adjustable relative to the first end 32b by the provision of second manual adjustment means, indicated generally at 74, and of a construction very similar to the first-mentioned vertical manual adjustment means 69 of FIG. 4. In the case of the transversely directed second adjustment means 74, it is shown as comprising slidably telescopically engageable adjustment portions 76 and 78, with the portion 78 being of sleeve-like construction, while the portion 76 is of an inserted rod-like construction, and with both being relatively lockable with respect to each other by the provision of set screw means, indicated at 80, in a manner substantially identical to the locking of the vertical adjustment means 69 by its set screw means 72. The arrangement is such that the two ends (the first end 32b and the second end 52b) are relatively transversely adjustable with respect to each other, but in the manner clearly shown in broken lines in FIG. 6. This makes it possible for the adaptor 10 to be sold in the form of a kit suitable for mounting in any of a variety of different sizes of toilet flush tanks, which may have interior flushing mechanisms slightly different in configuration, location and/or spacings. In other words, the whole purpose of the transverse adjustment means 74 of FIG. 6 is to make it possible to adjust the location of the second end 52b, which will be (providing optimum positioning of the float member) attached to a buoyant float member, such as that shown at 20 of the first form of the invention, for optimum cooperation with different types of toilet flush tanks and interior flushing mechanisms. In certain cases, it may be desirable to extend the spacing to provide an optimum location of such a buoyant float member, and in other cases, it might be desirable to shorten the spacing for the same purpose. This will facilitate the location of such a buoyant float member at a place within a toilet tank where it will not obstruct or be likely to strike or interfere with any of the other portions of the operating mechanisms or the toilet flush tank itself.
FIG. 7 merely illustrates fragmentarily a very slight modification of the attachment means for attaching the first end 32c of the adaptor 10c to an inlet valve operating arm, such as that shown at 18 in the first form of the invention. In this slight modification it takes the form of a threaded means 82 intended for cooperation with a corresponding mating threaded portion adapted to be carried inside of an operation arm receiver such as that shown at 48 in FIG. 1 illustrating the first form of the invention. Of course, in this modification, the use of a set screw is entirely optional and may be eliminated if desired. The remaining portions of this modified form of the invention are designated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter "c", however.
FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but merely illustrates the same concept of a variant form of the attachment means, but in this case, illustrates the variant attachment means as being for attachment of a buoyant float member 20d with respect to the second end 52d of the adaptor 10d. In this modification, it will be noted that the threaded engagement, shown at 54, 56 and 58, of the first form of the invention is effectively replaced with a receiver and set screw attachment arrangement similar to that illustrated at the left end of the adaptor 10 in the first form of the invention and in this case including the receiver 84 and the set screw 86 adapted to be firmly lockingly attached to said second end 52d of the adaptor 10d. This is merely in lieu of the threaded arrangement of the first form of the invention and is intended to indicate the fact that either or both of the attachment means may be modified in the manner indicated, or in any other substantially functionally equivalent manner within the broad scope of the present invention, and that all such arrangements are intended to be included and comprehended herein.
While in a preferred form, the adaptor 10 is made of metal rod stock, appropriately formed so as to have the desired vertical displacement, it should be clearly understood that it may be made of plastic or any other suitable material and need not be of solid rod stock configuration, but may be of hollow tubular configuration if desired, and need not necessarily be round in cross-section. Also, various means for effectively and substantially non-rotatively locking the first end portion 42 thereof with respect to the inlet valve operating member 18 so that the vertical displacement portion 62 will always be maintained in a vertical plane, may be employed in lieu of the specific set screw and keyed or flatted arrangement illustrated, and it should further be understood that, in any of the threaded arrangements, the threads are either arranged, or auxiliary rotative adjustment means are provided, so that vertical displacement of the intermediate offset portion 62 will lie in a substantially vertical plane when the attachment means is in fully attached, locked relationship. It is, of course, also possible that the adaptor 10 be soldered, welded, cemented, bonded or otherwise cohesively, adhesively or mechanically fastened in place rather than to employ readily disengageable attachment means of any of the types illustrated, and all such arrangements are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.
It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structures shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.
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A water-saving float-to-inlet valve adapter device or modifier which may comprise original equipment or a replacement for a conventional substantially transversely directed attachment arm conventionally provided and connecting a buoyant float and an inlet valve into a toilet flush tank, with the modifier or adapter functioning to effectively modify the normal position of such a buoyant float, and correspondingly the normal maximum height of the water level in the flush tank at the end of each refilling operation, when the adapter effectively causes the inlet refilling valve to be turned off, whereby to in effect greatly reduce the amount of water contained in the toilet flush tank at the end of a refilling operation following each flushing operation and consequently reducing the amount of water utilized in each flushing operation, which in one preferred form, is selectively adjustable.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional claiming priority to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/457,645, filed Jun. 9, 2003 and entitled “Determination of Thermal Properties of a Formation,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0002] The present application is also related to a continuation application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith on ______ and entitled “Assembly for Determining Thermal Properties of a Formation While Drilling or Perforating,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to the evaluation of downhole formations from the in situ determination of thermal properties. More particularly, the present invention relates to the in situ determination of thermal properties, such as specific heat, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity from wellbore temperature measurements. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to the in situ determination of thermal properties performed while utilizing a heat source employed in wellbore stabilization, drilling, or perforating.
[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0007] Modern petroleum drilling and production operations demand a great quantity of information relating to parameters and conditions downhole. Such information typically includes the characteristics of the earth formations traversed by the wellbore, and the location of subsurface reservoirs of oil and gas. Samples of the formation and reservoir may be retrieved to the surface for laboratory analysis. However, to enhance drilling and production operations, it is much more valuable to provide real-time access to the data regarding downhole conditions. Thus, it has become commonplace to make in situ measurements of many formation properties via wellbore logging tools, such as logging-while-drilling (LWD) and wireline tools, that may be operated by electromagnetic, acoustic, nuclear or electromechanical means, for example. These logging tools enable in situ determinations of such properties as the porosity, permeability, and lithology of the rock formations; reservoir pressure and temperature in the zones of interest; identification of the fluids present; and many other parameters.
[0008] It has been suggested that thermal properties of the formation, such as thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat (or specific heat capacity), are valuable for determining rock and fluid properties. Thermal diffusivity enables a determination of rock characteristics, such as whether the formation comprises sand, limestone, shale, or granite, for example. Specific heat enables a determination of fluid properties, such as whether the formation is saturated with hydrocarbons or water. In particular, the specific heat of water is approximately twice the specific heat of a hydrocarbon, regardless of whether the hydrocarbon is a liquid or gas. Thermal conductivity enables further differentiation between liquid and gas hydrocarbon-saturated formations. In particular, the thermal conductivity of a water-saturated formation is approximately twice the thermal conductivity of an oil-saturated formation, and the thermal conductivity of an oil-saturated formation is approximately twice the thermal conductivity of a gas-saturated formation.
[0009] Thermal conductivity (K), the physical property of a material that determines how easily heat can pass through it, is defined by equation (1), which relates several thermal properties as follows:
K≡ρ·C·κ (1)
where ρ is the material density, C is the specific heat capacity, and κ is the thermal diffusivity. Specific heat capacity (C) is defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one unit of mass of material by one temperature degree. Thus, the units of specific heat capacity (C) may be calorie/gram° C., for example. Thermal diffusivity (κ) is defined as the rate at which heat is conducted during unsteady state heat transfer.
[0010] To make thermal property determinations, the most common method is to take a sample of the formation downhole, retrieve it to the surface, and then evaluate the sample in a laboratory. The laboratory method does not enable real-time data acquisition, and can only be accurate with respect to the particular sample acquired. Since formation properties typically change with depth, it is likely that the laboratory analysis will not provide complete data for all zones of the formation. Other methods include inferring thermal properties from ambient borehole temperatures measured by conventional wellbore logging tools. This method has some limitations, including the inability to make accurate measurements through casing to determine formation properties behind the casing and the cement that surrounds it.
[0011] Yet another known method for determining thermal properties is to provide downhole a constant output heat source and to measure the temperature relaxation over time, which enables accurate measurements in both cased and uncased boreholes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,807,227 ('227 Patent) and 3,892,128 ('128 Patent) to Smith, Jr. disclose such thermal well logging methods for determining specific heat and thermal conductivity, respectively. A single heat source and preferably three spacially separated thermal detectors are disposed on a well logging tool that is moved vertically through a borehole while the thermal responses are recorded. In particular, one thermal detector measures ambient temperature of the borehole at a particular depth before the heat source passes that depth. The other two thermal detectors measure the temperature of the borehole at the same depth following the heat source, each at a different time. In one embodiment, the heat source is disclosed to be a heat drilling tip that melts the earth formations to produce a borehole. Examples of modern heat drilling tips are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,355 to Bussod et al. comprising a rock melting tool with an annealing afterbody that cools the molten rock, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,884 to Potter et al. comprising a spallation head with rotating, circumferentially spaced jets that dispense flame jets, very hot water, and/or air to spall the formation rock, or fuse the formation rock if spallation is not feasible.
[0012] The '227 Patent discloses that in a borehole environment, the change in temperature (ΔT) is related to the radiated energy (Q) from the heat source, the mass of the heated earth formation (M) and its composite specific heat (C) as given by the relationship of equation (2):
Q=C×M×ΔT (2)
[0013] Similarly, the '128 Patent discloses that thermal conductivity (K) is proportional to the time rate of heat transfer in the formation. The one dimensional relationship governing the energy transfer (ΔQ) during a short period of time (Δt) in a formation having a temperature differential (ΔT) over a length (ΔX) is given by Equation (3):
Δ O Δ t = K × α × Δ T Δ X ( 3 )
where α is a constant dependent on the geometry of the borehole, the formation, and the well logging tool; and K is thermal conductivity. Thus, according to the '227 Patent and the '128 Patent, the specific heat (C) and the thermal conductivity (K) of the formation can be inferred using equation (2) and equation (3), respectively, based on temperature measurements. Using these inferred values, qualitative evaluations of likely locations of water and hydrocarbon deposits can be made.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,969 ('969 Patent) to Smith, Jr. discloses two methods for determining thermal conductivity (K) of the formation by heating one spot within the formation. In the first method, the formation is heated for a predetermined length of time to elevate the temperature. Then the heat source is removed and the rate of temperature decay is measured over time until the formation returns to ambient temperature. In the second method, the formation is heated by a constant output heat source and the formation's rate of temperature increase is measured to derive an indication of thermal conductivity (K).
[0015] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,181 (the '181 Patent) to Poppendiek discloses a method for in situ determinations of the thermal conductivity and thermal capacity per unit volume of the earth. The '181 Patent teaches a probe containing a heater and two temperature sensors spacially displaced from one another. The probe is positioned in the borehole at the level of interest and maintained at that position for a period sufficient for the probe to be in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. The probe is displaced from the borehole wall by a thin fluid annulus, and it is not in contact with the borehole wall. The thermal gradient between the two temperature sensors is recorded without heat being applied. Then, the heater is turned on to apply heat at a constant rate, and the thermal gradient between the temperature sensors is recorded. The thermal conductivity and thermal capacity per unit volume of the surrounding earth is determined by relating the actual temperature curve to a calculated theoretical curve by best-fit mathematical methods. At short times, the thermal capacity is said to dominate the temperature response curve, and at long times, the thermal conductivity is said to dominate.
[0016] Each of these prior in situ methods proposes utilizing a downhole heat source that is provided for the sole purpose of taking thermal measurements. Although this approach is technically sufficient, and valuable formation characteristics can be determined using this methodology, this approach has largely been ignored in practice. One possible explanation is that operators are not willing to incur additional capital and operating costs for a heat source that is provided solely for thermal property measurements. Thus, most commercial downhole systems do not include heat sources that enable in situ measurements of thermal properties. Accordingly, at the present time, thermal property measurements are almost exclusively restricted to analysis of samples in laboratories.
[0017] Further, although the '128 Patent and the '227 Patent mention the concept of a heat drilling tip that may also be used as a heat source for enabling in situ determinations of thermal properties, such heat drilling tips have proven to be too slow for commercial success. In particular, the heat drilling tip is designed to spall or actually melt the rock of the formation as the method of forming a borehole. However, because rock is very slow to spall or melt utilizing such techniques, the heat drilling tip progresses at only 3-6 feet per hour. Therefore, the heat tip has not achieved commercial recognition or success as a viable drilling alternative.
[0018] The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a convenient in situ method of measuring formation thermal properties, such as specific heat, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity. The method is suitable at multiple depths using a commercially viable heat source provided downhole for wellbore stabilization, well drilling or well perforating.
SUMMARY
[0019] The present disclosure is directed to apparatus and methods for making in situ thermal property determinations utilizing a downhole heat source that may also be employed for wellbore stabilization, well drilling, or well perforating. Formation temperature measurements are made downehole, and thermal properties of the formation may be inferred from these measurements using conventional formulas.
[0020] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for determining the thermal properties of a downhole formation comprising heating the formation adjacent a selected depth level within a wellbore extending into the formation, forming a temporary liner in the wellbore, measuring a first temperature of the formation at the selected depth level at a first time after heating the formation, measuring a second temperature of the formation at the selected depth level at a second time after heating the formation, and combining the temperature measurements to derive an indication of the thermal properties of the formation according to known mathematical relationships. The method may further comprise measuring the ambient temperature of the formation at the selected depth level.
[0021] In various embodiments, forming the temporary liner in the wellbore may comprise melting the formation adjacent the wellbore with a laser beam, or forming the temporary liner in the wellbore may comprise heating a material that solidifies while cooling. In an embodiment, the method further comprises extruding the material onto a wall of the wellbore. In various embodiments, the material may be conveyed into the wellbore through a conduit, or the material may be stored in an assembly disposed in the wellbore.
[0022] In various embodiments, heating the formation may comprise disposing a heat source on a composite coiled tubing drillstring and powering the heat source via conductors disposed in the wall of the drillstring, or heating the formation may comprise disposing a heat source on a drillstring and powering the heat source via a wireline disposed through the drillstring. In an embodiment, measuring the temperatures comprises spacing at least two temperature sensors axially with respect to the wellbore and moving each of the temperature sensors in sequence to the selected depth level. In another embodiment, measuring the temperatures comprises positioning a temperature sensor at the selected depth level and maintaining the sensor at the selected depth level while measuring the first temperature and the second temperature. In an embodiment, the temperature sensors comprise a fiber optic element. The thermal properties of the formation may comprise the thermal conductivity, the thermal diffusivity, the specific heat, or a combination thereof. The method may further comprise drilling to extend the wellbore while forming the temporary liner in the wellbore.
[0023] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for determining the thermal properties of a downhole formation and forming a temporary liner in a wellbore extending into the formation comprising a coiled tubing drillstring extending into the wellbore, an assembly supported by the drillstring, the assembly comprising an extruder that extrudes a liner material onto a wall of the wellbore, a heat source that heats the liner material and the formation, and at least one temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the formation. The assembly may further comprise a drill bit and a drill motor.
[0024] In various embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a wireline extending through a bore of the coiled tubing drillstring to supply power to the heat source, or the apparatus may further comprise conductors disposed in a wall of the drillstring to supply power to the heat source. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a processor that receives temperature signals from the at least one temperature sensor and derives an indication of thermal properties of the formation. In various embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a wireline extending through a bore of the coiled tubing drillstring to conduct temperature signals from the at least one temperature sensor to the processor, or the apparatus may further comprise conductors disposed in a wall of the drillstring to conduct temperature signals from the at least one temperature sensor to the processor.
[0025] In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a conduit extending through a bore of the coiled tubing drillstring to deliver the liner material to the extruder. The drillstring may further comprise at least two flow bores. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a reservoir containing the liner material, and the apparatus may further comprise a valve for selectively delivering the liner material from the reservoir to the extruder. In various embodiments, the heat source may comprise a laser or a heat tip. In an embodiment, the at least one temperature sensor comprises a fiber optic element. In another embodiment, the at least one temperature sensor comprises at least two temperature sensors spatially separated along the assembly.
[0026] In still another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for determining the thermal properties of a downhole formation and forming a temporary liner in a wellbore extending into the formation comprising a coiled tubing drillstring extending into the wellbore, an assembly supported by the drillstring, the assembly comprising a drill bit and a drill motor, a laser that melts the formation to form the liner, and at least one temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the formation. In an embodiment, the at least one temperature sensor comprises a fiber optic element. The apparatus may further comprise a processor that receives temperature signals from the at least one temperature sensor and derives an indication of thermal properties of the formation. In various embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a wireline extending through a bore of the coiled tubing drillstring to conduct temperature signals from the at least one temperature sensor to the processor, or the apparatus may further comprise conductors disposed in a wall of the drillstring to conduct temperature signals from the at least one temperature sensor to the processor.
[0027] Thus, the present disclosure is directed to apparatus and methods comprising a combination of features and advantages that address various disadvantages of prior methods and apparatus. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] For a more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements have been given like numerals, wherein:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a representative conventional drilling system;
[0030] FIG. 2 is a schematic of one embodiment of a wellbore stabilization operation;
[0031] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional end view of a representative multi-bore coiled tubing;
[0032] FIG. 3 is a schematic of another embodiment of a wellbore stabilization operation;
[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic of a chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL);
[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic of one embodiment of a laser drilling system; and
[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic of one embodiment of a laser perforating system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] Laser technology has flourished in recent years, largely through the expansion of atomic physics, the invention of fiber optics, and advances in military defense capabilities. Through these efforts, tremendous advances have occurred, for example, in laser power generation, efficiency and transmission capabilities. Improvements in lasers and other thermal technologies have made it possible to perform wellbore operations, such as wellbore stabilization, drilling, and perforating, utilizing new techniques. Because thermal technologies offer significant advantages over conventional methods, they are gaining rapid acceptance in the petroleum industry.
[0037] Lasers and other thermal technologies provide a heat source downhole to perform a primary function, such as wellbore stabilization, drilling, or perforating through casing. The heat source may also be utilized for the secondary but important purpose of determining thermal properties of the formation. Accordingly, measurements can be made of the temperature response of a borehole after it is heated by a heat source. The temperature measurements are then utilized to infer thermal properties, such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat, according to conventional calculations.
[0038] Some of the perceived advantages of using lasers or other thermal technologies stem from problems encountered with conventional drilling methods. Thus, referring initially to FIG. 1 , there is depicted a conventional rotary drilling operation, which comprises mainly three steps: drilling, casing, and completion. To drill a well in the conventional manner, a drilling rig 100 on the earth's surface 10 conveys a drillstring 110 and a drilling assembly 120 with a drill bit 125 on its lower end into a wellbore 130 , forming an annular flow area 135 between the drillstring 110 and the wellbore 130 . The drillstring 110 is rotated from the surface 10 by the drilling rig 100 while a dense fluid, known as “drilling fluid”, is drawn from a reservoir 140 by a pump 150 on the surface 10 . The pump 150 discharges the drilling fluid through pump discharge line 155 into the drillstring 110 , downwardly into the drilling assembly 120 as depicted by the flow arrows to power the drill bit 125 and to remove the cuttings from the wellbore 130 . The drilling fluid exits the drill bit 125 and returns to the surface 10 through the wellbore annulus 135 . After reaching the surface 10 , the drilling fluid is cleaned and returned to the reservoir 140 via the pump return line 160 . Thus, the drilling fluid, which contains suspended drill cuttings, flows continuously through the drillstring 110 downwardly to the bottom of the wellbore 130 and upwardly through the wellbore annulus 135 back to the fluid reservoir 140 while removing cuttings (debris) from the wellbore 130 . During drilling, the density of the drilling fluid, commonly referred to as the “mud weight”, is optimized to counterbalance the earth's fluid pressure in the formation 175 , thereby preventing the uncontrolled flow of fluids from the formation 175 into the wellbore 130 , or preventing the drilling fluid from fracturing and flowing into the formation 175 . The earth's fluid pressure is caused by the presence of water, crude oil, and pressurized gas such as CO 2 , H 2 S, and natural gas, within the formation 175 .
[0039] In more detail, as the wellbore 130 is drilled, the mud weight may be varied from one formation zone to another to counterbalance the pressure of the formation 175 . For example, if the lower zone 179 of the formation 175 is overpressured, the mud weight must be increased when drilling through zone 179 to balance the formation pressure. However, by using a heavier mud weight in the wellbore 130 , the upper zone 177 of the formation 175 could be fractured if that zone 177 is underpressured. In contrast, if the lower zone 179 is underpressured, the mud weight must be decreased when drilling through zone 179 to balance the formation pressure. However, by using a lighter mud weight in the wellbore 130 , a blow-out may occur in the upper zone 177 of the formation 175 if that zone 177 is overpressured. Therefore, before drilling into the lower zone 179 with a different mud weight, a steel tubular known as “casing”, such as casing 180 , is installed to line the wellbore 130 in the upper zone 177 , thereby isolating that section of the wellbore 130 from the surrounding formation 175 . The casing 180 is then cemented 185 against the formation 175 to protect fresh water supplies and other nonhydrocarbon fluids from contamination, and to provide zonal isolation between hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon bearing zones. Thus, the cement 185 provides a barrier to separate zone 177 from zone 179 behind the casing 180 . This procedure of casing installation and cementing is repeated for each section of the wellbore 130 corresponding to each formation zone 177 , 179 as the well is drilled deeper. Each subsequent casing string, such as casing 190 , is set by lowering the casing 190 through the previously set casing 180 . Therefore, casing 190 will have a smaller diameter than the previously set casing 180 . Thus, when drilling a well, multiple casing strings 180 , 190 are disposed along the wellbore 130 and cemented 185 , 195 into place, thereby isolating each zone 177 , 179 in the formation 175 . If the zones 177 , 179 are not isolated by casing 180 , 190 and cement 185 , 195 , problems such as blowouts, lost circulation, and unwanted fracturing of the formation 175 could occur. The last section of the well to be drilled is the production borehole 132 , which is in contact with the fluid reservoir 170 .
[0040] Once all the casings 180 , 190 , have been installed and cemented 185 , 195 into place, the drillstring 110 and drilling assembly 120 are removed and another assembly (not shown) is run into the wellbore 130 to make perforations through the casings 180 , 190 so that hydrocarbons will flow from the formation 175 into the wellbore 130 . Perforations are made through the casings 180 , 190 that line hydrocarbon-bearing zones 177 , 179 of the formation 175 , and the cement 185 , 195 prevents fluids, such as water, for example, from non-hydrocarbon bearing zones from flowing behind the casings 180 , 190 , and through the perforations. A production tubular (not shown) is then inserted into the wellbore 130 to carry the hydrocarbons back to the surface. The process of perforating the casings 180 , 190 and inserting the production tubing is known as “completion”.
[0041] Some of the perceived advantages of using lasers or other thermal technologies stem from problems encountered with the above-described conventional methods of well drilling and completion. For example, many drilling problems occur before the casing 180 , 190 is run and cemented 185 , 195 into place because the wellbore 130 is unsealed and unprotected. An unsealed wellbore 130 adjacent an overpressured zone enables the influx of fluids from the formation 175 , which can result in pressure “kicks.” Further, an unsealed wellbore 130 adjacent an underpressured zone enables the loss of drilling fluids into the surrounding formation 175 , which may lead to lost circulation, formation damage, differential pressure sticking, borehole swelling, borehole fracture, and even borehole collapse. Accordingly, there is a need for a method to protect the wellbore 130 , even temporarily, after a new section has been drilled until a permanent casing 180 , 190 can be installed and cemented 185 , 195 into place. Further, because the casings 180 , 190 telescope down in size from the top of the wellbore 130 to the bottom of the wellbore 130 , and the driller may not know in advance the number of pressure zones 177 , 179 that will be encountered, it is difficult to predict with certainty the number of casings 180 , 190 that will be required and the size of the production borehole 132 . In some cases, the production borehole 132 is so small that the hydrocarbons cannot be produced fast enough to make the well economically viable. Accordingly, there is a need for a method to protect and isolate the wellbore 130 without setting intermediate casing strings that reduce the diameter of the production borehole 132 .
[0042] Referring now to FIG. 2 , there is depicted a schematic of one embodiment of a wellbore stabilization operation that protects and isolates the wellbore 130 . FIG. 2 depicts a coiled tubing drilling system 300 having a power supply 305 , a surface processor 310 , and a coiled tubing spool 315 . An injector head unit 320 feeds and directs the coiled tubing 325 , which may be either metal or composite coiled tubing, from the spool 315 downwardly into the wellbore 130 . The coiled tubing 325 supports a wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 within the wellbore 130 that comprises a standard drill bit 125 driven by a drill motor 205 , an extruder 225 , a heat source 220 , and preferably a plurality of temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 , each of which is capable of measuring the temperature of the formation 175 in its vicinity. A reservoir 270 on the surface 10 connects to a pump 265 via an inlet conduit 275 , and the pump 265 connects to an exit conduit 255 that extends downwardly through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 to the extruder 225 . A standard wireline 260 , such as a 7-conductor wireline, extends downwardly through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 to conduct power from the surface power supply 305 to the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 for operating the heat source 220 . The wireline 260 further conducts signals from the temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 to the signal processing unit 310 on the surface. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 also contains appropriate power supply circuitry and data transmission circuitry (not shown) for operating the heat source 220 and temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 , and for transmitting measurements made thereby to the surface for further processing.
[0043] In operation, drilling fluid is pumped through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 to power the drill motor 205 , which in turn powers the drill bit 125 . Simultaneously, the extruder 225 and the heat source 220 enable placement of a temporary liner 280 to line the wellbore 130 in sections where casings have not yet been installed, such as along the lower borehole section 134 of FIG. 2 . In particular, pump 265 pumps a fusible liner material 210 , such as polyethylene or polypropylene, for example, from the reservoir 270 through the exit conduit 255 and downwardly to the extruder 225 , which extrudes the liner material 210 onto the wall 136 of the lower borehole section 134 . The fusible liner material 210 may be provided in the form of liquid or small solid pellets, for example, or any other suitable form. As the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 reaches the lower borehole section 134 , preferably the ambient temperature of the formation 175 is measured by sensor 230 at a predetermined depth D. Then, after the fusible liner material 210 is extruded onto the wall 136 of the lower borehole section 134 , the heat source 220 is activated to heat the fusible liner material 210 , thereby melting it. As the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 advances, the melted fusible liner material 210 is forced into the porosity of the formation 175 , and as the liner material 210 cools, it creates a temporary liner 280 along the lower borehole section 134 as depicted in FIG. 2 . In another embodiment, instead of pumping the liner material 210 through a separate conduit 255 extending through the coiled tubing bore 322 , the coiled tubing 325 could have more than one bore. For example, as depicted in cross-section in FIG. 2A , the coiled tubing 325 could comprise two bores, such as a central fluid bore 321 and an outer annular bore 323 . The drilling fluid could flow through the central bore 321 and the liner material 210 could flow through the annular bore 323 , or vice versa. There are a variety of other possible configurations for pumping the liner material 210 to the extruder 225 .
[0044] Thus, the heat source 220 melts the fusible liner material 210 to produce the temporary liner 280 , while simultaneously heating the formation 175 in the vicinity of the heat source 220 . As heat is applied to the formation 175 , measurements of temperature changes in the formation 175 induced in the vicinity of the temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 enables the determination of thermal properties of the formation 175 , as in conventional methods. In particular, as the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 moves downwardly, the temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 , which are spacially separated, each pass depth D in the formation 175 at different times such that temperature measurements can be made at the same depth D over time to measure the time rate of decay of the temperature at depth D. Alternatively, once the formation 175 has been heated to form the temporary liner 280 , the wellbore stabilization assembly 200 may be held stationary, thereby keeping sensors 230 , 240 , 250 stationary within the wellbore 130 . Then a plurality of temperature measurements may be made at the depths d 1 , d 2 , d 3 of each sensor 230 , 240 , 250 respectively, over time, to measure the time rate of decay of the temperature at each depth d 1 , d 2 , d 3 . The temperature differentials and other measurements are then used to infer thermal properties according to conventional calculations.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 3 , there is depicted a schematic of another embodiment of a wellbore stabilization operation. FIG. 3 depicts a coiled tubing drilling system 300 having a power supply 305 , a surface processor 310 , and a coiled tubing spool 315 . An injector head unit 320 feeds and directs the coiled tubing 325 , which is composite coiled tubing, from the spool 315 downwardly into the wellbore 130 to support a wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 330 on its lower end. The power supply 305 may be connected by electrical conduits 307 , 309 to electrical conduits in the wall of the composite coiled tubing 325 . Alternatively, the power supply 305 may be connected to a wireline 260 that extends through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 , as depicted in FIG. 2 . Further, the surface processor 310 includes data transmission conduits 312 , 314 that may be connected to data transmission conduits also housed in the wall of the composite coiled tubing 325 . Alternatively, the surface processor 310 may be connected to a wireline 260 that extends through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 , as depicted in FIG. 2 .
[0046] The wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 330 includes many of the same components as the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 200 of FIG. 2 . However, the assembly 330 of FIG. 3 includes a downhole reservoir 340 rather than the surface reservoir 270 , pump 265 , and conduit 255 extending through the coiled tubing 325 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
[0047] In operation, drilling fluid is pumped through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 to power the drill motor 205 , which in turn powers the drill bit 125 . Simultaneously, the extruder 225 and the heat source 220 enable placement of a temporary liner 280 to line the wellbore 130 in sections where casings have not already been installed, such as along the lower borehole section 134 of FIG. 3 . To create the temporary liner 280 , the fusible liner material 210 is selectively dispensed, such as via an actuatable valve 345 , for example, from the downhole reservoir 340 into the extruder 225 , which extrudes the liner material 210 onto the wall 136 of the lower borehole section 134 . Then, after the fusible liner material 210 is extruded, the heat source 220 melts the fusible liner material 210 . In an alternate embodiment, the downhole reservoir 340 may be positioned above another type of heat source (not shown), such that the fusible liner material 210 may be selectively dispensed into the heat source to be heated therewithin before being extruded. Thus, in the alternate embodiment, the extruder 225 extrudes melted liner material 210 onto the lower borehole wall 136 . Once the liner material 210 is extruded and melted, then as the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 330 advances, it forces the melted fusible liner material 210 into the porosity of the wellbore 130 to create a temporary liner 280 .
[0048] Thus, the heat source 220 or the alternate heat source (not shown) melts the fusible lining material 210 to produce a temporary liner 280 , while simultaneously heating the formation 175 in the vicinity of the heat source 220 . As heat is applied to the formation 175 , measurements of temperature changes of the formation 175 induced in the vicinity of temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 enable the determination of thermal properties of the formation 175 , as in conventional methods. In particular, as the wellbore stabilization and drilling assembly 330 moves downwardly, the temperature sensing devices 230 , 240 , 250 , which are spacially separated, will each pass depth D in the formation 175 at different times such that temperature measurements can be made at the same depth D to measure the time rate of decay of the temperature at depth D. Alternatively, once the formation 175 to form the temporary liner 280 , the wellbore stabilization assembly 330 can be held stationary, thereby keeping sensors 230 , 240 , 250 stationary within the wellbore 130 . Then a plurality of temperature measurements may be made at the depths d 1 , d 2 , d 3 of each sensor 230 , 240 , 250 respectively, over time, to measure the time rate of decay of the temperature at each depth d 1 , d 2 , d 3 . The temperature differentials and other measurements are then used to infer thermal properties according to conventional calculations.
[0049] The heat source 220 in the assemblies 200 , 330 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , respectively, may comprise any source of heat, such as for example, a heat tip that reaches sufficient temperatures to melt the fusible liner material 210 . In another embodiment, the heat source 220 comprises a laser as will be described in more detail hereinafter. A laser can reach temperatures capable of melting the formation 175 rock, and when the molten rock cools, a liner is formed such that no fusible liner material 210 is required.
[0050] Beyond wellbore stabilization, lasers are now being utilized for drilling. Unlike conventional drilling, in which the drilling rate is determined by the weight-on-bit (WOB), mud circulation (cuttings removal) rate, rotary speed, hydraulic horsepower, bit design and wellbore size, the rate of penetration achieved with a laser may only depend on wellbore size and delivered power. Moreover, no out-of-balance or out-of-axis turning is expected to occur with a laser-drilled wellbore, and, because a laser head does not contact the rock, there is no need to stop drilling to replace a mechanical bit.
[0051] A laser is basically a device that converts energy of some form (electrical, chemical, heat, etc.) into photons, which is electromagnetic radiation. The photons created through stimulated emission form a narrow beam of monochromatic coherent light energy that when focused into an intense beam can be used to fragment, melt or vaporize rock, depending upon the power delivered, and the operating parameters associated with pulsing the laser.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 4 , there is shown a schematic of one embodiment of a laser that could be used for drilling a wellbore; namely a chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) 400 . The overall COIL process is conceptually simple. Basic hydrogen peroxide (BHP) 410 when mixed with chlorine gas 420 in a gas generator 430 produces oxygen in an excited state (called the oxygen singlet delta 440 ). The byproduct of this reaction is heat 435 and brine 445 , which is common in the oilfield. The oxygen singlet delta 440 is combined with molecular iodine 450 in a supersonic mixing nozzle 460 , which causes both the dissociation of molecular iodine to atomic iodine and produces iodine in an excited state, creating the laser gain region 465 . In the laser gain region 465 , laser cavity mirrors 470 stimulate excited iodine to form atomic iodine, releasing photons, or “packets” of light energy that is the laser beam 475 . The exhaust gases are scrubbed in a scrubber 480 to remove any residual iodine and chlorine.
[0053] While a COIL has been described as one type of laser that could be used for purposes of laser drilling, a number of alternate laser systems could also be used, including hydrogen fluoride (HF), deuterium fluoride (DF), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), free electron laser (FEL), neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG), and krypton fluoride excimer (KrF (excimer)) lasers, for example. Lasers can operate in continuous-wave (CW), pulsed, and repetitively pulsed (RP) modes. The main energetic parameter for a CW laser is the output power, for a pulsed laser the output energy, and for a RP laser the average power and pulsed energy. Each of these lasers operates at a specific wavelength range, except for the FEL, which may be tuned to virtually any wavelength in continuous wave (CW) mode.
[0054] FIG. 5 schematically depicts one embodiment of a laser drilling system 500 as it is drilling a wellbore 130 into a formation 175 . The laser drilling system 500 comprises a laser 510 on the surface, such as a FEL or COIL, connected to one or more fiber optic elements 515 comprising a bundle that extends downwardly through a coiled tubing drillstring 325 and connects to a series of lenses 520 , 525 , 530 on the lower end of a laser drilling assembly 550 . In an alternate embodiment, a smaller laser, such as a diode laser (not shown), is small enough to fit within the wellbore 130 , such as at the lower end of the laser drilling assembly 550 , thereby eliminating the need for fiber optic elements 515 .
[0055] In FIG. 5 , the laser drilling assembly 550 is suspended within the wellbore 130 by a coiled tubing system 300 having a power supply 305 , a surface processor 310 , and a coiled tubing spool 315 . An injector head unit 320 feeds and directs the coiled tubing 325 , which may be either metal or composite coiled tubing, from the spool 315 downwardly into the wellbore 130 to support the laser drilling assembly 550 . The power supply 305 is shown connected to a wireline 260 that extends through the bore 322 of the coiled tubing 325 and conducts power from the power supply 305 to the laser drilling assembly 550 . Alternatively, the power supply 305 may be connected to electrical conduits in the wall of the coiled tubing 325 . Further, the surface processor 310 connects to the wireline 260 to form a bi-directional telemetry system. In particular, the wireline 260 conducts data signals from several temperature sensors 552 , 554 and 556 disposed on the laser drilling assembly 550 to the surface processor 310 , and the surface processor 310 may also generate command signals that are conducted downhole via the wireline 260 to the laser drilling assembly 550 to alter the laser drilling operations. Alternatively, instead of the wireline 260 , the surface processor 310 may be connected to data transmission conduits housed in the wall of the coiled tubing 325 to form the bi-directional telemetry system.
[0056] In operation, the laser drilling system 500 transfers light energy from the laser 510 on the surface, down the one or more fiber optic elements 515 to the series of lenses 520 , 525 , 530 . The lenses 520 , 525 , 530 direct a laser beam to cut the rock and extend the wellbore 130 . As the laser 510 transfers light energy downhole, heat is produced that will enable time rate of decay temperature measurements to be taken by the temperature sensors 552 , 554 , 556 . In particular, as the laser drilling assembly 550 moves downwardly to extend the wellbore 130 , the temperature sensors 552 , 554 , 556 , which are spacially separated, will pass a depth D in the formation 175 at different times such that temperature measurements can be made at the same depth D over time. Thus, a temperature differential can be determined from which thermal properties can be inferred by conventional methods.
[0057] One of the primary benefits of making these real-time thermal property determinations is to enhance laser drilling operations. Thermal properties, such as thermal diffusivity, are especially valuable for determining properties of the formation rock. For example, the laser 510 utilized for drilling will have different pulse rates and different preferred operating parameters, such as how long and how often to pulse the laser, for example, depending upon the type of formation rock. In some cases, the same amount of laser energy will melt one type of rock while it will vaporize another. Thus, real-time information about formation properties enables improvements to be made in the laser drilling process. In particular, as drilling progresses, temperature measurements are made via temperature sensors 552 , 554 , 556 disposed on the drilling assembly 550 . The wireline 260 conducts signals from the temperature sensors 552 , 554 , and 556 to the surface processor 310 where the data is processed to determine thermal properties of the formation 175 . Then, various parameters of the laser 510 , such as the pulse rate, for example, may be adjusted depending upon the characteristics of the formation 175 .
[0058] FIG. 6 schematically depicts the laser 510 , the one or more fiber optic elements 515 , and the lenses 520 , 525 , 530 being utilized to perforate casing 190 in the middle section 138 of the wellbore 130 . In this configuration, the laser 510 transfers light energy down the fiber optic elements 515 to the series of lenses 520 , 525 , 530 . The lenses 520 , 525 , 530 then direct a laser beam to perforate the casing 190 , cement 195 , and formation 175 to form a perforation 176 .
[0059] In another embodiment, since light energy from a laser, such as laser 510 , can be conducted along a fiber optic element 515 for short distances, the lenses 520 , 525 , 530 can be eliminated. In this embodiment, the laser 510 transfers light energy down the one or more fiber optic elements 515 , and the ends of the fiber optic elements 515 are positioned to direct a laser beam to perforate the casing 190 , cement 195 , and formation 175 . It would also be possible to point the end of each one of the fiber optic elements 515 to various different positions along the length of the casing 190 to form multiple perforations 176 simultaneously. For example, assuming there are ten (10) fiber optic elements 515 bundled to a single laser source 510 , the end of each one of the fiber optic elements 515 may be pointed to a different location along the casing 190 . Then light energy from the laser 510 may be conducted to the ends of the individual fiber optic elements 515 in sequence to create ten perforations 176 . In particular, since each pulse of the laser 510 lasts only briefly when perforating so as to spall rather than melt the rock, the light energy can be conducted (pulsed) to each fiber element 515 in sequence at a rapid pace to generate the ten perforations 176 , with the sequence returning to the first perforation in time for the next pulse. This sequence would be repeated multiple times to create completed perforations along the casing 190 length. The laser 510 could be located on the surface as shown in FIG. 6 , or alternatively, the laser 510 could be disposed within the wellbore 130 . It may also be possible to form and extend a perforation tunnel 177 using a fiber optic element 515 by projecting the element 515 out into the perforation 176 and pulsing the laser 510 to continue spalling the rock and form a progressively longer perforation tunnel 177 .
[0060] A properly pulsed laser 510 may create fewer but higher quality perforations 176 as compared to conventional perforating methods. In particular, using a conventional perforator that dispenses shape charges, a plurality of perforations can be created in a short period of time. However, many of these perforations do not extend deep enough into the formation, or they may be blocked with casing and rock debris that is forced into the perforation and surrounding formation by the shape charge, thereby reducing the effective produceability of the formation. Therefore, although a large number of perforations can be created using a conventional perforator, few of the perforations will produce. For example, if 50 feet of casing length is perforated, approximately only 5 feet of perforations may actually produce. In contrast, the perforations 176 created with a laser 510 do not get blocked with debris and can be extended to form a tunnel 177 in the formation 175 as needed. In fact, as reported in “Temperature Induced by High Power Lasers: Effects on Reservoir Rock Strength and Mechanical Properties”, SPE/ISRM 78154, data indicates that in many cases the effective permeability of the rock around the tunnel 177 is actually increased relative to that of the virgin formation 175 . Therefore, it is possible for a majority of the laser-created perforations 176 to produce.
[0061] Once again, heat is generated in the formation 175 as a result of the laser perforating operation performed by any of the above-described methods. Temperature probes can be installed in a perforation tunnel 177 to measure the temperature relaxation at one or more positions within the perforation tunnel 177 over time. In one embodiment, the temperature probes comprise a fiber optic element 515 , which, as known in the art, can make distributed measurements along the length of the fiber. The fiber optic element 515 may be part of the bundle connected to the laser 510 , or it may be a separate fiber optic element connected to another laser. Accordingly, since a fiber optic element 515 can be used to spall rock to form perforations 176 and tunnels 177 , and can also be used to take distributed temperature measurements, the same laser 510 and fiber optic elements 515 can be used for both purposes. In such a case, the laser 510 would be operated in one mode to form the perforations 176 and tunnels 177 and in a different mode to make temperature measurements.
[0062] In more detail, to make distributed temperature measurements using a fiber optic element 515 , the laser 510 is operated to pulse light energy down the fiber optic element 515 . Temperature measurements can be made at each point along the length of the fiber 515 . Most distributed temperature sensing systems utilizing fiber optic elements 515 rely on Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR), which is known in the art, to determine the spatial position of an individual measurement. OTDR is a standard method of determining losses along the length of an optical fiber 515 . The time it takes for the reflective light to return to the source indicates the precise position along the fiber 515 where the measurement is being taken. The characteristics of the reflective light are analyzed using known techniques, such as Raman backscattering, to determine the temperature at that precise position. Thus, for each pulse of the laser 510 , the operator can obtain reflective light measurements at different times corresponding to different positions along the fiber optic element 515 . The operator can then pulse the laser 510 again and repeat the measurement sequence at each position along the fiber optic element 515 , and so on. This will provide a number of temperature measurements at each position such that temperature differentials can be determined from which thermal properties can be inferred by conventional methods. Although the length of the fiber optic element 515 is located at approximately the same depth in the formation 175 when disposed within a perforation tunnel 177 , distributed temperature measurements along the length of the fiber 515 are valuable for determining the properties of the formation 175 with greater accuracy, and for determining the required depth of the perforation tunnels 177 to engage formation zones containing the most hydrocarbons.
[0063] One of the primary benefits of making real-time thermal property determinations is to enhance laser perforating operations based upon the characteristics of the rock comprising the formation 175 . For example, as previously described, temperature measurements may be made within a perforation tunnel 177 via a temperature probe (not shown) or a fiber optic element 515 , and the temperature signals may then be transmitted to the surface processor 310 to determine thermal properties of the formation 175 . Then, various parameters of the laser 510 , such as the pulse rate, intensity, and duration, can be adjusted based upon the real-time determination of thermal properties of the formation 175 , thereby improving the laser perforating operation.
[0064] Thus, the apparatus and methods described herein take advantage of the heat from a thermal drilling, wellbore stabilization, or perforating process to perform thermal measurements. The thermal measurements may be performed simultaneously or near simultaneously with the drilling operations. The sensors thus provide in situ temperature measurements that permit the computation of thermal properties of the formation as described in the earlier '128 Patent, the '227 Patent and the '969 Patent to Smith, Jr.
[0065] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this disclosure. For example, a fiber optic element and laser could be utilized to take distributed temperature measurements along the wellbore during thermal drilling or wellbore stabilization operations in addition to perforating. Thus, the embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the methods and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims which follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.
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A method comprises heating a formation adjacent a selected depth level within a wellbore extending into the formation, forming a temporary liner in the wellbore, measuring a first temperature of the formation at the selected depth level at a first time after heating the formation, measuring a second temperature of the formation at the selected depth level at a second time after heating the formation, and combining the temperature measurements to derive an indication of thermal properties of the formation. An apparatus comprises a coiled tubing drillstring extending into a wellbore, an assembly supported by the drillstring, the assembly comprising an extruder that extrudes a liner material onto a wall of the wellbore, a heat source that heats the liner material and a formation, and at least one temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the formation.
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This is division of application Ser. No. 064,872, filed June 19, 1987 now Pat. No. 4,813,730.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to latches for retrievable flow control devices used in oil and gas industries, and more specifically to latches which are utilized to secure or to remove a flow control valve from a mandrel receiver at a subterranean location.
The use of various type latches for such purposes is well known in the oil and gas industries. However, many latches which are currently utilized in the field suffer from a major drawback: the locking ring, in many instances, "wedges" against the locking shoulder of a mandrel, which leads to bending and metal damage of the flow control device or the mandrel receiver, and as a result, to inability of the latching device to secure position of the valve in the mandrel receiver.
Another problem which is often encountered in the oil and gas industries is inability of a retrieval tool to retrieve a valve which is locked downhole. Under these circumstances, all pulling means are usually carried up to the surface, while the valve has only one direction which it can be moved-upward. The valve cannot be retrieved by driving it down through the mandrel and at the present time, the tubing is usually pulled to the surface so that the valve, in such emergency situations, can be retrieved. While such procedure could be acceptable for production on land, no similar benefit could be obtained at an offshore location. A drilling rig will have to be moved away from that particular location and the well will stay dormant until a next workover program is effected which can take as long as five to six years from the time the well is immobilized. This causes not only loss of some pieces of equipment, but what is more important, loss of production time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is designed to solve both of the problems in a simple and straightforward manner. A latching device, in accordance with the present invention, is provided with a cylindrical body, a locking sleeve mounted in surrounding and slidable relationship on the body, a locking ring and a compressible spring which normally urges the locking ring downward so that it rests on top the latch sub which is attached to a flow control device, such as a valve. To prevent wedging of the locking ring against the locking shoulder of the mandrel receiver, and locking ring comprises upper and lower bevelled surfaces which are complementary to the bevelled surfaces of the locking shoulder of the mandrel receiver, so that the surfaces can meet at a common plane when the latching device is driven into the mandrel receiver or pulled up the the surface.
To facilitate retrieval of a flow control device, such as a valve, when all retrieval means have been carried out to the surface or the well is immobilized, the present invention provides for the use of a cylindrical latching sub having a central opening, the internal wall of which is provided with an internal recess above the means of attachment of the latch sub to a latching device, for example. A retrieval tool comprises an upper body and a lower nose portion, and a compressible C-shaped ring is mounted on the nose portion, so that it compresses while the nose portion is being driven into the central opening of the cylindrical latch sub and releases when it reaches the internal recess, thereby effectively locking the retrieval tool within the latching device. The latch sub has also means for secure attachment of the latch sub to the flow control device to be retrieved.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a latching device for positioning and removal of a flow control device from a tubular receiver.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a latching device with means which prevent wedging of the locking means of the latching device against locking shoulder of the tubular receiver.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a retrieval tool for retrieval of a flow control device from a tubular receiver when the flow control device is locked downhole and all pulling means have been carried up to the surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in cross section, showing the locking ring meeting the locking shoulder of the tubular receiver by a complementary bevelled surface.
FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in cross section, showing the position of the locking ring, when it meets by its flat surface a respective flat surface of the locking shoulder of a tubular receiver.
FIG. 3 is an elevational, partially cross sectional view, showing the position of the locking ring and of the released spring when the locking ring passes the locking shoulder of the tubular receiver.
FIG. 4 is an elevational, partially cross sectional view of a locking ring in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an elevational, partially cross sectional view showing a retrieval tool entering the central opening of a latch sub.
FIG. 6 is an elevational, partially cross sectional view of the retrieval tool, with the C-shaped locking ring locked in the internal recess of the latched sub.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the C-shaped ring in an expanded position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, numeral 10 designates the latch of the present invention adapted for use in a side pocket 12 of mandrel 14 in which a flow control device 16, such as a valve, is mounted.
The latch 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body 18 having a shoulder 20 at its upper portion for engagement with a running tool (not shown) designed for positioning the flow control device 16 in the side pocket 12. The lower portion of the latch 10 is provided with threads 22 for threaded engagement with the flow control device 16.
A locking sleeve means 24 is slidably mounted on the cylindrical body 18, and a shear pin means 26 serves to temporarily secure the locking sleeve 24 in its lowermost position in relation to the flow control device 16.
Retrieval of the latch 10 and the flow control device 16 can be achieved through the use of a conventional retrieval tool (not shown) which will engage an upper shoulder 28 at the upper portion of the locking sleeve 24 and, by application of an upwardly directed force, will cause shearing of the pin 26 and movement of the slidable locking sleeve 24 upward in relation to the cylindrical body 18, thus allowing retrieval of the latch 10 and the flow control device 16 which is threadably engaged with the latch 10.
An annular locking ring means 30 is slidably mounted on the sleeve 24 and is provided with upper and lowel beveled surfaces, designated by numerals 32 and 34, respectively. The angle of the bevel is designed to be complementary and to substantially match an angle on a latch lug 40 of the side pocket 12. The advantages of such design are such that there is no "wedging" effect of the ring 30 against the latch lug 40 when a downward force is applied to the flow control device 16, pushing it into the side pocket 12. A progressive downward movement of the flow control device 16, as was noted above, can even cause bending of the flow control device 16 which is, for example, a valve, when the angles of bevel of the locking ring 30 and the latch lug 40 are mis-matched, as is the case with the currently used in the field latching devices.
When such devices are used and the bevels of the locking ring and of the latch lug do not match, there is one point of contact between a lower bevel surface of the locking ring and an upper bevel surface of the latch lug. The latch lug "digs" into the locking ring, causing wedging and even occasional bending of the valve which is being pushed downwardly into a side pocket of a mandrel. In this case, the force which acts upon the beveled surfaces is almost perpendicular to the vertical movement of the latch.
In the case of the complementary, matching angle bevels, in accordance with the present invention, the force acting upon the bevel surfaces is at an acute angle to the vertical. The direction of force acting upon the bevel surfaces in accordance with the present invention is shown by arrow 51 in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The point of contact of the beveled surfaces moves towards the center of the annular locking ring 30, causing the complementary bevelled surfaces to meet at a common plane. Such advantage is not achieved by any other currently used latch known to the applicant.
A spring means 50 is mounted circumferentially about the outside lower portion of the slidable locking sleeve 24, the spring acting against an intermediate shoulder 36 and the annular locking ring 30. The spring 50 serves to retain the position of the locking ring 30 in relation to the flow control device 16, urging the locking ring 30 to rest atop the upper edge 17 of the flow latch sub 15.
FIG. 2 shows a progressive movement of the latch 10 downwardly and the locking ring 30 contacting a flat surface 41 of the latch lug 40 by its corresponding flat surface 31.
The spring 50 is compressed by the locking ring 30 which forces it upwardly. At the same time, the locking ring 30, having an internal diameter greater than an outside diameter of the body 18 and of an enlarged diameter head 42 of the locking sleeve 24, is forced sideways, laterally, to a limited degree, by the flat surface 41 of the latch lug acting upon the flat surfaces 31 of the locking ring 30.
The limited degree of the lateral, sideway movement of the locking ring 30 is made possible by the provision of a reduced diameter portion 38 on the sleeve 24, the portion 38 being formed above the enlarged diameter head 42 of the lower portion of the locking sleeve 24.
A lower shoulder 44 is formed above the reduced diameter portion 38 and, being of a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the locking ring 30, limits its upper movement along the locking sleeve 24 when the locking ring 30 is engaged by the latch lock 40 and the spring 50 is compressed. The vertical distance of the reduced diameter portion 38 is at least as great as the thickness of the locking ring 30 to prevent any wedging effect between the locking ring 30 and the latch lug 40. Still, the outside diameter of the locking ring 30 is greater than the diameter of the shoulder 44, thereby allowing the shoulder 44 to effortlessly pass the latch lug 40, after the locking ring has passed the latch lug 40 as will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 3, orogressive downward movement of the flow control device 16 into the side pocket 12 results in positioning of the locking ring 30 below the latch lug 40. The compressed spring 50 releases, forcing the locking ring 30 downward, to its original position atop the latch sub 15, thereby locking the latch 10 and the flow control device 16 in the side pocket 12 of mandrel 14. The running tool (not shown) is then disengaged from shoulder 20 leaving the flow control device 16 inside the side pocket 12. The operation of the shoulder 44 is also described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,493, issued on Aug. 6, 1974, the disclosure of which is incorporated herewith by reference.
Retrieval of the flow control device, under normal conditions, can be accomplished by conventional methods and tools, by engaging the upper shoulder 28, shearing the shear pin 26 and pulling the locking sleeve 24 upwardly. While the sleeve 24 slides upwardly on the body 18, the spring 50 releases, to some degree, leaving the locking ring 30 seated above the edge 17 of the flow control device 16 and below the enlarged diameter head 42 of the locking sleeve 24.
The lower bevel surface of the latch lug 40 is contacted by the complementary angle upper surface 32 of the locking ring 30, which then slides upward and, upon contact of the flat surfaces 41 and 31 of the latch lug 40 and the locking ring 30, respectively, moves laterally towards the body 18 to pass the latch lug 40 and allow retrieval of the flow control device 22 from its position in the side pocket 12 of mandrel 14.
In some circumstances though, the flow control device, such as valve, cannot be retrieved by the above-described conventional method.
Sometimes, a latch post is parted at its threaded connection, the thread can be stripped or vibrated loose. When this occurs, the conventional retrieval tools are of little use, since there is no shoulder against which the latch can be pulled out. The latch is positioned inside the side pocket of a mandrel, and the retrieval means have been carried out to the surface. Yet, a valve has to be retrieved, it has a no-go latch sub mounted above it and it can be moved only in one direction-upward.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved retrieval means are provided for such emergency situations.
FIGS. 5-6 show an improved retrieval means, comprising a retrieval tool as used in combination with an improved no-go sub of a locking latch. As was described above, this sub is left inside the side pocket when the stripping has been accomplished. The improved latch sub 100 comprises an upper 102 and lower 104 cavities formed by a central opening 105 which is made in the annular wall 106, the opening extending the length of the latch sub 100. The internal wall 108 of the opening is provided with an upper 110 and lower 112 threaded portions disposed in the upper 102 and lower 104 cavities, respectively.
The upper threads 110 terminate a distance below an uppermost edge 114 of the latch sub 100 and are designed for engagement with matching threads (not shown) of a locking latch (not shown). The lower threads 112 extend substantially to the lowermost end 116 of the latch sub 100 and are designed for engagement with matching threads 118 of a valve 120, thereby ensuring a fixed position of the valve 120 in relation to a locking latch.
An internal annular rib 122 extends inwardly from and substantially perpendicularly to the internal wall 108 approximately midway between the uppermost edge 114 and lower end of the latch sub 100, dividing the central opening 105 into the upper 102 and 104 cavities, as was described above.
As further shown in FIG. 6, the internal wall 108 is provided with an annular recess means 124 above the upper threaded portion 110. The recess 124 is formed by an upper bevel surface 126, intermediate flat surface 128, having an enlarged diameter, and lower bevel surface 130.
An improved retrieval tool 200 which is utilized for retrieving the valve 120 in accordance with the present invention comprises a tool body 202 and a retrieval tool nose portion 204, which is fixedly and detachably connected (such as, for example, by threads) to the lower end of the tool body 202. Alternatively, the tool body 202 and the retrieval tool nose portion 204 can be made integral, forming a unit. The nose 204 comprises a first frustoconical portion 206, a middle, enlarged diameter cylindrical portion 208 and a second, downwardly facing frustoconical portion 210. A groove 211 is formed in the apex of the second frustoconical portion 210, the groove designed to receive torque, applied to the nose portion, as will be described in more detail below.
A lower shoulder 212 is formed by the top of cylindrical portion 208, and an upper shoulder 214 is formed by a lower end of the tool body 202 at the level of its engagement with a smaller diameter upper end of the first frustoconical portion 206.
A C-shaped locking ring means 216 is positioned in circumferentially surrounding relationship on the first frustoconical portion 206 and can move freely vertically between the vertical limits set by the upper shoulder 214 and the lower shoulder 212. Internal diameter of the C-ring 216 is such that it can move laterally, to some degree, on the frustoconical portion 206 but is prevented from sliding downward by the lower shoulder 212 and moving upward--by an upper shoulder 214.
Operation of the retrieval tool 200 will now be described in reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
As the retrieval tool 200 is lowered into the opening 105 of the latch sub 100, the nose 204 enters the cavity 102, and frustoconical portion 210 and cylindrical portion 208 pass through recess 124. The C-ring 216 collapses and moves through the opening 105 into recess 124, sliding along an upper bevel surface 126 into the middle portion 128, which, as was mentioned above, has a greater diameter than the overall diameter of the central opening 105, and which vertical dimensions are at least as great as the thickness of the C-ring 216.
After the C-ring 216 has reached the middle portion 128 of the recess 124, it expands. Then a pulling force is applied to the retrieval tool 200, forcing the C-ring 216 to engage the lower shoulder 212 and rest on it, while sliding along the upper bevel surface 126 as can be seen in FIG. 5. The C-ring 216 is held in its expanded position, while the pulling force creates a shearing effect through the center of the C-ring 216, crosswise around its periphery.
In order to prevent shearing of the C-ring 216, it is designed and made of a high strength carbon steel wire which is strong enough to withstand the forces applied to the C-ring 216 during operation.
It should be noted that the material from which the C-ring is made is not limited only to the material mentioned above, but any material which possesses the same physical qualities will be acceptable, provided it can withstand the shearing force.
Continued application of the pulling force causes a positive locking effect between the retrieval tool 200 and the valve 120, after which the valve 120 can be retrieved from its position inside the side pocket and lifted to the surface. Upon arrival on the surface, the retrieval tool is separated from the valve 120 by first removing the latch sub 100, then applying torque to the portion 210 at the groove 211, thus separating the retrieval tool nose 204, latch sub 100 and the valve 120 from the retrieval tool body 202. The latch sub 100 can then be cut laterally through the annular wall 106 at the level of recess 124, after which the valve can be easily separated from the latch sub 100.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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A latching device for locking and removal of a flow control device from a mandrel receiver comprises a cylindrical stem, a locking sleeve slidably mounted upon the stem, an annular locking ring mounted for a limited axial movement along the lower portion of the locking sleeve and a compression spring. The annular locking ring has upper and lower bevel surfaces which are complementary to bevel surfaces of a mandrel receiver.
an improved retrieval device is disclosed for retrieval of a valve which is locked within the mandrel receiver, the device comprising a cylindrical body having a central opening and an internal wall with a recess and a retrieval tool provided with a compressible C-shaped ring for locking engagement with the recess formed in the cylindrical body, thereby allowing retrieval of the cylindrical body, along with the well tool which is securedly attached to the retrieval device.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND
This disclosure relates in general to drilling wellbores through earth formations and, but not by way of limitation, to controlling gas in the wellbore fluid.
In deepwater drilling with a subsea blow-out preventer (BOP) there is risk of gas getting into the riser. Small amounts of gas may be undetected during the drilling process, particularly when drilling close to kick tolerance limits. Large expansion of gas in the drilling riser can occur to partially empty the riser. The volume of gas increases as it travels from the ocean floor toward the surface. Hydrostatic pressure can lead to riser collapse, the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbon at the surface when the diverter overloads or other problems.
In one embodiment of the invention, early kick detection is a consideration for rig safety and efficiency. The lower kick tolerances associated with deep water operations can be addressed by kick detection systems that are more sensitive and reliable that those which are usually available for conventional drilling operations. For example, lower fracture gradients than similar land or shallow water situations reduce the kick tolerance margin. However, kick detection in deepwater operations can be difficult. Two early warning signs of kicks are an increase in flow rate and pit volume. These signs are difficult to detect when drilling from floating vessels due to the nature of the drilling vessel motion. Waves can cause fluctuations in the pits that can complicate volume estimates. Similar problems affect the outflow rate measurement.
Failure to detect a gas influx lower in the wellbore in such an operation can lead to gas being circulated into a deepwater riser. This is even more likely when drilling with oil-based mud due to the solubility of the methane in the drilling fluid. Typically there is very limited pressure control at surface once the gas has been circulated past the BOP stack on the seafloor. The gas in the riser that is circulated during the drilling process can expand rapidly near surface and can lead to blow-out conditions. Furthermore, if the riser does become partially evacuated, there is also a risk of riser collapse.
When a kick is taken while drilling with a marine riser, there is a possibility that the gas can migrate or be circulated above the subsea BOP (SSBOP) stack. When this occurs, the choke and mud-gas separator are no longer available to control the flowrates when the riser gas reaches the surface. Even if the gas influx is detected early and the annular preventer is closed, some of gas influx may already be above the annular preventer. Additionally, there may be some gas above the annular preventer because detection of the kick did not occur until the gas had been circulated above the SSBOP stack.
An early flowcheck in the riser, immediately after shutting in the well, may show a flow indicating that the large bubbles are still rising. However, once all the small gas bubbles have been suspended in water based mud or dissolved in oil base mud, a flow check in the riser may falsely read negative even though there is gas in the riser. If a large amount of gas gets above the SSBOP stack, it can rise rapidly and carry a large volume of mud out of the riser at high rates. One way of managing gas in the riser is to avoid such situations.
SUMMARY
Gas influx detection is a consideration for rig safety and efficiency. One embodiment of the invention describes the placement of a sensitive methane sensor in the subsea blow-out preventer (BOP) below the lowest BOP circulation path. The methane sensor is coupled, via an umbilical, to the surface rig control system to allow remote monitoring of methane. Other embodiments could monitor other gases in the BOP and report that information to surface. Detection of gas triggers an automated shut-in of the well that will minimize both the risk of human error during a highly stressful time and the volume of gas that could get in the riser. Quick detection of gas and remediation can keep the amount of gas released into the riser below an amount that can safely be handled by the diverter.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system for controlling gas in a subsea drilling operation. The system includes a subsea blow-out preventer, a riser coupled to the blow-out preventer, a gas sensor, a controller, and a signal pathway. The gas sensor is configured for placement below the riser and configured to contact wellbore fluids during normal drilling operation. The controller is configured to automatically cause manipulation of the subsea blow-out preventer based upon information from the gas sensor. The signal pathway couples the gas sensor to the controller.
In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling gas in subsea drilling. In one step, gas in wellbore fluid is detected before it passes the subsea blow-out preventer. A signal indicative of gas in the wellbore fluid below the riser is produced. Reaction to the signal is automatic and could include adjusting the subsea blow-out preventer.
In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for remotely controlling gas in subsea drilling. In one step, a first signal indicative of gas in wellbore fluid is detected before the wellbore fluid passes a subsea blow-out preventer. If it is determined that the first signal indicates a level of gas above a predetermined threshold, a second signal is produced to command a subsea blow-out preventer to perform one or more adjustments.
Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating various embodiments, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the appended figures:
FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of an embodiment of subsea drilling equipment;
FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an embodiment of a drilling system; and
FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an embodiment of a process for controlling gas in subsea drilling.
In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The ensuing description provides preferred exemplary embodiment(s) only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the preferred exemplary embodiment(s) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiment. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims.
Referring first to FIG. 1 , a diagram of an embodiment of subsea drilling equipment 100 is shown. A drill string 104 extends through a riser 108 and into the wellbore. The wellbore passes down from the seabed 116 . The beginning of the wellbore is reinforced by a casing head 112 . An umbilical (not shown) is used to pass electrical signaling between the platform (not shown) and the a blow-out preventer (BOP) 106 . Additionally, kill and choke lines 154 , 130 pass along the riser 108 to the surface.
Drilling fluid passes down the drill string 104 and returns to the surface through the riser 108 . There are various components in a BOP 106 to control this process. An annular preventer 124 seals the annular space and can be remotely controlled as denoted by the arrow. Pipe and/or shear ram(s) 148 are respectively used to either hold the drill string in place, provide additional blow-out prevention or cut through the drill string 104 . Some embodiments could have multiple BOPs 106 , called a BOP stack.
This embodiment has two kill lines 154 and two choke lines 130 in the BOP 106 . The kill lines 154 each have an electrically controlled valve 150 . Similarly, the choke lines 130 each have a choke valve 128 that is controllable remotely. The choke and kill lines 130 , 154 can be manipulated to control the circulation of wellbore fluids under pressure in the event of a well control incident.
A methane detector 132 could be based on either electrochemical or optical principles More specifically, in-situ real-time detection of methane can be achieved using an electrochemical sensor with a metal oxide compound immobilized onto an electrode surface, mimicking the catalytic center of the enzyme methane monooxygenase (MMO), which catalyses the partial oxidative conversion of methane into methanol. This methane gas sensor 132 produces a current from the reaction rate or turnover of the methane conversion that corresponds to the concentration of the target molecule(s) and can be recorded remotely.
The methane gas sensor 132 could be placed anywhere in the BOP or the wellbore to detect gas in the drilling fluid as it returns to the surface. In the depicted embodiment, the methane gas sensor 132 is placed below the lowest kill line in the subsea BOP. The methane gas or other light hydrocarbon molecules get into the drilling fluid from the formation during a kick situation. The kick is physically caused by the pressure in the wellbore being less than that of the formation fluids.
When controlling gas in the subsea drilling equipment 100 , other sensors may be used. This embodiment includes a drillpipe pressure sensor 140 to measure pressure in the drilling fluid as it passes through the drill string 104 . On the return of the drilling fluid and cuttings in the riser 108 an annulus pressure sensor 144 is used. The flow in the annulus of the riser 108 is measured with a riser flow meter 136 .
With reference to FIG. 2 , a block diagram of an embodiment of a drilling system 200 is shown. The blocks associated with the subsea drilling equipment 100 are shown with the dashed rectangle. The subsea drilling equipment 100 includes functional blocks for the annular preventer(s) 124 , the choke lines valve(s) 128 , the methane gas sensor 132 , the riser flow meter 136 , the drillpipe pressure sensor 140 , the annulus pressure sensor 144 , and the pipe and/or shear ram(s) 148 .
One embodiment of the invention uses an integrated control and information service (ICIS) 204 . For example, a Varco™ V-ICIS system that controls the subsea drilling equipment 100 , pumps, drillstring compensation 216 , block position, and drillstring rotation speed could be used. The drillstring rotation control 212 could be a rotary table or a top drive in various embodiments that is controlled by the ICIS 204 . The Varco™ V-ICIS is one of the commercially available platforms for rig floor integration control and automation. It is designed for both offshore and land rig operations, and allows rig floor operators to focus on strategic drilling operations, rather than manual equipment operation.
Through various controls and measurements, the V-ICIS can automatically perform many tasks. V-ICIS integrates the control of the following drilling systems using joysticks and touch screens for operator interface: automated drilling equipment, top drives, pipe handling equipment, iron roughnecks, pressure control, annular preventer 124 , pipe/shear ram(s) 148 , kill lines 154 , choke lines and valves 130 , 128 , diverters, automated mud systems, automated fluid transfer systems, automated mud chemical dosing systems, shaker load control systems, drawworks 208 , SCR controls, drillstring compensator 216 , drilling information systems, bulk tank control systems, and/or customer defined controls and interfaces. The V-ICIS also gathers information to aid in decision-making, for example, a drillpipe pressure sensor 140 , an annulus pressure sensor 144 , a riser flow meter 136 , and/or a methane gas sensor 132 could be used in various embodiments.
Such a drilling system 200 can be tailored to piece together in an automated manner the sequence of events to safely stop circulation and shut the well in once gas has been detected in the riser when combined with the novel methane gas sensor 132 . The sequence is tailored for the total number of BOPs in the stack and configuration of each BOP 126 . Further, the drilling system 200 can mitigate the gas before it damages the riser or platform. The ICIS 204 can be implemented with a computing device with software and/or hardware.
Referring next to FIG. 3 , a flowchart of an embodiment of a process 300 for controlling gas in subsea drilling is illustrated. Once the methane gas has been detected by the sensor 132 , via an umbilical connection to the V-ICIS system 204 , the following sequence of events can be automated while drilling. Similar procedures can be followed while tripping, while out of hole, etc. The ICIS 204 controls the process, but allows manual disable. The depicted portion of the process 300 begins in step 304 where gas level information is read from the methane sensor 132 . These readings could happen continuously or at a predetermined interval. Other embodiments only report gas levels above a threshold as an alarm. In any event, gas level information is relayed to the ICIS 204 in step 308 .
It is determined in step 312 if a kick condition exists by measurement of the gas in the drilling fluid. The driller may be flagged that gas has been or is about to be circulated into the riser 108 so that he or she is aware that control of the rig equipment is being taken over by the ICIS 204 (there is a manual override if necessary). In step 316 , the ICIS 204 sends a command to the rotary table or top drive to stop rotation of the drillstring 104 . The ICIS 204 sends a command to the drawworks control 208 to raise the drillstring 104 to the hang-off position in step 320 . A command to close annular preventer or top preventer and open choke line failsafe valves 128 in steps 324 and 328 .
The ICIS 204 is aware the pipe locations so it can then check the space out and close the hang-off pipe rams 148 at the appropriate location in step 332 . The ICIS 204 sends a command to hang-off, use the drillstring compensator 212 in step 338 and close the pipe ram locks in step 342 . The pressure in the BOP 106 can then be bled off between the pipe rams 148 and the annular preventer 124 in a controlled manner by the ICIS 204 . Once the pressure is bled-off, the annular preventer 124 is opened in step 350 .
The annulus and drillpipe pressures are read from the pressure sensors 144 , 140 and the pit volume change is determined in step 354 . The riser flow meter 136 is read in step 358 . If there is no drillstring in the hole and/or the flow in the riser 108 is fast as determined in step 362 , blind and/or shear rams 148 may be used by the ICIS 204 in step 366 before the stabilized casing pressure is noted. After stabilization, the riser 108 is then monitored for flow again in step 358 .
If the volume of gas above the BOP 106 or BOP stack is kept small by detection equipment and shut-in, the gas can be safely handled at surface by allowing the gas bubbles to disperse and/or controlling the rate at which gas is brought to the surface. The controlled rate of gas could flow through the riser boost line if the annular preventer is closed during a well control event in the main borehole. Small amounts of gas in the riser 108 can be mitigated with a riser gas handler below the slip joint and/or with a diverter at surface, which can give sufficient back pressure to control the flowrate. Should the gas surface, it may do so rapidly and at a high rate with little warning without early detection of the gas.
If there is gas in the riser 108 and a significant amount of gas in the main wellbore, simultaneous riser and well killing is performed in one embodiment. This is a complex procedure and can split the attention of the operations personnel leading to oversight or error when done manually. Automation of the riser gas handling reduces such a risk, by focusing attention on well-established primary well control techniques for the main wellbore in a process controlled by the ICIS 204 . International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) well control procedures for deep water recommend that personnel be minimized on the rig floor when there is gas in the riser due to the severity of the risk. Methane gas detection and rig automation is another way of ensuring minimum risk of exposure of rig personnel to hazardous situations.
A number of variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiments can also be used. For example, the above embodiments show a single gas sensor, but other embodiments could have a plurality of gas sensors. The multiple gas sensors could be located in various locations in the BOP or within the casing.
Specific details are given in the above description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it is understood that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in block diagrams in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
Implementation of the techniques, blocks, steps and means described above may be done in various ways. For example, these techniques, blocks, steps and means may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described above, and/or a combination thereof.
Also, it is noted that the embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed, but could have additional steps not included in the figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, scripting languages, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, and/or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, scripting language, and/or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine readable medium such as a storage medium. A code segment or machine-executable instruction may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a script, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, and/or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, and/or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.
Moreover, as disclosed herein, the term “storage medium” may represent one or more memories for storing data, including read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage mediums, optical storage mediums, flash memory devices and/or other machine readable mediums for storing information. The term “machine-readable medium” includes, but is not limited to portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels, and/or various other storage mediums capable of storing that contain or carry instruction(s) and/or data.
While the principles of the disclosure have been described above in connection with specific apparatuses and methods, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as limitation on the scope of the disclosure.
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A system for controlling gas in a subsea drilling operation is disclosed in one embodiment. The system includes a subsea blow-out preventer, riser coupled to the blow-out preventer, a gas sensor, a controller, and a signal pathway. The gas sensor is configured for placement below the riser and configured to contact wellbore fluids during normal drilling operation. The controller configured to automatically cause manipulation the blow-out preventer based upon information from the gas sensor. The signal pathway couples the gas sensor with the controller.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The world's coal and shale reserves often pose difficulty in harvesting the fuel components. Extraction by mining is becoming increasingly dangerous because the easy to get coals have been mined and the shales have continued to be difficult to pull organics from with any degree of economic and procedural ease. Peat and landfill seam extraction of hydrocarbons should be handled in the same manner, though their deposits are more recent than coal and shale seams. The method here proposed should make the hard to access coals and in-ground shale safe and relatively easy and economical to extract the organics contained therein. The peat and landfill, because of their softness, may pose sinking problems which can be handled post extraction making them dry landfill.
[0003] Thermally, petroleum fractions have melting points from fuel gas at between minus 162° C. and plus 30° C. to lubricating oils melting over 300° C. Paraffin and asphalt melt at higher temperatures and may not be extracted in this method. To prevent heating flash in the extraction, pure Nitrogen gas is inserted in the extraction drilling and will be the carrier for the evaporated organics.
[0004] Economically, extraction is done with all personnel at ground level and the heat and tone causing the breakdown and evaporation of the light and medium weight organics. The method requires drilling, powering the heating element, and available Liquid Nitrogen to provide cold cracking cooling and pure Nitrogen gas for extraction.
[0005] Physiologically, the coal/shale field workers will have little exposure to the coal or shale gases since they are captured at the lower segment of the drilling and pulled out via pipes leading directly to the on-site cold cracking system that separates the organics into common condensation point materials. Full containers are replaced with empties, sealed and trucked away for the heavy molecule substances and the gaseous components can be compressed into gas tanks drawing the contents from the drums. Tonal vibrations are used to unsettle the buried sediments and release the trapped organics enhancing the harvest of petroleum chemicals from both coal and shale structures.
[0006] Convection at the coal or shale levels is created by inserting narrow drillings in ring patterns around the extraction drilling where the outer ring uses the coal mine fire equipment to insert pure Nitrogen gas into the layers being extracted. The first ring provides the external Nitrogen to push the evaporated petroleum into the extraction drilling. To expand the range of the extraction, a second ring of narrow drillings is made and the pure Nitrogen is inserted there while the inner ring holes are refitted with heating units comprise of, for instance, tube boilers with heating units inside them. To concentrate the pure Nitrogen gas input the upper portion of the drilling is fitted with an air sealing sleeve to reduce soil and rock layer absorption of the Nitrogen gas. To concentrate the heat in the inner narrow drillings, the narrow drilling is insulated to retain the heat emitted in the coal or shale layers of the earth at seam depths.
[0007] The present invention relates to cryo-technology providing pure Nitrogen gas cooling for the cold cracking process and providing the wind power to activate the vibro-tonals to shake the volatile organics from their point of formation and storage to the drill location for drawing up to the surface, separating by cold cracking and collection. This will make inaccessible fuel resources available for present extraction increasing the overall active oil reserves to include previously “useless” territories. The peripheral insertion of the Nitrogen provides the inert carrier gas to transport the evaporated organics and provides fire protection preventing flash fire in the coal or shale layers.
[0008] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0009] Patent application Ser. No. of Denyse DuBrucq, Liquid Nitrogen Enabler, 11/706,723 section for coal mine fire control and condenser methods and Liquid Nitrogen Enabler Apparatus, Ser. No. 11/750,149 for the related apparatus. Similar methods are employed here for fire prevention, for the separator or cold cracking system, and for providing the Nitrogen carrier gas for the evaporated organics in coal, shale, peat and landfill layers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the method of drilling into the coal and shale fields for extraction of fuel gas and liquid petroleum fractions. Extraction from one drilling should pull organics from an acre or hectare or more.
[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the method includes shaking the substrate to loosen the organics from their long term entrapment allowing them to seep toward the heat source of the drilling.
[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the method applies a contained heat source to the coal or shale layers heating them to evaporate the organic gases trapped in the underground. To safely carry these organic gases to the surface, the pure Nitrogen gas used in blowing the organ pipes mixes with and carries the organics from the depth of the drilling to the ground surface
[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method of using pure Nitrogen gas as the carrier prevents fires because it lowers Oxygen levels in the gas mixture as it is heated to evaporation temperatures and brought to the surface.
[0014] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method carries the hot gas mixture to a cold cracking system that slowly cools the gas as it moves through a tube with traps to remove the organic material that condensed in that section of the tube. Monitored temperatures and a means to move the divisions between condensation temperatures results in quite pure distillates to be carried from the mine site to market. As the remaining gases have boiling points at room temperature and below, the cold of the condenser for Liquid Nitrogen pulls them down as liquids and, once through the trap, they evaporate and are collected in gas drums. The remaining Nitrogen and Rare Gas mixture allows vertical passage of Hydrogen, Helium and Neon and capture in Mylar balloons for separation later. The Nitrogen release location has a mixing fan to insure the Nitrogen does not remain pure in clouds, rather mixes it to near 78% of atmospheric gases which is the portion of air it occupies.
[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the fractions of the extracted petroleum materials are separately collected and marketed as partially refined organics increasing the price levels of the unrefined extractions.
[0016] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, this method expands the field of extraction by drilling narrow peripheral holes to apply Liquid Nitrogen as used in putting out coal mine fires. This provides pressure to fill the porous coal and shale layers with Nitrogen gas which carries the evaporants to the extraction drilling. The Nitrogen flooding also reduces the opportunity for fires or flashes during extraction.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, once the extraction is exhausted in the space served by the first ring of narrow drillings, another ring of narrow drillings away from the extraction hole are made and these holes provide the Liquid Nitrogen application as did the first narrow holes drilled. The first narrow holes are then converted to supplemental heating locations having narrow boilers inserted in the holes at the coal and shale depths and the top of the holes sealed with thermal insulation.
[0018] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the field of extraction is expanded by drilling another ring of narrow drillings where Liquid Nitrogen is inserted and converting the inner ring holes to auxiliary heating locations to keep the evaporants gaseous and able to be carried to the extraction drilling by the outer ring insertion of Nitrogen. This convection carriage of the desired organic material in gaseous form through the porous coal and shale is what allows this method of extraction to pull material from a large field of coal, shale, peat and landfill substrates under the ground.
[0019] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, this method will be ecologically an improvement over current mining methods because it does not disturb the underground structure and is carried out with a small surface footprint over the coal and shale reserves and subsequent narrow drillings to expand the field of extraction.
[0020] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, this method will allow selection of the carbon content of the extraction by the primary heat and the auxiliary heat temperature level. To extract petroleum to include fuel gas through gasoline substrates, the thermal temperature should be at 200° C. To include Kerosene as used in diesel and jet fuels, the thermal temperature must be 275° C. and heating oil, 375° C.
[0021] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, this method will allow capture of the rare gases, helium, neon and hydrogen for later separation; provides means to separate water from the gasoline segment of the Cold Cracker processing ridding the hydrocarbons of the contamination and pulling forth clear water and purifying it by freezing the water slowly allowing it to rid itself of contaminants. Regulating the evaporation of Liquid Nitrogen between the primary output into the Cold Cracker and a secondary output into the Nitrogen pipes after the Cold Cracker keeps both the Cold Cracker segment outputs in the same range of temperatures on a continuous basis and allows the Nitrogen flow through the shaft via the organ pipes to maintain the working vibrational levels and sufficient Nitrogen carrier gas available for extracting the evaporated hydrocarbons.
[0022] These and other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and accompanying drawings, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout, and in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the overall drill hole from the surface of the ground to the coal, shale, peat or landfill seams below with components of the heater, tonal input, Nitrogen and the extraction tube shown complete vertically, and partially above the ground surface.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the lower part of the drilling gauging better the distance at the bottom of the drilling where the heating of the reserve occurs making volatile organics evaporate and escape to the drilling location. The funnel catches the pressured Nitrogen and evaporants, which are drawn into a well-insulated vertical pipe, which once at the surface bends horizontally to enter the Cold Cracking system.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the surface equipment with a power source for the heating unit, a lever to tune one of the organ pipes. Nitrogen sourcing from a condenser which is fed with Liquid Nitrogen from a large dewar.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a drawing better defining the extraction tube Cold Cracking of the extracted organics where the segments of the evaporant condenses as the temperature lowers and the Nitrogen warms up while condensing the evaporants. The major fractions of Petroleum are drawn out of the Cracking tube with drain type trapped piping.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the containment of the fractions of the extracted petroleum for collection and taking to market. Also shown is the Liquid Nitrogen storage and feeding into the condenser which cools the cracking pipe and eventually supplies the organ pipes with pure Nitrogen gas.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the cross-sections of the condensing tube with the cold Nitrogen gas cooling the extraction tube so as to condense the organic evaporants on a thermal gradient into increasingly larger carbon chain molecules.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing means of driving evaporants with Nitrogen gas placed in narrow drillings and instilling safety in the process by displacing Oxygen.
[0031] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the second use of the narrow drillings, heating the extraction layer while being thermally insulated from the soil and rock over the extraction layer and the air above the drilling.
[0032] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the first ring of narrow drillings surrounding the extraction drilling, which feed the Nitrogen gas into the system to carry the evaporated organics to the central drilling for extraction.
[0033] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the expanded extraction field with several rings surrounding the extraction drilling where the outer ring of narrow drillings insert the Nitrogen gas into the systems and the inner rings of narrow drillings provide auxiliary heat to the coal, shale, peat or landfill layers being extracted of their selected organics based on the residual temperatures maintained during the extraction.
[0034] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing the final Cold Cracking step, capturing the rare gases by allowing these light molecular weight gases to rise into an inverted cylinder, which becomes lighter weigh as the rare gases fill the cylinder lifting it up. It is then lowered as these gases fill a mylar balloon, or other such reservoir, preserving this segment of the evaporated hydrocarbon mix from the coal, shale and peat seams.
[0035] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing the separation of water from the gasoline segment of the evaporated hydrocarbons in the Cold Cracker where the density of water is greater than that of hydrocarbons and thus settles to the bottom of an undisturbed vessel. The light gasoline is drained into a container and the water segment is siphoned out and then processed through freezing the water to gain purity from dissolved material.
[0036] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing the details of Nitrogen insertion in the system having a regulator that balances the output of Liquid Nitrogen between the condenser feeding the Nitrogen pipes going through the Cold Cracker and the auxiliary condenser feeding the Nitrogen pipes after the Cold Cracker and before entering the Shaft. This keeps both the Cold Cracker thermal segments stable and the needed flow of Nitrogen in the shaft to both produce the vibrations by passing through the organ pipes and appropriate levels to handle the carrier function for emerging evaporated hydrocarbons.
[0037] FIG. 14 details the tuning of the thermal segments of the Cold Cracker whereby one method is to have thermodetectors planted in the insulation monitoring the temperature of the extraction pipe. A partial block is placed at the desired break between the condensation temperatures that is adjustable, as a bag of iron spheres movable with external magnets to the desired location. The extraction pipe is expanded downward to drain the liquid contents of that segment of the pipe into the drain trap and container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] Turning now to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-3 , showing the center, lower section and top of the drill hole for extracting fuel hydrocarbons from coal, shale or peat. In FIG. 1 , the coal, shale, peat or landfill seam 1 is vibrated with sound at both the frequency of the standard organ pipe 30 and the frequency difference beats created by the adjustable frequency organ pipe 31 that can vary widely with the tuning of the adjustable pipe. The purpose of this ground stimulation is to get motion throughout the seam 1 such that the heat evaporated hydrocarbons can escape the structure of the seam. The pipes 30 , 31 are blown with pure Nitrogen gas 3 which is carried into the extraction drilling 10 by Nitrogen pipes 32 , one for each organ pipe. The Nitrogen gas is sealed in the shaft 10 by seal 37 so it can act as the carrier gas for the evaporated hydrocarbons. The funnel 11 below the organ pipes catches the hydrocarbon enriched Nitrogen and draws it out of the shaft 10 enclosed in a thermally insulated pipe 12 carrying the hydrocarbon enriched Nitrogen 15 .
[0039] FIG. 2 shows the lower portion of the shaft 10 with the heat energy source 20 passing down through the funnel 11 and the heating element 2 heats the coal, shale, peat, or landfill seams 1 . The middle section of the shaft is the cool zone 44 and the lower is the hot zone 45 . Convection in the shaft 10 forces the pressure imposed Nitrogen 3 activating the organ pipes and allows it to flow to the hot zone 45 around the gaps between the funnel 11 and the walls of the shaft. Evaporants 15 from the seams 1 enter the hot zone and are taken out of the shaft via the gaseous escape pipe 12 which pulls the hot gases rising with the heat out of the shaft. The evaporants 15 in the seams 1 escape the seam as the tonal output of the organ pipes cause the seam structure to vibrate.
[0040] FIG. 3 presents the top of the shaft 10 showing the around level 4 and a spacing 42 indicating the workings of the shaft contents can be well below the surface of the around. The power source for the heater 22 is on the ground powering the heat energy source 20 which passes down to the bottom of the shaft. The tonal adjustment 36 for the adjustable tone organ pipe 31 sticks up so it can be controlled from the top of the shaft. The Nitrogen pipes 32 , one for each organ pipe 30 , 31 get their Nitrogen 3 from the condenser 33 where Liquid Nitrogen 35 is evaporated into Nitrogen gas and passes through the Cold Cracker 13 which heats the Nitrogen before entering the shaft. The gaseous escape pipe 12 comes up the shaft and passes under the Nitrogen pipes 32 .
[0041] FIG. 4 elaborates on the Cold Cracker 13 showing the gaseous escape pipe 12 coming from the shaft. The tank of Liquid Nitrogen 39 feeds Liquid Nitrogen 35 down the Liquid Nitrogen pipe 34 and into the condenser 33 which is insulated 23 throughout the Cold Cracker 13 providing cooling for the evaporated hydrocarbon/Nitrogen mix 15 coming through the gaseous escape pipe 12 . The coldest Nitrogen cools the last, low carbon chain hydrocarbons left in the gaseous escape pipe 12 . As the Nitrogen gas warms, it condenses the longer carbon chain hydrocarbons to where the longest as collected in the Cold Cracker 13 closest to the shaft 10 . To separate the Kerosene from the gasoline and petroleum ethers and fuel gases segment output pipes 14 draw the condensed hydrocarbons in sections of the pipe 12 . These liquids pass through the trap 17 and go to storage shown in FIG. 5 . The final output of the gaseous escape pipe 12 is the Nitrogen gas 3 left in the pipe which is dispersed being mixed with air by a fan 38 .
[0042] For safety and to prevent clouding of pure Nitrogen 3 , a tan 38 is employed to mix the Nitrogen with the residual air so there is no opportunity for people or animals to develop Nitrogen Asphyxiation or Nitrogen Coma, a reflex of the lungs when Oxygen is not available and Carbon dioxide cannot be exchanged in the lungs. Breathing stops, but the heart keeps pumping and one loses consciousness. There are about six minutes from when one is so stricken until he or she or an animal would die. With these Nitrogen employing methods, one should be aware of the possibility of this condition and, if finding a person down, one should think first to apply artificial respiration with a good mix of air present and, if the person recovers, all is well. If he or she does not recover, then call 911 and do the CPR-type work to recover a person from a heart attack. And if that fails, check for stroke or other difficulties. Shortly the medics will arrive.
[0043] FIG. 5 completes the Cold Cracking apparatus by having the segment output 14 and trap 17 allow the condensed liquids to flow into containers 18 if the hydrocarbon is liquid at ambient temperatures or gas drums 19 if the hydrocarbon fraction is a gas. The gas drums 19 are fed with an outsource pipeline 16 . The final separation 60 in the sequence is collection of the rare gas segment—Hydrogen, Helium and Neon—light weight gases 6 collected in an inverted container 61 and drawn off through the extraction tube 63 into a mylar balloon 64 held to the ground with a tether line 65 . It also shows the remaining gas in the gaseous escape pipe 12 . Also defined is the cold source for condensing the hydrocarbons with the tank of Liquid Nitrogen 39 feeding through a pipe 34 Liquid Nitrogen 35 into the condenser 33 which feeds its cold Nitrogen gas 3 into the Nitrogen pipes 32 that cool the gaseous escape pipe 12 as it enters the Cold Cracker 13 .
[0044] FIG. 6 defines the Cold Cracking System 13 structure with the insulated cover 23 enclosing the Nitrogen pipes 32 carrying the warming Nitrogen gas 3 to the shaft. Radiator tabs 24 transfer the cold from the Nitrogen pipes 32 to the gaseous escape pipe 12 carrying the Hydrocarbon/Nitrogen mix 15 . As the mix is cooled, first the high number carbon molecules condense and the liquid runs into the segment output 14 and through the trap 17 and into the container 18 . Viewing the containers 18 in FIG. 6A , the patterns indicate lighter and lighter condensation coming into the containers at each segment output 14 . The gas contents of the pipes defined in FIG. 6B are included but not shown in FIG. 6A . This method of separation of output at the drilling site brings high prices for the extraction process because the chemicals emerging are defined in melting point ranges. The major fractions of petroleum assumed to be included in the extractions from the drilling include from heaviest to lightest: Heating oil with boiling (condensing) points between 275-375° C.; Kerosene between 175-275° C.; Gasoline between 40-200° C.; Petroleum ether between 30-60° C.; and Fuel gas at −162-+30° C. Fortunately, Liquid Nitrogen evaporates at −195.8° C. so even the Methane Gas can be captured which condenses at −162° C.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows a method of inserting Nitrogen in the periphery of the coal, shale or peat seam 1 . One drills narrower holes, 10 centimeter diameter, maximum, around the periphery of the drill site. These allow one to add Nitrogen 3 to the mix by putting in the Liquid Nitrogen Enabler coal mine fire fighting equipment 5 including a four liter dewar 50 with an apparatus for slow flow from the dewar 51 which fills a dump bucket 52 with Liquid Nitrogen which, when full, dumps the Liquid Nitrogen 35 into the sieve with spaced small holes 53 which separates the Liquid Nitrogen drop into tiny droplets that evaporate rapidly as they fall from the sieve. The cold Nitrogen gas 3 flows to the bottom of the drilling and seeps into seam 1 so it carries the evaporated hydrocarbons 15 into the evacuation drilling or shaft 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3 . When the dewars 50 are taken for filling, the drilling hole top is sealed with a bowling ball. A plastic sleeve 37 is inserted down the drilling covering the walls above the coal, shale, or peat seams. When the dewars are in place, they seal the top of the hole as well preventing the Nitrogen from flowing out of the narrow drill hole and insuring that it seeps into the porous seam structure to carry the evaporated hydrocarbons to the shaft. This operation does two things. First, it reduces the amount of Oxygen available in the hydrocarbons lowering, and hopefully eliminating, the chance of starting a coal mine fire, shale fire or peat fire. Second, it helps carry the evaporated hydrocarbons to the collection and extraction site.
[0046] FIG. 8 shows an auxiliary heating of the coal, shale or peat seam 1 . As the draw of hydrocarbons into the shaft 10 continues, the periphery of the extraction range grows. The holes that held the coal mine fire apparatus 5 can next be equipped with an auxiliary heating unit 2 . The heating unit is powered by the energy source and the wiring to the heaters 26 are shown. The hole heating unit 2 consists of the heat energy source 20 which extends the depth of the hole with its heating element 28 in a boiling can 27 that has a fluid in it 21 which boils at the temperature desired to heat the seam 1 , as, if one wanted to extract all hydrocarbons from fuel gas to heating oil, one would heat it to 275° C. and to include heating oil extraction, 375° C. The whole apparatus is lowered down the narrow drilled hole 25 and insulation 23 is placed in the hole to insure no heat loss to the surface occurs. This will help heat a larger region of the seam 1 to increase the area or space underground from which the evaporated hydrocarbons emerge. To keep the Nitrogen flow going from the peripheral regions, new holes are drilled for the coal mine fire units 5 further from the shaft 10 . As that area is exhausted, the heating units can occupy two circles of holes and a third circle of narrow drills is made for another placement of the coal mine fire units. This can continue with many circles of heating units rimmed by one circle of Nitrogen inserting coal mine fire units.
[0047] FIG. 9 shows the initial circle of coal mine fire units 5 around the shaft 10 shown from the ground surface 40 . The shaft heating unit is heating the coal, shale or peat seam 1 so close to the shaft 10 is the hot zone 45 . The Liquid Nitrogen flowing from the coal mine fire units 5 are cool so the periphery is the cool zone 44 . This schematic does not represent the true distance of sourcing the Nitrogen 3 as shown by the distance spacer 42 . The vector arrow shows the flow direction of the Nitrogen gas from the narrow drillings 25 to the shaft 10 .
[0048] FIG. 10 illustrates the expanded periphery of the draw of hydrocarbon extraction with distances larger than shown as indicated by spacers 42 where the shaft 10 is surrounded by narrow drillings 25 containing heating units 28 closest to the shaft 10 and the furthest ring containing the coal mine fire units 5 supplying Nitrogen 3 to the seams carrying the evaporated hydrocarbons to the shaft 10 for extraction. The hot zone 45 is expanded to include all the rings of heaters 28 and the cold zone 44 includes the final ring of coal mine fire units 5 . Nitrogen 3 flow is indicated by the vector arrow from the coal mine fire units 5 to the shaft 10 . This schematic also is showing the layout from the ground surface 40 .
[0049] FIG. 11 shows in FIG. 11 a a means to preserve for marketing the rare gases that emerge from the coal, shale and peat seams as the last component of the Cold Cracker 13 . The rare gas extractor 61 is comprised of an inserted elbow pipe insertion 66 placed in the Cold Cracker piping 13 which has a vertical pipe 63 to release the rare gases 6 into the inverted rare gas container 60 . As the rare gas 6 fills the inverted container 60 , it becomes lighter weight and rises on the vertical pipe 63 as shown in FIG. 11 b . Brushes 62 on the outer wall of the vertical pipe 63 keep the inverted container 60 properly vertical. To save these light gases, the rare gas extractor 61 opens and allows the rare gas 6 to flood the mylar balloon 64 , which lowers the inverted container 60 on the rare gas release tube 63 as shown in FIG. 11 c . The trigger to open the valve on the rare gas extractor 61 is the tether line 67 attaching to the inside top of the rare gas container 60 and the inner wall of the vertical pipe 63 . When the tether line 67 is tight because the rare gases have lifted the container 60 so high the line is tight, the valve opens on the extractor 61 and the rare gases enter the mylar balloon 64 . As it does the container lowers, loosening the tether line, the valve has a time delay to allow the rare gases to enter the balloon. When the top of the container 60 strikes the vertical tube 63 , the valve shuts allowing rare gases to accumulate again in the rare gas container 60 . When the balloon is filled it is held to the ground with the tether line 65 . Once the mylar balloon 64 is filled, it will be removed from the rare gas extractor, and its opening folded and sealed as is common practice in use of these balloons. The balloon 64 is kept on the tether line 65 as it is stored and carried to market. Rare gases 6 contained are hydrogen, helium and neon. Argon, another noble gas, may be captured as the final part of the Cold Cracker final gas drum since its condensing temperature is higher than that of the Liquid Nitrogen and Nitrogen gas just after evaporation will liquefy Argon so it runs through the trap and evaporates in the gas drum as shown in FIG. 5 .
[0050] FIG. 12 shows the manner the Cold Cracker separates water, boiling and condensing at 100° C., from the gasoline fraction of the hydrocarbons, condensing at between 40 and 200° C. This segment is split into two components, heavy gasoline between 200° C. and 120° C. and light gasoline between 119° C. and 40° C. which includes the water condensation. The container 18 collecting the light gasoline segment is shown with the segment output 14 attached to the gaseous escape pipe 12 in the Cold Cracker 13 with its trap 17 and container 18 is illustrated in FIG. 12 a . Details of this particular container 18 are shown in FIG. 12 b . These include a float lighter than water 71 which has spaced holes and rides between the liquid of the light gasoline 9 and the water 7 keeping the interface calm and undisturbed as the added condensed materials enter the vessel. This water/gasoline separator 70 has the float 71 defined by rounded shape with a pattern of holes 75 shown in FIG. 12 c in the vessel 18 and a siphon tube 72 draining the water 7 from the vessel into a water container 73 . When the volume of the cylinder is close to full, the light gasoline extractor 91 allows the gasoline fraction 9 to empty into the light gasoline container 93 . Not shown here are: the trigger floats noting the height of the gasoline 9 and the float 71 which properly high and spaced opens the light gasoline extractor 91 to drain some of the gasoline, and the float height that triggers the water siphon tube 72 to drain emptying some water into the water container 73 ; and the final water purifying process of slowly freezing the water in cubes and lower its temperature well below freezing such that the contaminants are eliminated from the water crystal of the ice. Surface contaminants can be removed by wiping or lifting the ice cube from its container where the rejected contaminates remain or a quick pure water rinse. This purifying process is common. In the oceans, when ice bergs form, the salt and organics in the water are eliminated from the ice crystals and left in the ocean water. Tasting ice from an ice berg and sea water just beside the ice berg will allow one to experience the difference of contamination, the ice berg being more like fresh water and the sea water, salty. FIG. 12 c defines the float 71 between the light gasoline 9 and water 7 segments which has spaced holes 75 holding the liquid relatively calm so the gasoline/water separation 76 easily reforms after condensation pours into the container 18 .
[0051] FIG. 13 shows the physical features of the regulated Liquid Nitrogen 3 flow with the regulator 8 on the tank of Liquid Nitrogen 39 feeding two Liquid Nitrogen pipes 34 , one feeding the Cold Cracker 13 condenser 33 and the other feeding the secondary Nitrogen input 80 with condenser 83 feeding Nitrogen gas into the one-way valves 82 allowing Nitrogen gas 3 to enter the Nitrogen insertion elbows 81 inserting the Nitrogen into the Nitrogen pipes 32 which, of course, drive the organ pipes and carry the evaporated hydrocarbons out of the shaft. This system keeps the thermal levels of the segments of the Cold Cracker constant because the thermostats imbedded in the Cold Cracker 13 at the segments drive the regulator to determine if any or how much Nitrogen gas should be fed into the Nitrogen pipes to keep shaft functions at needed levels when the Cold Cracker segment temperatures are kept at the determined levels to get appropriate fractions of the hydrocarbons extracted from the coal, shale or peat seam at the location of the shaft and zone surrounding which is enabled by the rings of auxiliary heaters and the outer ring forcing Nitrogen gas into the coal, shale, peat or landfill seam.
[0052] And, finally, FIG. 14 shows further definition of the condensing tube and its cooling from the Nitrogen gas lines shown in FIG. 6 where the condensing tube is expanded downward 84 to implement draining into drain tube 14 with the radiator plates 24 elongated to accommodate this expansion and keep the thermal conditions constant. FIG. 14 a shows the side view of a length of the piping and FIG. 14 b defines this drain accommodation. A vertical line shows where the cross section is taken. A second vertical line leading to FIG. 14 c shows the thermal tuning of the condensing system where the constantly round condensing pipe sections have thermodetectors 86 along the distance allowing one to tune the system at desired temperatures to define the condensing material at that interval by placing a sack of iron balls 87 at the division temperature between two condensing drains. A magnet 85 is used to move the sack of iron balls 87 to that location where the temperature in the condensation tube 12 matches the junction temperature between the two hydrocarbon groups being collected. A cutaway 88 in FIG. 14 a condensation tube 12 shows the side view of this divider 87 between drains. This method is used between the collection zones of all the hydrocarbon and noble gas groups collected by condensation. The magnets can be driven manually or by an automated process. When the manual method is used, the instrument tracking the thermodetectors can signal the thermal change in any of the junctions so the supervisor on duty can adjust the location of the sack of iron balls with the magnet. Once these dividers are placed, the thermodetectors in one section will have a common temperature among the detectors more so than without the divider. Automated, the electromagnet in that pipe segment can go on so the change of location of the sack of iron balls is made and the condensation progresses. It can be expected that there may be changes in hydrocarbon contents over time in the extracting process which will necessitate adjustments at various times, even varying as to when one segment junction needs adjusting from when another segment junction needs adjusting.
[0053] FIG. 15 is included to show where each of the extracted components from the coal, shale, peat and landfill seams are collected including: Rare Gases as Hydrogen, Helium, and Neon; Argon; Methane; Ethane; Fuel Gas; Light Gasoline and Water (separated in second stage); Heavy Gasoline. Jet Fuel; Diesel Fuel; and two sections of Heating Oil. This array of components isolated will probably be a maximum sized group of isolated elements, molecules and molecule mixtures.
[0054] This clean method of hydrocarbon extraction should allow the readily burnable parts of coal, shale and peat be extracted from underground with minimal disturbance of the site and with little chance of sinking surface structure after the extraction. It may replace surface mining as we know it, eliminate underground coal mining as we know it, and bring hydrocarbons from some situations where mining would not be practical or economical because of the difficulty of extraction of the material, as is the case presently with shale deposits.
[0055] This completes the statement of invention.
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A method of extraction of fuels and elements from coal, shale, peat and landfill seams is described which cuts the earth with only a main shaft which could measure half a meter diameter and with auxiliary narrow drillings of, say 10 centimeter diameter, widely spaced from the shaft. The coal, shale or peat seam is heated to the highest temperature of the hydrocarbon fraction desired to be extracted and the evaporated hydrocarbons are carried out of the shaft by Nitrogen gas. To enhance the extraction rate of the evaporated hydrocarbons, tonal input from two or more organ pipes vibrates the seam structure freeing the evaporated hydrocarbons allowing their escape into the shaft. As the extraction continues requiring inclusion of a greater area of the seam structure, narrow drillings are made and Liquid Nitrogen is inserted in the drillings reaching seam levels as Nitrogen gas which seeps into the seam. A gas-impenetrable sleeve prevents the Nitrogen gas from seeping into the soil or substrate between the ground level and the seams. Further expansion of the field moves the Nitrogen sourcing to the outer circle and inserts auxiliary heaters in the narrow drillings between the outer ring and main shaft bringing more of the seam to the desired extraction temperature. Extracted evaporated hydrocarbons are cold cracked allowing the fractionation of hydrocarbons into fuel types as heating oil, kerosene, gasoline, ethers, and fuel gas, methane, argon and rare gas segments. The thermal gradient of the extraction pipe is implemented by sourcing the Nitrogen from Liquid Nitrogen and running the pipes bundled with the extraction pipe condensing its contents by hydrocarbon fractions in vessels and gas drums depending on boiling points of fractions. Water is separated from the gasoline segment and purified by separation and freezing.
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a locking device for a swinging/sliding door. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a swinging/sliding door for vehicles. The locking device interacts with a guide rail arranged on the door leaf of the swinging/sliding door along the bottom horizontal edge thereof. The bottom horizontal edge is provided in the floor region, in the region of the secondary closing edge, and which can be actuated by a door drive.
[0002] Swinging/sliding doors, as are often used in particular in vehicles, for example in railroad cars or subway cars, are usually guided, and connected to the door drive, in the region of their top horizontal edge. The bottom door region is usually guided via guide rollers or guide rails or the like in order to prevent the door leaf from striking against the doorway or from rattling in the open state. There is then the problem of having to provide a closure means along the bottom peripheral region of the door leaf, in the region of the secondary closing edge, in the closed state, in order that reliable closure and sealing of the door is also ensured in this region. There are essentially two possible ways of providing for this in the prior art.
[0003] The first possibility provides a type of rotary lever or hook. The rotary lever or hook, once the door has reached the final closed position, is rotated such that it presses onto a latching surface of the door leaf in the closing direction and fixes the position of the door leaf in this way.
[0004] In the case of the second possibility, the guidance of the door leaf in the region of its bottom horizontal edge is used in order for the guide means interacting with the guide, at the end of the closing movement, to be moved in the direction normal to the door-leaf plane (or more or less normal to the door-leaf plane). This is done so that the correct final closed position can be ensured.
[0005] The first possibility has the disadvantage of requiring additional elements which have to be accommodated in the doorway. It thus involves high outlay and requires a considerable amount of space. In addition, special allowances have to be made in the door-control means.
[0006] The second possibility is easier to manage from the point of view of the control means, but the amount of space which it requires is precisely where the door users will be particularly aware of the space available. That is, in the inside width of the doorway.
[0007] The present disclosure relates to an improved device related to the second possibility mentioned above such that the amount of space required is reduced and that it is possible to have configurations in which a guide rail arranged on the door leaf may be of shorter design than has been the case hitherto. All of this is being done without increasing the costs or the installation outlay.
[0008] This present disclosure relates to a four-bar mechanism, such as a parallelogram, which is formed by an essentially horizontally arranged coupling member and levers arranged in an articulated manner thereon. One of the levers includes a guide slot into which projects a locking bolt. The locking bolt can be moved in the guide slot by an actuating element actuated by the door drive. This makes it possible for a rotary movement. Heretofore, movement ran in a horizontal plane and essentially transversely to the width of the doorway, and thus required a considerable amount of space in this direction. The movement can now be changed into a rotary movement about horizontally, or essentially horizontally, running axes. The components involved are formed as flat structures, which thus have considerably reduced dimensions in the direction of the width of the doorway.
[0009] One embodiment, according to the present disclosure, includes a locking bolt that projects into the guide slot. The locking bolt is arranged on a locking lever, which lever can be pivoted about an essentially horizontal axis. The actuating element acts on the locking lever, for example, in the region of the bolt. This allows precise guidance of the locking bolt and of the actuating element using just one component, which cuts back on space and costs.
[0010] In an embodiment, according to the present disclosure, the coupling member has arranged on it a pivoting lever which can be pivoted about an essentially vertical axis and, at its free end, bears a guide roller which interacts with the guide. It is thus possible for the guide roller to be located within the width of the doorway when the door leaf is in the closed position, but right up against the periphery of the doorway, or slightly outside the width of the doorway, in the open position. As a result, the guide rail on the door leaf may be configured to be considerably shorter than the door leaf in this direction (width).
[0011] Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view in a horizontal direction parallel to a door-leaf plane, as seen looking in direction I in FIG. 2 , of a locking device in a closed and locked position, according to the present disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view in a direction of arrow II in FIG. 1 .
[0014] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view in a direction of arrow III in FIG. 1 .
[0015] FIGS. 4 and 5 show views analogous to the views of FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively, the locking device being in the open position, according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a retaining and locking mechanism or device, according to the present disclosure, as seen in a direction of arrow I in FIG. 2 , running in a direction of a longitudinal axis of a vehicle. The retaining device 11 is installed in a car body or door frame 10 such that it is fastened on an installation plate 12 . Two levers 2 and 3 , connected by a coupling member 1 , are mounted on the installation plate 12 in a manner of a four-bar mechanism, such as, in this embodiment, for example, a parallelogram. A pivoting lever 7 is mounted on the coupling member 1 such that it can be pivoted about an essentially vertically running axis 15 . At an end region, which is directed toward a doorway opening and a door leaf 13 , the pivoting lever 7 bears a guide roller 8 , which interacts with a guide rail 9 of the door leaf 13 .
[0017] One of the two levers 2 and 3 , shown as lever 2 in the present embodiment, has a guide slot 14 into which projects a locking bolt 4 , which is fastened on a locking lever 5 arranged in a pivotable manner on the installation plate 12 . An actuating element 6 acts on the locking lever 5 , as shown in FIG. 1 . Actuating element 6 leads upward along a secondary closing edge of the vehicle and is actuated there by a door drive (not shown).
[0018] This device 11 , functions as follows. Starting from a position shown in FIG. 1 , the actuating element 6 is raised, which pivots the locking lever 5 , and thus the locking bolt 4 , upward along a circular path about a point of articulation of the locking lever 5 . This movement gives rise to the displacement of the locking bolt 4 in the guide slot 14 , which moves the coupling member 1 to the left, (as seen viewing FIG. 1 ) by way of the two levers 2 , 3 being pivoted. The movement continues until an end position is reached, as shown in FIG. 4 . The coupling member 1 , and thus ultimately also the guide roller 8 , executes a slight vertical movement. Such slight vertical movement may be of no consequence for the reliability and quality of guidance in the guide rail 9 .
[0019] During an opening movement of the door, the pivoting lever 7 also moves about its axis 15 , as seen by comparing FIGS. 2 and 5 . From the closed position, as shown in FIG. 2 , in which the pivoting lever 7 is directed into an interior of the width of the doorway, pivot lever 7 pivots and is carried along by the guide rail 9 of the opening door in a direction in which it is pivoted out of the width of the doorway, as shown in FIG. 5 . As a result, a length of the guide rail 9 on the door leaf 13 may be considerably smaller than a length of an opening movement of the door leaf 13 Furthermore, the doorway width, when the door is open, is kept free of retaining and guiding parts of the door mechanism to a greater extent than was possible in the prior art.
[0020] In the embodiment as shown in the Figures, the guide slot 14 has a feature of being in a part of a circle arc in a portion in which the locking bolt 4 ends up being located when the door is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 1 , wherein a center point of the circle arc coincides with a pivot axis of the locking lever 5 . This forms a dead region in the cinematics. This means that forces which act on the coupling member 1 , and thus on the lever 2 , in the opening direction via the door leaf 13 , the guide rail 9 , the guide roller 8 , the pivoting lever 7 and the mounting thereof, are not capable of subjecting the locking lever 5 to a moment in the opening direction. This present locking or retaining mechanism or device 11 thus remains resistant to unintentional or malicious attempts to open the door in an unauthorized manner by shaking the door leaf 13 .
[0021] This resistance could be achieved by a so-called over-dead-center mechanism, in which the shaping of the guide slot 14 in this region would have to be such that an opening movement on the door leaf 13 results in the locking lever 5 being pushed further in the locking direction. However, previously known over-dead-center mechanisms have the disadvantage that, in the absence of the customary door drive, when the door is being forced by the users, and then opened by the emergency opening device, the locking lever 5 has to be rotated out of its end region counter to the locking torque exerted by the passengers. That, in particular in situations which are unusual, unpleasant or dangerous, is difficult for passengers without training.
[0022] In comparison with what was just described, a guide slot 14 with a dead region like that shown herein, the forces which occur on the door leaf 13 , with the exception of a negligible increase in the friction in the bearing of the locking lever 5 , have no effect on the force which is required for opening the locking means or mechanism 11 .
[0023] As shown in FIG. 4 , which corresponds to the door being open, that region of the guide slot 14 in which the locking bolt 4 is located runs essentially in the direction in which the actuating element 6 is moved (see arrow II in FIG. 1 and the oppositely directed unnumbered arrow in FIG. 4 ). As a result, it is not necessary for the actuating element 6 , or the displacement thereof, to be adjusted precisely since further movement of the actuating element 6 in the upward direction is no longer accompanied by any marked pivoting of the lever 2 , or therefore by any marked change in the guide roller 8 .
[0024] As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5 , by way of metal plates, which run essentially parallel to one another, the device 11 , according to the present disclosure, may be of very flat design. Such metal plates are easy to install in the doorway region and can be fitted at a distance from the floor itself, so that a risk of it becoming clogged with dirt or iced up is low.
[0025] An emergency release device, which is necessary for most doors of the type described herein, is within the scope of the present disclosure. When the door drive is moved manually, it automatically carries along the actuating element 6 in the region above the doorway, and no additional measures need therefore be taken.
[0026] Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The scope of the present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
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A locking device for a swinging/sliding door for vehicles. The swinging/sliding door includes a door leaf having a guide rail along a bottom horizontal edge in a floor region. The swinging/sliding door is configured to be actuated by a door drive.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a well mining industry, and more particularly, to an instrument designed to act as a plug in a production pipe while installing or removing blow out preventors on new or re-worked wells.
Conventionally, a packer is set close to the surface, about 15 feet from the surface when blow out preventors are removed, or when the well has to be worked over following a production. The conventional packers have inflatable collars, they are lowered by a wire line into the well and are set at a predetermined depth. The procedure of setting such a packer is relatively expensive and requires special trained personnel to come out to the site and position the packer in just the right location in a wellbore. The present invention contemplates provision of a retrievable safety packer designed to be installed in a cement-lined pipe in an easy and inexpensive manner while the blow out preventors are taken off to complete a new well, or work over an existing sulphur well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a safety packer which can be set and retrieved from the surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a retrievable safety packer specifically designed for use in a cement-lined pipe.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety packer designed to increase safety of the operation by providing a check valve assembly as part of the safety packer design.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved through a provision of a packer assembly which is adapted for use in a cement-lined drill pipe suitable for use in a well mining operation. The packer assembly comprises an elongated packer body adapted for detachable engagement with a safety centralizer. The packer body is comprised of an elongated mandrel with a central opening extending through the entire length of the mandrel, an upper annular part mounted in a circumferential relationship about at least a portion of the mandrel and a lower annular part which is mounted in a circumferential relationship about the mandrel a distance from the upper part.
One or more flexible resilient collars are positioned about the mandrel between the upper part and the lower part. The collars expand in response to a compression force created by torque applied to an upper part of the packer body, while the lower part and the safety centralizer remain in a fixed position in relation to the inner wall of the pipe.
The safety centralizer is provided with a plurality of resilient members which extend through substantially entire length of the centralizer body and are secured to an exterior surface thereof. The resilient members can be made as arcuate leaf springs which contact the cement wall of the lining inside the pipe and resist rotation of the lower part. The centralizer also prevents dropping of the safety packer downhole due to frictional contact of the leaf springs with the cement-lining.
A pressure valve is mounted in the upper part of the packer body to prevent escape of downhole pressure. The valve comprises a cylindrical body with a central opening aligned for fluid communication with a central aperture of the mandrel. A ball valve element is urged into a normally seated position inside the opening of the valve body, closing the opening in the valve body, thereby preventing movement of liquid through the mandrel body upwardly. By unseating the valve member, with the help of a running and retrieving tool, the release of downhole pressure can be accomplished when the packer assembly needs to be retrieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectional view of the safety packer in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning now to the drawing in more detail, numeral 10 designates a retrievable safety packer in accordance with the present invention. The packer assembly comprises a packer body 12 and a safety centralizer 14 adapted for a threadable engagement with a bottom sub 16 of the packer body 12. The packer body 12 has an elongated tubular shape suitable for lowering into small diameter pipes.
The packer body 12 comprises an upper part 20 and a lower part 22 mounted in a circumferentially surrounding relationship about a central mandrel 24. A pair of inflatable resilient flexible collars 26 and 28 are mounted in a surrounding relationship about the mandrel 24 adjacent the upper part 20 and the lower part 22, respectively. A spacer element 30 extends between the collars 26 and 28 and retains the collars in a spaced-apart relationship to each other.
Each collar 26 and 26 is provided with one or more intermediate back-up rings 32 and 34 respectively, which extend through the thickness of the collars 26 or 28 and contact the exterior surface of the mandrel 24. End back-up ring 36 is mounted above the collar 26, and a similar end back-up ring 38 is mounted below the collar 28. A bearing 40 is positioned in a contact relationship with the end ring 36, and a similar bearing 42 is positioned adjacent the end ring 38 on the opposite side from the collar 28. The bearing 40 and 42 are made from friction resistant material, for example Teflon®. A suitable sealing element, such as an O-ring 44 is fitted between the upper part 20 and the bearing 40, and a similar sealing element, such as an O-ring 46, is fitted between the collar 28 and a conical member 50, 5o as to prevent escape of fluids.
The upper part 20 is provided with a groove, within which an additional inner O-ring 52 is positioned. The upper part 20 is threadably engaged, such as at 54, with the central mandrel 24, and a suitable lock ring 56 is provided at the uppermost end of the upper part 20, the ring being set in position by a suitable set screw 58 located in an immediate proximity to the ring. A top sub 60 is threadably engaged, such as at 62, to the upper part 20 and is secured thereto through the use of a set screw 64. A suitable O-ring 66 is fitted between the top sub 60 and the upper part 20 adjacent the threaded connection 62. A bearing made from a friction resistant material, for example Teflon ® (not shown) is fitted between the O-ring 66 and the set screw 58.
The top sub 60 is provided with a pressure valve 70 mounted in an uppermost part of a central opening 72 formed in the top sub 60. The pressure valve comprises a ball element 74 seated in the opening 72 and urged into a contact with a conical seat formed on the interior of the opening 72 by a compression Spring 76. The opposite end of the spring 76 urges against an inwardly extending shoulder 78 formed in the opening 72.
An O-ring 80 is fitted between the top sub 60 and the body of the pressure valve 70. One or more O-rings 82 are fitted into an exterior groove formed on the outer circumference of the top sub 60 to facilitate a sealed engagement with a packer running tool 84 which engages the top sub 60 in that portion thereof, where the pressure valve 70 is secured. The pressure valve 70 allows to relieve any pressure which might have built up during production of sulphur, and equalize pressure below the packer assembly 10 and above it. When it becomes necessary to retrieve the packer assembly 10, the pressure valve 70 allows to relieve the pressure that might have built up during the production process and ensures safety of the packer retrieval. The pressure valve 70 permits circulation back through the packer downhole and selectively releases pressure from below the packer.
A lower part 22, similar to the upper part 20, is threadably engaged with the central mandrel 24 by suitable threads 90 and is mounted in a circumferential relationship about at least a portion of the mandrel 24. An inner O-ring 92 is fitted between the lower part 22, and the mandrel 24, and another O-ring 94 is mounted adjacent an opposite end, at the point of engagement between the mandrel 24 and the lower part 22. An opening 96 formed in the lower part 22 is provided with an outwardly flaring portion 98. The angle of the tapered wall 98 complements the tapered outer surface of the conical element 50, allowing the lower portion 22 to move against the conical member 50 and apply an upwardly directed force to the collar 28. When the packer body 12 is rotated, the collars 26 and 28 become squeezed, or compressed. They expand within the inner diameter of the pipe and contact the wall of the pipe, creating a plug above the blowout preventors.
The bottom sub 16 is threadably engaged, such as at 100, to the lower part 22 on the end opposite the collar 28. A set screw 102 allows fixed engagement of the bottom sub 16 and the lower part 22. A lock ring 104 is mounted in a circumferential relationship about the lower part 22 and the interior wall of the bottom sub 16. A suitable lock ring set screw 106 permits fixed engagement of the ring 104 in the desired location. A bearing made from a friction resistant material, for example Teflon ® (not shown) is fitted between the O-ring 94 and the lock ring 104.
Threadably engaged with the end of the bottom sub 16 is a safety centralizer 14 which comprises an elongated cylindrical body 110 formed with a central opening 112 therethrough. A plurality of arcuate leaf springs 114 are securely attached to the exterior of the centralizer body 110 and extend on the outside of the body 110 along substantially entire length thereof. The leaf springs 114 are formed from narrow strips of resilient material, such as thin metal. The leaf springs 114 are curved outwardly to allow contact of the centralizer with the cement lined wall of a production pipe where the packer assembly 10 is positioned.
The safety centralizer 14 performs a dual function: it holds the lower portion of the packer in position when the packer body 12 is turned to squeeze the rubber collars 26 and 28. As the packer body 12 is rotated, the leaf springs 114 provide enough friction and resistance to prevent the lower part of the packer body 12 to be rotated, thereby allowing to decrease the distance between the collars 26 and 28. Where conventional packers use numerous hook elements to engage the cemented wall of the lining which may cause damage to the cement wall, the centralizer 14, being provided with the leaf springs 114, will cause no damage to the cement lining when the upper part 20 is rotated.
If desired, the leaf springs 114 can be provided with elongated groove and ridges extending along the length of the outer surface to increase friction between the cement wall and the leaf springs 114. At the same time, the vertical ridges do not offer such friction against the cement lining 50 as to cause damage to it, as the hook elements of conventional packers do.
The second function that is performed by the centralizer 14 is prevention of the packer assembly 10 from dropping down the wellbore in the event that an operator accidentally releases the packer prematurely or applies too much torque trying to either set or release the packer assembly 10. In fact, the safety centralizer supports the weight of the packer body 12 in the desired location within the cement lined pipe of a wellbore.
A rupture disk holder 120 is threadably engaged to an end 122 of the centralizer 14 opposite the end 124 which engages the safety centralizer 14 to the bottom sub 16. The ruptured disk holder 120 can be attached to the centralizer 14 when it is desired to test a blowout preventor or the well head from above the packer.
During a conventional cement lining of a pipe, a joiner pipe is rotated while the cement slurry is hardening. The resultant interior surface of a finished joint of a cement-lined pipe is somewhat irregular and is not entirely smooth. As a result, the conventional retrievable packers do not reliably seal off the sulphur production, or the well production when blowout preventors are installed or removed in a new well, or during a workover of an existing well.
One alternative has been the use of expensive balloon-type inflatable packers which can be installed by specially trained personnel. These packers can operate in the cement-lined pipes with uneven interior surface.
The present invention provides an inexpensive solution to a long-existing problem. The packer assembly 10 can be run with a two-inch pipe and set by right hand rotation which causes compression of the resilient collars. The collars fill the annulus between the packer body and the cement lining. The tool comprises a check valve to prevent flow from the well, while any pressure below the tool can be bled off through application of a downward port on a setting tool. The packer assembly 10 also allows pumping of fluid through the tool, particularly heavier fluids, to kill the well, if necessary.
The packer assembly 10 of the present invention serves as a plug in a wellbore, particularly one that is lined with cement, to allow retrieval or positioning of blow out preventors, or workover of a well. The packer assembly 10 can be set and retrieved by the packer running tool 84 by lowering it into the pipe from the surface. Sometimes, it will be necessary to clean the portion of the cement lining where the packer will be set, so as to assure a debris-free area. The packer body 12 is equipped with expandable resilient collars 26 and 28 which can be of a different diameter to accommodate requirements of various diameter pipes.
During positioning, the safety centralizer is engaged with the packer body 12, and a rupture disk holder 120 is secured to the centralizer 14. Then the packer running tool 84 is coupled by snapping which the packer body 12, and the packer assembly 10 is ready to be lowered into a cement lined pipe. Once the packer body 12 is set in the desired location within the pipe, the running tool 84 can be disconnected and removed from the wellbore.
When it is necessary to retrieve the packer assembly 10, the running tool 84 is again lowered into the wellbore, engaged with the sub 60 and pulled to the, surface, retrieving the packer body 12 and the safety centralizer 14. The packer assembly 10 can be disassembled, cleaned, inspected and replaced, if necessary, on the surface. Once re-assembled, the packer can be lowered again into the cement lined pipe and left there for a number of years.
Many changes and modifications can be made in the design of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. We, therefore, pray that our rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
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The invention relates to a safety packer assembly for use in a cement-lined pipe. The assembly provides for the use of a packer body which carries one or more resilient collars that expand in response to a compression force created by rotation of an upper part of the packer body. A safety valve is provided in the upper part of the packer body to prevent escape of the downhole pressure. A safety centralizer is detachably secured to a lower part of the packer body, the centralizer being provided with a plurality of arcuate resilient members which extend along the length of the centralizer body and frictionally contact the wall of the cement-lined pipe to maintain the packer body in its predetermined position within the pipe and resist rotation of a lower part of the packer body when the upper part is rotated.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In present commercial practice, when dense soils or bedrock are at moderate depths, steel "H" section piles, precast piles, or pipe piles may be driven to these soils or rock. In this way, static load capacities in excess of 80 tons are achieved. Since these piles derive their principal support at their tip, they are best categorized as "end bearing piles".
However, there are numerous conditions in which pile design permits piles to be successfully driven into granular or cohesive soils, or mixtures thereof, for the supporting of those piles. In such situations, the piles distribute their load by a combination of friction forces acting along the side of the pile and by "end bearing" forces acting beneath the tip of the pile. These piles may be steel "H" piles, precast piles, pipe piles, or mandrel-driven shell piles and are best denominated "friction piles."
Frequently a soil profile is encountered wherein unsuitable soils, i.e., those which will commpress or consolidate excessively, are underlain by bearing soils which are of only moderate or low density. While conventional "friction piles" might ultimately achieve adequate penetration for support in such soil, the depth of penetration required may be such that it can be achieved much more economically with the new and improved piles of the present invention. In accordance with the invention, a less expensive pile is provided which can be driven with greater facility through intervening layers, if any, of semi-suitable soils to the ultimate bearing layer without recourse to the time-consuming and costly special methods which heretofore might be required for state of the art types of piles.
As has been described by G. G. Meyerhof in a thesis entitled "The Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Wedge-Shaped Foundations," the ultimate bearing capacity of a foundation may be markedly increased by using a wedge of shallow depth and making the wedge of a rough surface, e.g. concrete. Numerous prior art pile devices have made use of this fundamental general "wedge" principle. The Raymond "Standard Pile," which is heavily tapered, embodies this principle. Monotube piles utilize a variety of taper configurations in conformity with this principle. Likewise, Franki piles, which are in a sense an "in situ" spread footing, nevertheless embody this wedge theory. Indeed, this general concept has also been utilized by positioning a structural, wedge-shaped mass, of larger area than the pile, at the tip (very bottom) of the pile as described in Merjan U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,931.
The present invention is directed to certain pile structures in which substantial advantages are derived from positioning a new wedge-forming structure spaced from the tip of the pile.
The principle upon which the present invention is predicated is that the frictional value between soil and soil is higher than that between steel and soil or concrete and soil. Accordingly, a soil-soil interface results in the highest value of support. This concept has been applied in a different fashion in prior art piles. For example, the concept is demonstrated by the increased capacity of corrugated shell piles versus smooth-sided pipe piles of the same length and diameter. The higher capacity of the shell results from the fact that the soil is locked in the valleys of the shell corrugations. Hence, the mode of failure is a function of the sheer strength of the soil rather than the friction between steel and soil, the former being a much higher value. Another example is found in steel "H" piles. It is well known that soil "locks" between the flanges and against the web of such piles. The locked soil results in a mode of support based on the frictional value between soil and soil.
The new and improved pile of the present invention employs a "wedge-forming element" or "wedge-former" which is spaced upwardly on the pile shaft from the tip rather than forming an actual wedge at the very tip. As a result of this unique positioning of a new "wedge-former" on the pile, during driving of the pile soil is forced to form in situ a soil wedge and to interface with other soil as the pile is driven to its ultimate depth. Specifically, soil collects under the shoulder and the tapered outer wall of the "wedge-former" and is, in effect, "locked" into the "wedge-former" (between the "wedge-former" and the shaft of the pile). The locked soil functions as a true wedge against other soil and it is this soil-soil effect which makes the new pile particularly advantageous, since, as discussed above, the frictional value between soil and soil is higher than that between steel and soil or concrete and soil. For this reason, the "soil wedge" formed in situ about the new pile provides a higher value of support at shallower driven depths than that found in earlier piles.
Because the soil wedge formed in accordance with the principles of the invention enables the pile to mobilize the soil's resistance more efficiently than known piles, the new pile need not be so massive as the Franki-type pile or the Merjan-type precast wedge tips. Hence, it lends itself to installation more economically (with conventional pile driving equipment and often to lesser depths) in a large range of soil conditions. Furthermore, the wedge-forming piles of the present invention are superior to the massive, precast concrete type of piles with integral wedges in that the new piles may more readily be driven through layers of semisuitable soils to the ultimate bearing layer without recourse to time-consuming and costly methods such as jetting or predrilling. Also, the new and improved piles of the invention avoid the uncertainties inherent in the formation of Franki-type piles, each of which is constructed according to a variety of guidelines furnished for implementation at the site. The new pile may be driven with impact pile hammers having energies in the range of approximately 15,000 to 36,000 ft.-lbs. per blow and the size of the retaining device may be readily varied to suit/load/hammer interrelationships.
The piles of the present invention may take any of several preferred forms. For instance, the "wedge-former" may be in the form of a truncated cone of precast concrete inserted onto a pipe pile and attached at an appropriate place thereon. Alternatively, the shaft and wedge-former may be integrated in the form of a unitary concrete pile. Or, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, a precast concrete point which includes an appropriately positioned wedge-former and a short section of pipe cast into its upper portion may be employed. In using this embodiment, the point is first planted into the ground. Then, the remainder of the pipe pile is connected to the section of pipe which was cast in the wedge and the pile is driven into the soil in the usual way.
It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the use of pipe piles; as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other types of piles may be utilized. Similarly, the shape of the wedge may be varied somewhat for adaptation to different situations.
It is an object of this invention to provide a pile with improved penetration and superior support characteristics.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pile which may be easily and economically driven into soil of inferior support quality.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof and to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention including a precast concrete "wedge-former" in the form of a generally truncated cone retained on a pipe pile;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pile of FIG. 1, taken along the lines 2--2;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the invention including a precast pile and wedge-former;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pile of FIG. 3 taken along lines 4--4 thereof;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view with parts broken away to show details of construction of another alternate preferred embodiment of the invention including a precast point attached to a pipe pile; and
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pile of FIG. 5 taken along the lines 6--6 thereof.
FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view of the alternate preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the pile cast into the concrete point is a shell pile.
FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view of the alternate preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the pile cast into the concrete point is composed of precast concrete.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a first preferred embodiment of a new pile 9 comprises an elongated pile shaft in the form of cylindrical pile 10, a "wedge-former" 12 formed of a generally truncated cone of precast concrete, and a wedge-former mount 14 welded to the pile shaft. The pipe 10 is closed at its tip 15 by circular steel plate 16 welded thereto and filled with concrete 17, although in certain applications the plate 16 may be omitted for open ended driving.
The wedge-former mount 14 includes an annular retaining plate 19, vertical flanges 18, and radial webs 21 which cooperate to fasten the wedge former 14 to the pile shaft 10, as shown, in an ultimate wedge-forming position. The wedge-former 12 is fabricated from precast concrete or from any other castable material capable of withstanding the conditions encountered during driving. Concrete is generally preferred because of its rough surface. Similarly, although the shaft 10 is illustrated as a pipe, other pile shafts, such as those made of precast concrete, may advantageously be used.
The shapes of the wedge-formers of the invention may be varied depending upon the circumstances in which they are to be used. Of particular importance is that they be shaped to take advantage of the "locking" effect described earlier. In FIG. 1, the shoulder 20 and the tapered sides 22 of the wedge-former 12 function to lock the soil between the wedge-former 12 and the pile shaft, during driving. The locking effect results in the formation of a soil wedge "W" shown generally in phantom in FIG. 1, and extending from the tip 15 to the upper portions of the wedge-former 12. Because the soil wedge "W" contacts other soil, the high support value of a soil-soil interface is advantageously utilized. Furthermore, since the support value is so high, the wedge-former 12 need only be of modest size. Consequently, the new pile is less expensive to fabricate and is more easily driven through non-bearing soil layers.
The sizing of the elements of the new piles of the invention may vary in accordance with the soil environment in which they are to be used. By way of example, where nine-inch diameter, 30-40 lb./ft. load-bearing pipe pile shafts are to be used to support ultimate loads of 160 tons, the following dimensions would be appropriate for the pile of FIG. 1: the spacing "A" between the shoulder 20 and the tip 15 of the shaft 10 is 24 inches; the height "B" of the wedge-former 12 from the top 23 to the shoulder 20 is 24 inches; and the diameter of the widest portion of the wedge-former 12 is 17 inches. It will be apparent that the height of the wedge-former of the invention will be quite small relative to the depth of the bearing layer. It is not necessary that the wedge-former accompany the pile shaft for a substantial distance to realize the advantages results described herein.
In operation, the wedge-former 12 may be fastened to the pile shaft 10 at any time prior to driving. The pile 9, with the wedge-former 12 affixed thereto, is driven by conventional techniques.
An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. A precast concrete pile 24 is formed having a generally rectangular wedge-forming member 26 integral with the square shaft 28. In this form, the wedge-former is constructed as wings 27 on opposite sides of the pile shaft 28. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the wedge-former is discontinuous, i.e., it does not totally surround the pile shaft 28 of the pile 24. The thickness and the number of wings 27 is determined in accordance with the soil conditions in which the pile is to be used. The tapered base wall 30 of the wedge-former 26 functions with the lower part of the pile to cause, during driving, the formation of the soil wedge generally in the manner described hereinabove. Side wall 39 of the wedge-forming wing is substantially parallel to the pile shaft. The lower end 32 of the pile adjacent the tip 33 is tapered to facilitate penetration of the pile 24 into soil during driving. For greater strength, the concrete is provided with metal reinforcement members 34.
As noted above, the sizing of the piles of the invention may be varied, depending on the conditions in which they are to be used. By way of example, where nine-inch diameter 30-40 lb./ft. load-bearing pile shafts are to be used to support ultimate loads of 160 tons, the following dimensions may be employed for the pile of FIG. 3: the spacing "A" between the base of the wedge-forming wing 31 and the tip 33 of the pile shaft is 24 inches; the distance "B" from the top wall of the wing 35 to the base of the wing 31 is 24 inches; and the length of the widest portion of the wedge-former is 18 inches.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is depicted in the pile 36 shown in FIG. 5, which pile includes a concrete point 38 into which a short section of pipe 40 is cast. The point 38 has a central pile shaft 44 and, in its upper portions, the point includes a pair of wedge-forming wings 46 peripheral to the pile shaft. The wings include a shoulder 64 and inclined walls 58. The pile shaft extends downwards in a columnar projection 48 appropriate for inserting the point into the ground. The wings 46 function in accordance with the principles of the invention generally in the same manner as the other wedge-formers already specifically mentioned. The soil is locked beneath the shoulders 64 and inclined walls 58 against the columnar projection 48. The locked soil forms a soil wedge in accordance with the invention. The concrete may be reinforced as in the other embodiments. The columnar projection may be tapered adjacent the tip 56, as at 42, to facilitate penetration of the soil.
In operation, the point 38 is first "planted" into the ground by driving on top of the short section of pipe 40. Then, a second section of pipe 52 is attached to the short section, as by welding or with a "drive fit" 54 (also known as a mechanical connector). The entire pile assembly (pipe plus point) may then be driven into the ground using conventional driving methods.
Other types of pile shafts (other than pipes) may also be employed in association with the embodiment of FIG. 5. For instance, mandrel driven shells and precast piles may be employed in lieu of pipes FIG. 7 illustrates a pile 36A in which the short section of pile cast into the concrete point 44A is shell pile 40A. A mechanical connector 54A connects the cast section 40A of shell pile to a second section 52A of shell pile. FIG. 8 illustrates a pile 36B in which the short section of pile cast into the concrete point 44B is precast concrete 40B. A mechanical connector 54B connects the cast section 40B of precast concrete pile to a second section 52B of precast concrete pile. The wings 46A and 46B in FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively, function in accordance with the principles of the invention generally in the same manner as the other wedge formers already mentioned. The embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 are both used generally in the manner described for the embodiment of FIG. 5.
It should be understood that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only. Changes, including but not limited to, those suggested in this specification, may be made in the illustrated embodiments without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
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A new pile is disclosed which includes a pile shaft and wedge-forming means of castable material spaced upward of the tip of the pile shaft and proximate thereto. The wedge-forming means cooperates with the portion of the pile beneath it, during driving, to cause the formation of a wedge of soil. The thus-formed soil wedge is in contact with other soil and the resulting soil-soil interface has enhanced pile supporting characteristics.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a barrier transition for removably closing road gaps and other passage areas through safety barriers.
[0002] As is known, superhighways, freeways and two-carriageway roads in general are protected at their central riserve by safety barriers which can be made of a concrete mix, usually a reinforced concrete mix or, more frequently, a metal material, depending on light and heavy vehicle containment characteristics, and on personal safety standards, defined by national and European rules.
[0003] The above protective systems are interrupted, at preset distances, by paved areas to allow transiting vehicles to switch off the carriageway, when conditions are required.
[0004] The above mentioned areas are usually called “traffic divider gaps”, and have an average span from 20 to 40 m.
[0005] The frequency with which the mentioned road gaps occur through the safety barrier, depends on environment conditions, maintenance requirements, provided outlets or the like and, usually corresponds to a rather small spacing, i.e. about a gap each two road kilometers.
[0006] Thus, said road gaps actually represent a discontinuity through the side protective system designed for preventing transiting vehicles from stepping over the traffic divider, i.e. the safety barrier.
[0007] Such a discontinuity is very dangerous, since traffic accidents, caused by vehicles traversing the road gap, even if they occur with a rather small rate, have very deleterious effects and, because of the continuously increasing vehicle traffic, are anyhow very significative since, in such a case, an uncontrolled vehicle accidentally traversing a read gap, will probably impact against one or more other vehicles driven in the opposite direction on the other carriageway, thereby the sum of the kinetic energies of the impacting vehicles will be such as to cause fatal consequences for the vehicle passengers.
[0008] Moreover, if the starting portions of the safety barrier at the ends of the road gaps are not suitably protected, for example by impact attenuators, ther an impact against these regions would frequently have very serious consequences for the vehicle passengers.
[0009] Thus, in order to overcome the above problems the possibility of eliminating the mentioned road gaps and closing them by fixed constructions of a conventional barrier type has been already considered.
[0010] Such an approach, however, could not be a viable one, for example because of emergency and snow removal vehicle circulating problems, to allow vehicles to switch off their carriageway in serious accident conditions in which the carriageway would be interrupted for a long time, and for long duration maintenance operations, requiring the provision of a counter-lane on the opposite carriageway.
[0011] Thus, for safety purposes, it is absolutely necessary to provide the road users with an efficient closure system which, on the other hand, can be easily and quickly removed, for example in urgency situations.
[0012] Disassemblable metal conventional barriers are commercially available, which, however, do not allow to provide an easy and quick opening of the barrier since, for disassembling them, it would be necessary to remove a comparatively high number of barrier coupling elements. In this connection it should be moreover pointed out that the mentioned coupling elements, being subjected to atmospheric and polluting agents, would render much more difficult a snap operating intervention.
[0013] Fixed cable barriers have been also used in some countries with rather good safety results; however this prior technology disclosed, for example, in EP 369659 (British Ropes) does not allow to make easily removable barrier systems, thereby does not solve the existing barrier problems.
[0014] A cable safety system which has been specifically designed to overcome the above problems is that disclosed in the Italian Patent No. 1,270,041 and in WO 00/23658 (PCT) to Snoline. This system, however, does not solve the problems affecting large width road gaps since in an impact situation, it provides comparatively great dynamic deforming cambers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problems, by providing a barrier transition for removably closing road gaps, adapted to resist, in a completely safe condition, against impacts, as required by international rules for light and average weight vehicles, such as motor vehicles and busses, and which, in the meanwhile, can be either completely or partially removed, in a short time without requiring either specifically designed complex tools or skilled operators.
[0016] Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a barrier transition which, owing to its specifically designed constructional features, is very reliable and safe in operation.
[0017] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a barrier transition which can be easily made starting from easily available elements and materials and which, moreover, is very competitive from a mere economic standpoint.
[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a barrier transition for removably closing road gaps, characterized in that said barrier transition comprises suitably contoured protective longitudinal elements arranged symmetrically to a road gap closure line, said protective elements being coupled to one another so as to provide a longitudinally rigid barrier having impact force transmitting end portions.
[0019] Said protective elements have advantageously a length equal to that of standard safety metal barriers, i.e. usually of 4 m, and a conventional double or triple corrugation cross-section, and an optional vertically extending multiple pattern.
[0020] The protective elements are coupled in opposite pairs, by rigid connection means, such as screws engaged in holes provided near their end portions, and the element pairs are coupled by special blocks which, on a side, are rigidly clamped by screws to the holes of said elements and, on the other side, support either one or two vertical hinge assemblies.
[0021] Said hinge assemblies, of strong construction, connect the system to allow it to transmit through said protective elements the stresses from an impacting vehicle, thereby providing a comparatively high flexural stiffness, to in turn reduce the maximum dynamic camber.
[0022] Thus, the system substantially operates as a flexible barrier, which is exclusively stressed by tension and strained through a resilient range.
[0023] The pin of the hinge assembly can be easily removed to quickly either partially or fully open the transition barrier (i.e. to remove one or more elements thereof), for allowing traffic to pass therethrough.
[0024] Each longitudinal protective element is coupled to two vertically extending feet, arranged near its end portions and supporting it on the ground thereon it can freely slide.
[0025] To facilitate the opening movement, some or all said feet can comprise a plurality of wheels the height of which can be adjusted by a suitable raising or lifting mechanism coupled to said feet or to said longitudinal protective elements, to allow said wheels to contact the ground, in an extended position thereof, only as the road gap is opened. The wheels can moreover comprise a brake for preventing spontaneous movements on an inclined ground.
[0026] To the end elements of the transition, which transition can have any desired length, depending on the existing road gap size, transition fitting of any suitable shape designed to provide a safe connection to the fixed barrier are coupled, said fittings comprising the same panels as said fixed metal barrier having a double or triple corrugation construction, or different modified panels for concrete barriers, in each case provided in a suitable number and arrangement of the holes for coupling and transmitting the impact force to be dissipated by the extended fixed barrier, which, usually, has a length of the order of at least few hundred meters, but which, most probably, continuously extends up to the following road gap with a length of at least two kilometers.
[0027] If the existing barrier pertains to a less class and, accordingly, is too weak to absorb the impact force, then it would be anyhow possible to discharge to the ground said impact force, by coupling the transition end elements to a strong pole ground driven or coupled to a suitable foundation adding optional dissipating elements, for providing protection against a local side impact.
[0028] If only a portion of the road gap shall be opened, then it is advantageously possible to use a suitable removable pole, to be driven into the ground through a driving pole bush, for anchoring therein the transition portion remaining as the barrier gap is opened.
[0029] To further decrease the dynamic camber, the system can also comprise intermediate binding elements, including further removable ground driven poles for reducing the overall system working length and, accordingly, its dynamic deformation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Further characteristics and advantages of the barrier according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of a barrier transition for removably closing road gaps, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example, In the figures of the accompanying drawings, where:
[0031] [0031]FIG. 1 schematically shows a road gas with the barrier transition according to the invention, as seen in elevation;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 2 schematically shows a road gap with the barrier transition according to the invention, as seen by a top plan view;
[0033] [0033]FIG. 3 is an elevation view showing a connection of two component elements of the barrier transition;
[0034] [0034]FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing a foot element including an optional wheel lifting system in a rest condition thereof;
[0035] [0035]FIG. 5 is a further schematic elevation view showing a connection to a fixed metal barrier;
[0036] [0036]FIG. 6 is a further schematic elevation view showing a connection to a fixed concrete barrier;
[0037] [0037]FIG. 7 shows a connection of an end or terminal portion to a ground driven pole inside the fixed barrier; and
[0038] [0038]FIG. 8 is a further schematic elevation view showing a barrier transition segment with overlapped double corrugation elements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the barrier transition for removably closing road gaps, according to the invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1 , comprises longitudinal elements 20 , made by coupling two barrier sections, and connected to one another by a hinge assembly 30 , the removable pin 31 of which constitutes a disengagement element for opening the road gap at one or more points.
[0040] Each element 20 is supported on the ground by two supporting feet 4 which can freely slide on the ground 5 . To facilitate the barrier opening movement, said transition barrier can optionally comprise, either fully or partially, a lifting and sliding system 60 , arranged near the feet 4 and comprising an adjustable lifting device 61 , so designed as to turn about a vertical axis passing through a hub 62 , and further including one or more wheels 63 for only contacting the ground as the road gap is opened.
[0041] The terminal or end elements 8 are conventionally bolted to an existing fixed barrier 90 , which can be either metal barrier 91 or a concrete barrier 92 .
[0042] If said existing barrier is considered as excessively weak, then the terminal elements 8 are suitably modified at their end portions for coupling to a strong ground driven pole 10 .
[0043] According to another embodiment, designed to protect the existing barrier end portion from front impacts due to vehicles passing through the barrier gap, the end portion of the barrier terminal can be constructed, by any prior method, so as to absorb impacts.
[0044] From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended objects.
[0045] In particular, a barrier transition has been provided which is designed to absorb angled impacts from vehicles, meeting, for example, the European standard EN 1317, and which can be essentially dynamically deformed so as to guide an impacting vehicle to its carriageway again. Moreover the barrier has a stiffened construction and operates in an elastic range, in order to achieve small side dynamic deformation (camber), thereby increasing the safety level of the transition.
[0046] Moreover, the connection with respect to the fixed barrier is such as to provide a gradual deformation of the fixed barrier, thereby preventing any dangerous hard points from occurring.
[0047] With respect to the required maintenance interventions, since no foundation construction is necessary for anchoring and tensioning purposes, the existing barrier can be easily modified by only two maintenance operators who can use an optional service vehicle and related tooling.
[0048] Likewise, if the road gap is to be opened, the same operators can disengage either one or more element connections, lower the optionally provided wheels, for facilitating the sliding thereof, and quickly open the system as a book either from a part or from the other, or from both parts.
[0049] According to preferred embodiments, the corrugated panels are arranged from the ground at a maximum height of 600 to 1,200 mm and preferably from 800 to 1,100 mm.
[0050] Moreover, the panels can have any desired contour and moment of inertia, even with barriers of closed circular or polygonal cross-section.
[0051] To render the barrier more visible at the road gap, the longitudinal elements can be colored or decorated with patterns, to allow the closure region to be clearly seen.
[0052] The invention, as disclosed, is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all of which will come within the scope of the invention.
[0053] Moreover, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.
[0054] In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.
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The present invention relates to a safety barrier transition, comprising partially deformable elements, pivoted by quickly disengageable means and coupling elements to a fixed barrier, specifically designed for closing, under safety conditions, and quickly re-opening road gaps provided in superhighway traffic dividers.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
INTRODUCTION
The present invention relates generally to an access opening closure device and more particularly to an access opening closure device having universal application to cover openings defined in duct work, wood panels, sheet rock and like construction materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Panel-like structural members are commonly employed for the internal and external walls of dwellings, office buildings, warehouses and the like. Analogous construction is likewise used in certain vehicles such as tractor trailers, recreational vehicles, buses, airplanes and the like.
When such panels are permanently installed, there are occasions when a panel must be opened, preferably without removing and replacing the entire panel, in order to access wiring, plumbing fixture and the like which were disposed behind the panel in the course of the original construction. When such an extemporaneous access is necessary, an appropriate opening can be defined using a drill to create an access port and a scroll saw or the like to enter that part and carefully define the desired perimeter of the opening through which access to the previously hidden service problem is obtained.
Once the repair is effected, a clear need exists for means and methods to close that opening, preferably in a detachable and attractive fashion, to restore the integrity of the panel while permitting ready ingress and egress to the service facility for future repairs if needed. It is toward this end that the present invention is directed.
The prior art teaches three general types of plate-like closure means for panel openings. First, there is the sliding-type closure means exemplified by the double-hung window wherein the slidably closeable plate member remains within the plane of the panel opening. The main disadvantage of this type of closure arises from the inherently limited degree of ventilation obtainable which is usually limited to about 50 percent of the panel opening size. Second, there is the pivotal-type closure means wherein a single peripheral edge of the plate member is pivotably attached to the panel. The main disadvantage of the pivotal type of closure means is that the plate member projects excessively away from the panel in order to obtain full ventilation through the panel opening. Third, there is the scissors-type closure means wherein the entire periphery of the plate member is effectively attached to the periphery of the panel opening with a scissors-type linkage whereby the plate member is maintainable in substantial parallelism with the plane of the panel opening. The main disadvantages of the scissors-type closure means are the expense of the scissors-type linkage, the impediment it creates relative to air-flow characteristics, and the generally troublesome operational characteristics of scissors-type linkages per se.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an access opening closure device having universal application to close openings in duct work, wood panels, sheet rock and the like. The device is adaptable to any shaped hole, e.g., circular, rectangular, and the like and can be used with any thickness of material ranging from flat sheet metal up to and including two inch thick walls.
It is also well suited for use as a removable cover plate for hidden valves, switches, sensors, controls, and the like where periodic ingress and egress is needed, but in between times, security is desired.
A unique feature of the closure device of the present invention is that it does not require any subframe or framing members in order to be installed behind or within the opening in the wall or duct work. The closure device is a self-securing free standing member and only preparatory trimming of the opening, such as removal of large burrs, is required for installation.
In a preferred embodiment of this device, a face plate having a plurality of spring-biased clamping means mounted on the obverse side thereof are collectively circumscribed by a gasket means disposed thereon to assume a frame-like relationship around the opening to be covered thereby when installed pursuant hereto. The device thusfurther provides an effective seal when used with either negative or positive pressurized air handling duct work. Furthermore, the device protrudes only slightly into the duct work, it being essentially the same thickness as standard duct insulation. Thus, when installed pursuant hereto, the closure has substantially no effect on air distribution flow patterns. Furthermore, when needed, the device is adapted for insulation and thus avoids undue heat loss and/or sweating when circumstances require.
The device also provides an architecturally pleasing finished appearance to what could be an eye sore. This device can be used in those cases where an entry is needed in a finished wall and it can be installed with the creation of only a minimal size opening. Unlike the current practice of tearing out a substantially larger segment of the wall in order to install framing members and/or sub-frame, the device of the present invention provides a sizable savings in materials, labor and time.
Finally, the present invention provides spring loading clamping means or retention arms which enable fast and effective installation. There is no time lost fumbling around with the device even if the attachment screw is removed completely because the retention arms stay in a known position until the screw is reinstalled.
It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention to provide new and improved closure means for panel openings that overcome the several disadvantages and deficiencies of prior art closure mechanisms.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a closure mechanism that is amenable to panel openings and plate members of various geometrical shapes and sizes including polygonal, circular, and even highly irregular shapes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved closure mechanism which can be installed manually and is amenable to and adaptable for various kinds of panel structures and environmental situations therefor.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a closure mechanism that is economical to manufacture and maintain and which possesses exceedingly reliable operational characteristics.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a closure mechanism that is amenable to various kinds of plate member materials including tansparent, translucent, and opaque.
These and still further objects as shall hereinafter appear are readily fulfilled by the present invention in a remarkably unexpected fashion as will be readily discerned from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof especially when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which like parts bear like numerals throughout the several views.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawing:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an access opening closure device embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the rear of the closure device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the latching mechanism of the device taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4A is an isometric view showing the installation of the closure device of FIG. 1 into an access opening in accordance herewith;
FIG. 4B is a cross-section of a latching mechanism embodying the present invention in its "open" position;
FIG. 4C is a cross-section of the latching mechanism of FIG. 4A in its "closed" position; and
FIG. 5 is a montage of variations of a closure device embodying the present invention which have been specifically adapted for a variety of openings having diverse sizes and shape.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawing, an access opening closure device embodying the present invention is identified by the general reference numeral 10.
As shown in FIGS. and 2, each device 10 comprises a face plate 11 having a beveled edge 12 circumscribed thereabout in a framing relationship thereto.
A first and second punched openings 13, 14, are respectively defined through face plate 11 and each receives an elongated screw member 16 therein in free sliding relationship thereto for a purpose to be hereinafter described in detail.
The rear surface 20 of face plate 11 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and comprises a body portion 21 circumscribed by a divergent edge 22. In axial alignment on body portion 21 are a first support member 23 and a second support member 24 disposed in spaced generally parallel relationship to each other. Each support member, for example, member 23 is preferably L-shaped and consists of a base plate 25 suitably secured to body portion 21 and an upright portion 26 integrally formed with base plate 25 and having a first and a second flange-shaped retention member 27 formed on the upper edge 28 of upright portion 26. Each member 27 comprises a neck portion 29 and a flag-like upper portion 30 which as will hereinafter appear, has vertical fold line 31 about which an outer portion 32 is disposed generally normal to inner portion 33 for reasons to be hereinafter disclosed. A spring detent 34 is formed on the inner surface 35 of upright portion 26 and its function will likewise be hereinafter described.
Each L-shaped support member, for example, member 24, coacts with an associated wing member 38 to form a latching mechanism 40 which will now be described in detail.
Each wing member 38 comprises a body portion 41 having spaced transversely extending slots 42 defined adjacent the leading edge 43 thereof. A spring retention detent 44 is formed on the underside 45 of body portion 41. Wing member 38 further comprises a diverging panel portion 46 integrally formed with body portion 41 and extending outwardly therefrom to a lip or edge portion 47 integrally formed with diverging portion 46 and extending generally normal therefrom.
Latching mechanism 40 is completed by the incorporation of a spring member 48 having a first extending arm 49 and a second extending arm 50 protruding from a biased coil portion 51 in combination with an intermediate support member 23,24 and its associated wing member 38 in the following manner.
First arm 49 is inserted into spring detent 34 and second arm 50 is inserted into spring detent 44 with coil portion 51 disposed between leading edge 43 and upper edge 26. Each retention member 27 is simultaneously passed up through a corresponding slot 42 until flag-like portions 30 extend above wing member 38 whereupon outer portion 32 of support portion 30 is bent on fold line 31 until portion 32 is extending essentially normal to inner portion 33 and wing member 38 is locked to its corresponding support member 23, 24, and pivotal relative thereto which pivotal action is biased by spring 48 to cause lip portion 47 to engage edge 22 of back plate 20.
The assembly of the closure device 10 is completed by drilling a hole 52 in each wing member 38 in registry with each of punched openings 13,14 so that each screw member 16 which extends through openings 13, 14 and can me threadedly engaged into each using member 38. Thus, the rotation of screw member 16 causes its corresponding wing member 38 to be moved away from or toward back surface 20 in response to the direction of rotation of the respective screw member 16. In one direction, the rotation of screw members 16 will cause wing member 38 to move in opposition to the natural bias provided by spring coil 51, which, as previously explained, is biased to force lip portion 47 toward the adjacent beveled edge 22 of back surface 20. In the other direction, the rotation of screw member 16 will complement the action of coil 51 and bring lip portion 47 into sealing engagement with the wall 56, to which it is attached.
In one embodiment of the present invention which is particularly suitable when plumbing connections are to be hidden behind the closure 10, a frame-shaped gasket 54 formed of rubber or suitable sealing plastic material will be disposed in the channel defined by beveled edge 22 when closure 10 is mounted to a wall 56 having an opening 57 defined therethrough whereupon gasket 54 provides an effective seal between plate 11 and wall 56.
Where appropriate, a batt 60 of suitable insulation will be attached by cement, or the like, to body portion 21 of back surface 20 as shown in FIGS. 3, 4B and 4C.
In use, a closure device 11 is assembled as indicated and brought to an access opening 57 which has been neatly defined as with a conventional saber saw or the like in a wall 56 or wallboard which had to be puntured in order to gain access to plumbing, wiring or like utility disposed behind wall 56.
To easily install device, each screw member 16 is pressed by hand to cause its associated wing member 38 to pivot relative to its support members 23, 24, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or open its jaws. This allows device 10 to effectively clear the edges 58 of opening 57 and to be readily seated with beveled edges in contact with wall 56. Thereupon, screw members 16 are actuated to draw wing members 38 toward back plate 20 until the interface between diverging portion 46 and lip portion 47 engages the interior surface 59 of wall 56 as shown in FIG. 4C. Device 10 is then firmly and snugly seated in opening 57 and tightened in place by rotation of screw member 16 until tight. A snugly sealed, removable closure has then been provided for opening 57.
Access to the area behind the closure 10 is readily obtained simply by turning screw members 16 to cause wing members 38 to retract from its engagement with the inner surface 59 of wall and provide the clearance necessary to remove closure 10 from within opening 57.
Of course, many diverse sizes and shaped openings can result when one begins altering an existing structure in connection with installation and/or repairs. The present invention is readily adaptable to meet such exigencies as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, simply by relocating the latching mechanisms 40 or increasing the number thereof, much larger and elongated openings are readily accommodated.
In summary, the present invention provides a novel access opening closure device which embodies unitary construction. The device is self-securing by means of independently operable laterally extending retention arms. Each lateral retention arm consists of a cantilevered using member hinged at its supported interior end and extending outwardly from the center of the obverse side of the faceplate to the periphery in the same plane. Each retention arm has a spring bias to provide positive positioning prior to installation. The angle of the retention arms is inclined by means of pressure applied to a screw placed midpoint between the hinge and distal end of the cantilevered wing member and closed by tightening the screw into the wing member transmitted to the distal end by drawing that end into coactive relationship with the faceplate to form a vice while firmly grips the intervening wall surface therebetween and draws the device into a flush relationship relative to the outer wall surface. The sealing gasket when used is compressed between the obverse face of the device and the outer wall surface to render the closure leak resistant. The device further comprises a beveled edge around the entire periphery of the faceplate which lends structural support and enhances gasket retention. The device requires no additional structure or support to function. The device is removable and can be re-installed as desired.
From the foregoing, it becomes apparent that new and useful procedures have been herein described and illustrated which fulfill all of the aforestated objectives in a remarkably unexpected fashion. It is of course understood that such modifications, alterations and adaptations as may readily occur to an artisan having the ordinary skills to which this invention pertains are intended within the spirit of the present invention which is limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
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A closure device for access openings having a face plate attractively complementing the surface in which said opening occurs and manufally driven spring biased latching mechanisms for securing the device in closing relationship to such opening. Optional gasket means and insulative batt enhance the versatility of the device.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field
[0002] The present invention relates generally to exploitation of clathrate reservoirs and more particularly to improving recoverability of clathrate reservoirs.
[0003] 2. Background
[0004] Clathrates are substances in which a lattice structure made up of first molecular components (host molecules) that trap or encage one or more other molecular components (guest molecules) in what resembles a crystal-like structure. In the field of hydrocarbon exploration and development, clathrates of interest are generally clathrates in which hydrocarbon gases are the guest molecules in a water molecule host lattice. They can be found in relatively low temperature and high pressure environments, including, for example, deepwater sediments and permafrost areas. Clathrates are also referred to as hydrates, gas hydrates, methane hydrates, natural gas hydrates, CO2 hydrates and the like. For the purposes of this invention the term Clathrates will be used.
[0005] Clathrates generally form a significant portion of the structural support for the reservoir in which they occur, particularly with respect to cementing and/or occupying pore space. As clathrates dissociate, the constituents become mobile and cease acting as support, weakening the formation and potentially causing localized compaction of the reservoir. In a production environment, such localized subsurface compaction can lead to effects on equipment in the local area, both subsurface and on the surface. For example, in the subsurface environment, casings and drill strings may be collapsed due to high compressive loading caused by compaction of the reservoir, subsidence of the reservoir overburden strata and uplift of the reservoir underlying strata. On the surface, subsidence caused by subsurface clathrate dissociation and reservoir compaction can lead to sinkholes, subsidence, and other related motions that can cause damage to surface equipment such as well-heads, pipelines, equipment and other facilities in the immediate vicinity. The inventors have recognized a need to reduce or remediate this possibility.
SUMMARY
[0006] An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention includes a method of drilling into a geological region including a subsurface clathrate reservoir, including drilling a borehole into the geological region including the subsurface clathrate reservoir and dissociating at least a portion of the clathrate in a region near the borehole. After the dissociating, material within at least a portion of the reservoir region near the borehole in which the clathrate has been dissociated is compacted to form a compacted region at least partially surrounding the borehole within the clathrate reservoir. After the compacting, well casing is placed into the borehole within the compacted region and the well casing is cemented into the borehole in the compacted reservoir area.
[0007] An aspect of an embodiment may include a system for drilling into a geological region including a subsurface clathrate reservoir, including a drill, configured and arranged to drill a borehole into the geological region including the subsurface clathrate reservoir, a source of dissociation-promoting material configured and arranged to deliver the dissociation-promoting material to at least a portion of the clathrate in a region near the borehole, a device configured and arranged to place a well casing into the borehole after a dissociation and compacting process have been performed to form a compacted region of the reservoir at least partially surrounding the borehole within the clathrate reservoir, and a source of cement configured and arranged to cement production tubing in the borehole for use in producing hydrocarbons from the clathrate reservoir.
[0008] An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention includes a system including a drill bit or other mechanical device configured and arranged to direct drilling fluid in a radial direction relative to the borehole such that dissociation of surrounding clathrates is increased as a result of radial force from drilling fluid flow.
[0009] Aspects of embodiments of the present invention include computer readable media encoded with computer executable instructions for performing any of the foregoing methods and/or for controlling any of the foregoing systems.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Other features described herein will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art when reading the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a subsurface region in which a series of hypothetical sediment, and combined sediment and clathrate reservoirs are shown;
[0012] FIGS. 2 a - 2 c are illustrations of a time series of production from a clathrate reservoir without preconditioning in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0013] FIGS. 3 a - 3 c are illustrations of a time series of a preconditioning process in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 presents data extracted from the U.S. National Energy Technology Laboratory methane hydrate newsletter “Fire in the Ice” Volume 10, Issue 2 pages 9-11 “Relative Gas Volume Ratios for Free Gas and Gas Hydrate Accumulations” by Boswell et al. illustrating a potential volume change in fluids (gas+water) immediately after dissociation occurs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a subsurface region (which may represent a region below a land surface or the sea floor) in which hypothetical clathrate reservoirs might occur. The figure is divided into three columns, in which the left hand column 10 illustrates a structure where no clathrates are present, the center column 12 illustrates a similar structure to column 10 in which clathrates are also present and the right hand column 14 illustrates a similar structure to column 12 that at a point in time undergoes localized clathrate dissociation.
[0016] As shown in column 10 , near the surface lies a deposit 20 of unconsolidated sediment containing solid sediment particles 14 and liquid water 18 in the pore spaces between the solid sediment particles 14 . Deposit 20 lies between overburden 2 and underlying strata 4 , as do all deposits in column 10 , 12 and 14 . As the solid sediment particles 14 and liquid water 18 in deposit 20 become buried over geologic time, deposit 20 moves deeper below the surface and the solid sediment particles 14 and liquid water 18 within deposit 20 become exposed to increasing pressure with depth of burial. Under this increasing pressure the solid sediment particles 14 of deposit 20 remain relatively immobile while the liquid water 18 is able to flow out to lower pressure regions. This causes the solid sediment particles 14 to move closer together and at times come in contact with nearby solid sediment particles 14 (i.e., become more consolidated, or compacted), leaving less pore space between solid sediment particles 14 and likewise, relatively less liquid water 18 in the deposit. Eventually the burial process will convert the characteristics of deposit 20 into those of consolidated deposit 22 where most of the solid sediment particles 14 are in closer proximity or contact with each other. Proceeding deeper, the sediments become fully compacted with all solid sediment particles 14 in very tight contact with each other to form a deposit 24 , still containing some water, but in very small pore spaces and comprising (for example) a rock-like sandstone deposit. Throughout this process the contacts between the solid sediment particles 14 bear more and more of the weight of all the sediment and water above them. As a very broad generalization with many exceptions there is a linear relationship between the compaction of a deposit and the depth of burial, with shallow deposits being relatively unconsolidated and deeper deposits becoming increasingly more compacted.
[0017] As shown in column 12 , deposit 30 is nearly identical to column 10 deposit 20 with the exception that some of the liquid water 18 between the solid sediment particles 14 has come into contact with guest gas molecules at the appropriate temperature and pressure and together are converted into solid clathrate particles 16 . The solid clathrate particles 16 generally mimic the behavior of their neighboring solid sediment particles 14 . Deposit 30 therefore has solid sediment particles 14 , solid clathrate particles 16 and liquid water 18 present in the space between particles. As the solid sediment particles 14 , solid clathrate particles 16 and liquid water 18 in deposit 30 become buried over geologic time, deposit 30 moves deeper below the surface and the solid sediment particles 14 , solid clathrate particles 16 and liquid water 18 within deposit 30 become exposed to increasing pressure with depth of burial. Under this increasing pressure the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 of deposit 30 remain relatively immobile while the liquid water 18 is able to flow out to lower pressure regions. Some liquid water 18 may also be reduced by continued conversion into solid clathrate particles 16 . This causes the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 to move closer together and at times come in contact with nearby solid sediment particles 14 and/or solid clathrate particles 16 (i.e., become more consolidated, or compacted), leaving less pore space between solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 and likewise, relatively less liquid water 18 in the deposit. Column 12 deposit 32 may lose less thickness relative to column 10 deposit 22 due to this conversion of liquid water 18 in pore spaces into more and/or larger solid clathrate particles 16 , preventing normal compaction. Eventually the burial process will convert the characteristics of deposit 30 into those of consolidated deposit 32 where most of the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 are in contact with each other. Proceeding deeper, the sediment and clathrates become fully compacted with all solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 in very tight contact with each other to form a reservoir 34 , still containing some water, but in very small pore spaces and forming (for example) a rock-like clathrate and sandstone reservoir. Throughout this process the contacts between the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 bear more and more of the weight of all the sediment and water above them. As a very broad generalization with many exceptions column 12 illustrates a case where the presence of clathrates causes a form of compaction of a deposit that is different from that of column 10 .
[0018] Column 14 contains cases illustrating two consequences to the column 12 reservoir 34 if the solid clathrate particles 16 undergo localized dissociation. Upon dissociation, the solid clathrate particles 16 change from incompressible and relatively immobile solids into very mobile fluids (generally, liquid water 18 and compressed free (guest) gasses 12 liberated from the clathrate lattice). This dissociation causes an instantaneous increase in local pressure as the compressed free gasses 12 attempt to expand to various multiples of their pre-dissociative space as detailed in FIG. 4 . What was once a reservoir consolidated and under an in situ pressure roughly in proportion with its neighboring non-clathrate deposits suddenly contains either: Case A—a localized high pressure pocket between the zones of dissociation 50 if there are no paths of relief; or Cases B (i) and (ii)—where B(i) shows formation of a localized void 52 in the remaining undissociated reservoir 34 between the dissociation fronts 50 as dissociated liquid water 18 and compressed free gasses 12 move from the local high pressure area to lower pressure areas by whatever means that are available (permeability, faulting, flowing along or inside drill pipes, etc.). This immediately causes case B(ii) where the surrounding overburden 2 and underlying strata 4 displace into and fill the localized void 52 due to the pressure differential and form a compacted zone 54 in order to support the weight of all the deposits above them. The localized results of dissociation may be expected to hold throughout column 12 or in any region in which clathrates form a part of the structural support of a formation. Note in particular that this newly compacted region does not contain any clathrates.
[0019] As will be appreciated, localized dissociation of a previously structurally stable sediment and clathrate subsurface reservoir will in many cases result in subsurface collapses. Such collapses can have both local (subsurface) effects and distant (surface) effects. FIGS. 2 a - 2 c illustrate one potential subsurface result of dissociation-induced compaction during drilling and production operations.
[0020] FIG. 2 a illustrates the situation prior to dissociation. A drill string 40 with drill bit 42 has been introduced into the clathrate reservoir 34 that is intended to be produced. The clathrate reservoir 34 includes solid sediment particles 14 along with solid clathrate particles 16 and minor amounts of liquid water 18 . The clathrate reservoir 34 surrounding the drill string 40 and drill bit 42 is considered to be compacted equivalent to neighboring deposits at similar depths, and therefore relatively stable.
[0021] FIG. 2 b illustrates the situation after the drill string 40 and drill bit 42 are removed and production tubing and/or casing 44 is installed in one of the common manners.
[0022] As will be appreciated, efforts to produce the gasses stored in the clathrate and sediment reservoir 34 will entail intentionally inducing dissociation to free the gas from the clathrate host matrix. Such efforts may include, for example, decreasing pressure, adding heat, adding clathrate inhibiting materials and/or molecular substitution into the deposit 34 or any combination of these. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,058 describing production from a hydrate reservoir. As production begins, a zone of dissociation 50 is formed immediately in a highly localized radial zone around the production tubing and/or casing 44 . This illustrates a key distinction between production of hydrocarbons from conventional hydrocarbon gas reservoirs and production of hydrocarbon gas clathrate reservoirs. Conventional hydrocarbon gas reservoirs are essentially large pressure vessels and as they are produced the reservoir pressure relatively uniformly drops and there is a relatively uniform compaction throughout the reservoir. Hydrocarbon gas clathrate reservoirs on the other hand produce hydrocarbon gas in essentially the opposite way: production commences by establishment of a dissociation front immediately at the wellbore and the dissociation front gradually moves out radially from the wellbore, as does compaction.
[0023] As the clathrates 16 are dissociated into liquid water 18 and compressed free gas 12 , the remaining reservoir sediment becomes progressively less consolidated as illustrated by FIG. 2 c . At some point, the structural support of the dissociated area is exceeded by the hydrostatic and lithostatic pressure and the overburden 2 and underlying strata 4 surrounding production tubing and/or casing 44 may displace into the resultant void and compacted reservoir, crushing the production string as illustrated in FIG. 2 d . Generally, the production tubing and/or casing and surrounding sealing cement will collapse radially and/or axially. Other failure modes may include flow of gas up the exterior of the collapsed drill string and cement, potentially blowing out to the surface or sea floor.
[0024] In order to reduce or eliminate this effect, steps may be taken to pre-condition (pre-compact) the reservoir in way of the selected production well location after the initial drilling and prior to installation of the production string such that catastrophic collapse during initial production can be avoided as illustrated in FIGS. 3 a - 3 g . As illustrated in FIG. 3 a , the reservoir is drilled. Then the drill pipe 40 and drill bit 42 are repositioned somewhere between the total well depth and a point near or above the top of the clathrate reservoir ( FIG. 3 b ) and one and/or more methods that promote dissociation are applied to the reservoir ( FIG. 3 c ) to create a void 52 .
[0025] In one example of promoting dissociation, hot water, hot drilling mud or other heated fluid may be injected or circulated, raising the temperature of the clathrates, causing dissociation. Alternately, or in addition, clathrate inhibiting chemicals may be injected. Such inhibiting chemicals include, for example, salts, methanol and glycols including but not limited to monoethylene glycol and diethylene glycol.
[0026] In another approach, mobile fluids present in the reservoir, water for example, may be pumped out to reduce the reservoir's pressure to a point below the pressure of clathrate stability, causing dissociation. One method of achieving this is to use underbalanced drilling techniques. Another example could be deployment of a submersible pump located at the end of the drill string.
[0027] In one embodiment, the dissociation process may be begun during the initial drilling operation by adding heat and/or inhibiting chemicals to the drilling fluid circulating through the zone of interest and/or utilizing underbalanced drilling techniques.
[0028] As will be appreciated, dissociation induced by any of the foregoing methods will tend to proceed outwardly in a radial direction from the outer edges of the original borehole. By way of example, dissociation may be induced in a radius of a few meters around the borehole, for example, between about 1 m and about 10 m. In a particular embodiment, the treated region is lm surrounding the borehole. In an embodiment, dissociation is induced along a complete vertical extent of the reservoir.
[0029] Withdrawing the drill pipe to the top of the clathrate reservoir prior to inducing dissociation maintains the drill pipe in a state of tension during localized slumping downward of the overburden in the drilling pipe's vicinity, a situation for which it is well-engineered.
[0030] In application, it may be useful to limit the progress of the dissociation to control the volumes of gas and/or water generated with limitations of the drilling system in mind. Embodiments of these methods may include reducing the applied heat and/or inhibiting chemicals and/or increasing the bottom whole pressure such that the rate of dissociation is reduced or stopped as appropriate.
[0031] Gas released in the dissociation process will generally escape through the borehole along with the circulating fluids. The gas may be collected, combined with other hydrocarbon production, or alternately it may be flared and/or otherwise vented.
[0032] Likewise, fluid (e.g., water) released by dissociation may be collected. This collection serves both to remove water from the area to be compacted, preventing it from re-forming clathrates and to further decrease relative pressures in the zone, improving the dissociation rate and increasing compaction. The collected fluid may be treated and may then be disposed of or used for other purposes. For example, it may be re-injected into other subterranean formations, either for disposal or for use in flooding for sustained conventional oil production in a later stage recovery process.
[0033] Once the clathrate is dissociated in a region surrounding the borehole, the empty borehole will generally collapse. In one approach, prior to collapse or induction of dissociation, additional stabilizing material may be injected into the borehole. For example, gravel, sand or similar filler materials may be injected into the bottom of the borehole or into a region surrounding the borehole prior to dissociation and collapse, either to reduce the displacement of overlaying or underlying strata and/or to create and/or maintain a zone of high permeability in the wellbore area. In either case, the collapsed region has become consolidated to form the compacted region 54 ( FIG. 3 d ), which region no longer contains hydrates.
[0034] After the consolidation steps are completed, and the clathrate reservoir area below the drill string is appropriately consolidated, the well may be re-drilled through the now-consolidated area ( FIG. 3 e ), completed ( FIG. 3 f ) and produced ( FIG. 3 g ). Likewise, surface facilities, pipelines and other massive equipment may be safely sited directly above the compacted area.
[0035] In the case of large reservoirs, it may be useful to make use of multiple boreholes for production, injection and/or monitoring. In these cases, it should be appreciated that pre-compaction methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be applied to one or more of the boreholes, and that in a particular embodiment, each borehole.
[0036] As will be appreciated, the method as described herein may be performed using a computing system having machine executable instructions stored on a tangible medium. The instructions are executable to perform each portion of the method, either autonomously, or with the assistance of input from an operator. In an embodiment, the system includes structures for allowing input and output of data, and a display that is configured and arranged to display the intermediate and/or final products of the process steps. A method in accordance with an embodiment may include an automated selection of a location for exploitation and/or exploratory drilling for hydrocarbon resources.
[0037] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed embodiments described herein are by way of example only, and that numerous variations will exist. The invention is limited only by the claims, which encompass the embodiments described herein as well as variants apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features or method steps shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well.
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A method of drilling into a geological region including a subsurface clathrate reservoir includes drilling a borehole into the geological region including the subsurface clathrate reservoir and dissociating at least a portion of the clathrate in a region near the borehole. After the dissociating, material within at least a portion of the region near the borehole in which the clathrate has been dissociated is compacted to form a compacted region at least partially surrounding the borehole within the clathrate reservoir. After the compacting, well casing is placed into the borehole within the compacted region and the well casing is cemented into the borehole in the compacted area.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle door opening/closing device that drives a vehicle door used to open and close a door opening formed in a vehicle body.
Patent document 1 describes an example of a vehicle door opening/closing device known in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 9 , the vehicle door opening/closing device includes a guide rail 91 , which is fixed to a side portion of a vehicle body, and a guide roller member 93 , which is fixed to a vehicle door 92 and movably engaged with the guide rail 91 . An electric motor 97 serving as a drive source is set on the vehicle body. The electric motor 97 rotates and drives a drum 96 . A cable 95 is selectively wound around and unwound from the drum 96 . The cable includes two ends 95 a and 95 b , each coupled to the guide roller member 93 .
The cable 95 , which extends from the drum 96 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, runs around and between two pulleys 94 a and 94 b , which are located at the front side and the rear side of the guide rail 91 . The two ends 95 a and 95 b are coupled to the guide roller member 93 .
In such a conventional structure, when the drum 96 and the cable 95 transmits the drive force of the electric motor 97 to the guide roller member 93 , the guide roller member 93 moves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle along the guide rail 91 . The vehicle door 92 moves integrally with the guide roller member 93 and opens and closes the door opening.
Such a known vehicle door opening/closing device that is arranged on a quarter panel of a vehicle body is also known including a guide rail, an electric motor, a drum, a cable, and two pulleys (refer to patent document 2).
PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
Patent Documents
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-128322
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-105494
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the vehicle door opening/closing device described in patent document 1, when moving the vehicle door 92 to a fully-closed position, the front end 95 b of the cable 95 approaches the front pulley 94 b together with the guide roller member 93 . In particular, the end 95 b of the cable 95 is further moved by a significant amount toward the front pulley 94 b when the guide roller member 93 moves beyond its stroke toward the front due to the inertial force of the vehicle door 92 . Accordingly, to avoid interference between the front pulley 94 b and the front end 95 b of the cable 95 , the front pulley 94 b needs to be separated toward the front from where the end 95 b of the cable 95 is located at the fully-closed position of the vehicle door 92 .
The front end of a guide rail usually lies along the movement path of a guide roller member in the vicinity of the fully-closed position of the vehicle door. The vehicle door is pushed toward the outer side in the vehicle widthwise direction immediately after the vehicle door starts to open from the fully-closed position or pulled toward the inner side in the vehicle widthwise direction immediately before the fully-closed position. Thus, the front end of the guide rail is curved and inclined toward the inner side in the vehicle widthwise direction (refer to patent document 2). Accordingly, at the fully-closed position of the vehicle door, the front pulley 94 b , which is separated toward the front from the front end 95 b of the cable 95 , is arranged at the inner side in the vehicle widthwise direction in correspondence with the curve of the guide rail. In this case, in particular, the vehicle door opening/closing device in which the guide rail is arranged on the quarter panel of the vehicle body increases the amount of the area accommodating the front pulley that is bulged into the passenger compartment. This reduces the space in the passenger compartment and adversely affects the aesthetic appearance of the interior.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle door opening/closing device capable of obtaining a sufficient clearance between an end of a cable and a front pulley without increasing the amount bulged into the passenger compartment of the area accommodating components such as a front pulley and the like at the front side of the guide rail.
To solve the above problem, the present invention includes a guide rail configured to be arranged on a quarter panel at a rear side of a door opening formed in a side portion of a vehicle body. The guide rail is configured to extend in a front-rear direction and includes an inclined portion on a front end, and the inclined portion is inclined toward a vehicle interior. A guide roller member is configured to be coupled to a vehicle door that opens and closes the door opening. The guide roller member includes a roller that can roll on the guide rail. A drive member is configured to be fixed to the vehicle body. The drive member includes a drive source and a drum that is rotated and driven by the drive source. A front pulley and a rear pulley are located at a front side and a rear side of the guide rail. A cable is wound around the drum and runs along the front pulley and the rear pulley to change directions. The cable includes two ends that are each coupled to the guide roller member. A closing operation cable portion, which is a portion of the cable extending from the front pulley to the guide roller member, is located at an outer side of the guide rail, and a corresponding one of the ends is coupled to the guide roller member at the rear of the roller. An opening operation cable portion, which is a portion of the cable extending from the rear pulley to the guide roller member, is located in the guide rail, and a corresponding one of the ends is coupled to the guide roller member.
In the present invention, the closing operation cable portion of the cable is arranged at the outer side of the guide rail and includes an end that is coupled to the guide roller member at the rear of the roller. Accordingly, the end of the closing operation cable portion and the coupling portion in the guide roller member at the fully closed position are separated from the front pulley, which is arranged at the front of the end. Thus, a sufficient clearance between the end of the closing operation cable portion and the front pulley may be obtained without increasing the amount bulged into the passenger compartment of the area accommodating components such as a front pulley and the like at the front side of an inclined portion of the guide rail. Thus, the space in the passenger compartment is not reduced, and the aesthetic appearance of the interior is not adversely affected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main portion of a vehicle door opening/closing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line 2 - 2 in FIG. 1 and showing the main portion of the device of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a front side of a center rail and the peripheral structure of the center rail.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a rear side of the center rail and a peripheral structure of the center rail.
FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 1 in a coupled condition.
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line 5 B- 5 B in FIG. 1 and showing the device of FIG. 1 in the coupled condition.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a vehicle such as an automobile to which the device of FIG. 1 is applied.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a sliding door arranged at a fully-closed position or a fully-open position.
FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view showing a guide roller unit.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a conventional structure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 . Hereinafter, the front-rear direction of the vehicle is referred to as “front-rear direction”, and the upper side and the lower side in the vertical direction of the vehicle are respectively referred to as “upper side” and “lower side”. The inner side in the vehicle widthwise direction toward the interior of the passenger compartment is referred to as the “vehicle interior side”, and the outer side in the vehicle widthwise direction toward the exterior of the passenger compartment is referred to as the “vehicle exterior side”.
As shown in FIG. 6 , an upper rail 11 and a lower rail 12 extending in the front-rear direction are respectively set along an upper edge and a lower edge of a door opening 10 a formed in a side portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle body 10 . A center rail 13 , which serves as a guide rail extending in the front-rear direction, is set on a quarter panel 10 b at the rear of the door opening 10 a . A sliding door 20 , which serves as a vehicle door, is movably supported in the front-rear direction by the upper rail 11 , the lower rail 12 , and the center rail 13 with guide roller units 14 and 15 and a guide roller unit 16 , which serves as a guide roller member. When moved in the front-rear direction to open and close the door opening 10 a , the sliding door 20 moves the guide roller units 14 to 16 on the upper rail 11 , the lower rail 12 , and the center rail 13 , respectively.
The center rail 13 and the guide roller unit 16 will now be further described. As shown in FIG. 7 , the center rail 13 is formed from, for example, a metal plate and includes a curved portion 13 a at a longitudinally middle portion. The center rail 13 extends in the front-rear direction, that is, the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 20 . The center rail 13 includes the curved portion 13 a , an inclined portion 13 b located at the front end, and a straight portion 13 c . The inclined portion 13 b is inclined toward the vehicle interior from the front end of the curved portion 13 a , and the straight portion 13 c extends toward the rear from the rear end of the curved portion 13 a . A trimming, that is, a lining 50 that forms an ornamental surface of the vehicle body 10 in the passenger compartment includes a bulging portion 50 a that bulges toward the vehicle interior in conformance with the front end of the inclined portion 13 b of the center rail 13 . The vehicle body 10 rotationally supports a front pulley 17 , which is located proximate to the front end of the inclined portion 13 b of the center rail 13 , and rotationally supports a rear pulley 18 , which opposes the rear end of the straight portion 13 c of the center rail 13 . The front pulley 17 and the rear pulley 18 each have an axis extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle.
A drive member 30 is fixed to the vehicle body 10 and located proximate to the center rail 13 . The drive member 30 includes a drive motor 31 , which serves as a drive source, and a drum 32 , which is rotated and driven by the drive motor 31 . A front cable 33 and a rear cable 34 are each wound around the drum 32 and each include an inner end fixed to the drum 32 .
The front cable 33 extends toward the front through the interior of an outer tube 35 , which is arranged between the drum 32 and the front pulley 17 , and is then exposed from the outer tube 35 to the exterior. Further, the front cable 33 is directed toward the rear after running along the front pulley 17 and changing directions. The rear cable 34 extends toward the rear through the interior of an outer tube 36 , which is arranged between the drum 32 and the rear pulley 18 , and is then exposed from the outer tube 36 to the exterior. Further, the rear cable 34 is directed toward the front after running along the rear pulley 18 and changing directions.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the center rail 13 has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional shape that is open toward the vehicle exterior and the sliding door 20 . The center rail 13 includes a lower wall portion that forms a first roller guide 13 d and an upper wall portion of which distal section is downwardly bent to form a second roller guide 13 e.
The guide roller unit 16 includes, for example, a base plate 21 formed by a metal plate, a load roller 22 and front and rear vertical rollers 23 .
The base plate 21 is rotationally coupled to a bracket 51 , which is fixed to the sliding door 20 . The base plate 21 includes a coupling wall portion 21 a , which is coupled to the bracket 51 pivotally about an axis O 1 extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and an extended wall portion 21 b , which extends from the upper end of the coupling wall portion 21 a toward the center rail 13 .
The base plate 21 includes a raised wall portion 21 c , which rises from the front portion at the upper end of the extended wall portion 21 b , and front and rear support pieces 21 d , which are bent toward the vehicle interior side from the upper end of the raised wall portion 21 c . The load roller 22 is supported by the upper end of the raised wall portion 21 c . Further, the load roller 22 is axially supported by a support pin 24 extending along an axis intersecting the center rail 13 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the vertical rollers 23 are axially supported by the support pieces 21 d . Specifically, each vertical roller 23 is supported by a support pin 25 that extends along an axis O 2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The support pins 25 extend through the support pieces 21 d in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the upper portions of the support pins 25 support the vertical rollers 23 . The lower ends of the support pins 25 that extend through the support pieces 21 d form substantially circular rods 26 including substantially circular flanges 26 a at the lower ends. In other words, the rods 26 are formed integrally with the support pins 25 and are coaxial with the vertical rollers 23 .
The base plate 21 includes a support piece 21 e extending from the rear side of the upper end of the extended wall portion 21 b to the vehicle interior side below the center rail 13 . A support pin 27 extending along an axis O 3 in the vertical direction of the vehicle is attached to the support piece 21 e . The upper end of the support pin 27 extends through the support piece 21 e and forms a substantially circular rod-shaped front cable coupling portion 28 including a substantially oval-shaped flange 28 a at the upper end. The longitudinal direction of the flange 28 a substantially coincides with the longitudinal direction of the center rail 13 , that is, the front-rear direction. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 8 , the front cable coupling portion 28 is located proximate to the rear rod 26 (hereinafter also referred to as “rear cable coupling portion 26 A”) as viewed from above. More specifically, the front cable coupling portion 28 partially overlaps the rear cable coupling portion 26 A as viewed from above.
Referring to FIG. 1 , the portion of the front cable 33 directed toward the rear after running along the front pulley 17 and changing directions toward the rear (hereinafter also referred to as “closing operation cable portion 33 A”) is located at the lower side and the outer side of the center rail 13 , and the end 37 of the front cable 33 is coupled to the front cable coupling portion 28 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A , the end 37 has a substantially oblong tubular shape and an opening in the vertical direction of the vehicle to receive the flange 28 a . When the front cable coupling portion 28 is received in the end 37 , the end 37 is engaged with the flange 28 a so that the end 37 cannot be separated from the flange 28 a . In the closing operation cable portion 33 A, tension is produced in the extending direction (front-rear direction) in the usage state after coupling the end 37 . This restricts separation of the end 37 from the front cable coupling portion 28 . The end 37 engaged with the front cable coupling portion 28 is located toward the rear of the load roller 22 .
The portion of the rear cable 34 directed toward the front after running along the rear pulley 18 and changing directions (hereinafter referred to as “opening operation cable portion 34 A”) is located in the center rail 13 , and the end 38 of the rear cable 34 is hooked to the rear cable coupling portion 26 A. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B , the end 38 includes a substantially semicircular holder 38 a , and a substantially Q-shaped separation stopper 38 b , which is formed from a resin material and fitted into the holder 38 a . The holder 38 a and the separation stopper 38 b both face the rear cable coupling portion 26 A and are open toward the vehicle interior. When the end 38 is pushed against the rear cable coupling portion 26 A in the open direction of the holder 38 a , the separation stopper 38 b is elastically deformed and widened. As a result, the rear cable coupling portion 26 A is fitted to the separation stopper 38 b , and the end 38 is hooked to the rear cable coupling portion 26 A with the flange 26 a restricting separation of the end 38 . In the opening operation cable portion 34 A, tension is produced in the extending direction (front-rear direction, that is, direction substantially orthogonal to the opening direction of the holder 38 a ) in the usage state after coupling the end 38 . This restricts separation of the end 38 from the rear cable coupling portion 26 A.
The front pulley 17 , the rear pulley 18 , and the peripheral structure of the front pulley 17 and the rear pulley 18 will now be described.
As shown in FIG. 3 , a front case 41 , which is formed from, for example, a resin, is fastened to the quarter panel 10 b in conformance with the front end of the center rail 13 , and a grommet 42 , which is formed from, for example, a resin, is fitted to the front case 41 immediately below the center rail 13 . The front case 41 rotationally accommodates the front pulley 17 , and the grommet 42 guides the front cable 33 (closing operation cable portion 33 A), which is directed toward the rear after changing directions at the front pulley 17 in the front case 41 , to the lower side of the center rail 13 , that is, the exterior of the vehicle.
An arcuate cable guide 43 , which is formed from, for example, a resin, is fixed to the quarter panel 10 b in conformance with the curved portion 13 a of the center rail 13 immediately below the curved portion 13 a . The cable guide 43 restricts contact of the closing operation cable portion 33 A, which extends at the lower side of the center rail 13 in conformance with the shape of the center rail 13 including the curved portion 13 a , with the quarter panel 10 b . That is, the closing operation cable portion 33 A slides along and contacts the cable guide 43 to change directions at the curved portion 13 a without contacting the quarter panel 10 b.
As shown in FIG. 4 , a rear side case 46 , which is formed from, for example, a resin, is fastened to the quarter panel 10 b facing the rear end of the straight portion 13 c of the center rail 13 at the rear of the straight portion 13 c . A grommet 47 , which is formed from, for example, resin, is fitted to the rear side case 46 . The rear side case 46 rotationally accommodates the rear pulley 18 , and the grommet 47 guides the rear cable 34 (opening operation cable portion 34 A), which is directed toward the front after changing directions at the rear pulley 18 in the rear side case 46 , to the interior of the center rail 13 , that is, the exterior of the vehicle.
The operation of the vehicle door opening/closing device will now be described.
First, when the drum 32 is rotated and driven in a forward direction by the drive motor 31 , the front cable 33 is wound and the rear cable 34 is unwound. This moves the guide roller unit 16 , which is coupled to the end 37 , toward the front along the center rail 13 , and the sliding door 20 , which is coupled to the guide roller unit 16 , is integrally moved toward the front. That is, the closing operation is performed. The end 37 is coupled to the guide roller unit 16 at the rear (front cable coupling portion 28 ) of the load roller 22 . This accordingly separates the end 37 and the front cable coupling portion 28 at the fully-closed position from the front pulley 17 . Thus, a sufficient clearance between the end 37 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A and the front pulley 17 is obtained without increasing the amount bulged into the passenger compartment of the area accommodating the front pulley 17 at the front side of the inclined portion 13 b of the center rail 13 .
When the drum 32 is rotated and driven in the reverse direction by the drive motor 31 , the rear cable 34 is wound and the front cable 33 is unwound. This moves the guide roller unit 16 , which is coupled to the end 38 , toward the rear along the center rail 13 , and the sliding door 20 , which is coupled to the guide roller unit 16 , is integrally moved toward the rear. That is, the opening operation is performed.
As described in detail above, the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The closing operation cable portion 33 A of the front cable 33 is located at the outer side and the lower side of the center rail 13 , and the end 37 is coupled to the front cable coupling portion 28 of the guide roller unit 16 at the rear of the load roller 22 . Accordingly, the end 37 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A and the front cable coupling portion 28 at the fully closed position are separated from the front pulley 17 , which is located at the front of the end 37 . Thus, a sufficient clearance is obtained between the end 37 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A and the front pulley 17 without increasing the amount bulged into the passenger compartment of the area accommodating the front pulley 17 at the front side of the inclined portion 13 b of the center rail 13 . This limits reduction of the space in the passenger compartment and limits deterioration in the appearance of the trimming 50 . Further, in a vehicle including three rows of seats such as a van, a minivan, and the like, the ease to enter and exit the vehicle from the seat in the third row is unaffected.
(2) The end 37 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A is arranged proximate to the end 38 of the opening operation cable portion 34 A as viewed from above. Accordingly, the two ends 37 and 38 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A and the opening operation cable portion 34 A, as well as the front cable coupling portion 28 and the rear cable coupling portion 26 A are arranged in a concentrated manner. This allows for the guide roller unit 16 including the base plate 21 to be further reduced in size as viewed from above.
(3) The end 38 of the opening operation cable portion 34 A is coupled to the guide roller unit 16 from the extending direction of the rear cable 34 (opening operation cable portion 34 A), which extends to the end 38 , that is, a direction (vehicle widthwise direction) that differs from the direction in which tension acts on the rear cable 34 . This improves the ease for coupling the rear cable 34 .
In the same manner, the end 37 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A is coupled to the guide roller unit 16 from the extending direction of the front cable 33 (closing operation cable portion 33 A), which extends to the end 37 , that is, a direction (vehicle vertical direction) that differs from the direction in which tension acts on the front cable 33 . This improves the ease for coupling the front cable 33 .
(4) The rear cable coupling portion 26 A, to which the end 38 of the opening operation cable portion 34 A is coupled, is coaxial with the rear vertical roller 23 . Accordingly, the rear cable coupling portion 26 A and the vertical roller 23 are arranged in a concentrated manner. This allows the guide roller unit 16 including the base plate 21 to be further reduced in size as viewed from above. In particular, the number of components may be reduced since the support pin 25 of the vertical roller 23 is integrally formed with the rear cable coupling portion 26 A.
(5) The rear cable coupling portion 26 A is inserted into and received in the separation stopper 38 b , which is fitted into the holder 38 a of the end 38 , so that the end 38 is not separated from the rear cable coupling portion 26 A.
(6) The cable guide 43 is arranged in conformance with the curved portion 13 a of the center rail 13 . This allows for a reduction in the consumed amount of material compared to, for example, when the cable guide extends over the entire length of the center rail 13 .
The present embodiment may be modified as described below.
The separation stopper 38 b of the end 38 may be formed from metal.
The end 37 of the front cable 33 may be formed by a holder and a separation stopper like the end 38 of the rear cable 34 . Alternatively, the end 38 of the rear cable 34 may be formed like the end 37 of the front cable 33 .
At least one of the ends 37 and 38 may be hook-shaped. Further, the ends 37 and 38 may have any shape as long as the ends can be coupled to the guide roller unit 16 . For example, the ends 37 and 38 may be shaped so that they are coupled to the guide roller unit 16 by pulling the ends 37 and 38 in the direction in which tension acts on the closing operation cable portion 33 A or the opening operation cable portion 34 A.
The rear cable coupling portion 26 A, to which the end 38 of the opening operation cable portion 34 A is coupled, does not have to be coaxial with the rear vertical roller 23 .
The end 37 of the closing operation cable portion 33 A does not necessarily have to partially overlap the opening operation cable portion 34 A as long as closing operation cable portion 33 A is arranged proximate to the end 38 of the opening operation cable portion 34 A as viewed from above.
The closing operation cable portion 33 A of the front cable 33 may be arranged at the upper side of the center rail 13 .
Two cables, the front cable 33 and the rear cable 34 , are used. Instead, a single cable may be used. In this case, one end of the cable corresponds to the end 37 , and the other end corresponds to the end 38 .
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A front cable and a rear cable are wound about a drum, are made to change direction by being caught onto a front pulley and a rear pulley, respectively, disposed on a center rail, and are respectively connected to a guide roller unit at respective terminals. The closing cable section of the front cable is routed to the outside of the center rail, the corresponding terminal being connected to the guide roller unit farther rearward than a load roller, and the opening cable section of the rear cable is routed to inside the center rail, the corresponding terminal being connected to the guide roller unit.
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This application is a National Stage completion of PCT/FR2010/000656 filed Oct. 1, 2010, which claims priority from French patent application serial no. 09 04710 filed Oct. 2, 2009.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a transverse junction between two successive flat prefabricated elements to be assembled on the ground in linear succession and essentially coplanar, comprising the two extremities facing the two successive prefabricated elements and the connecting system. More specifically, the invention relates to a connecting system comprising a transverse insert and a means for guiding the prefabricated roadway elements that will be assembled on the ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The goal of the invention is to furnish a means for joining flat prefabricated elements so they can be assembled on the ground, one after the other, and remain continuously coplanar over time. These flat prefabricated elements are preferably roadway elements made of concrete, but they may consist of any other flat prefabricated element, whether made of concrete, metal, wood, glass, plastic or other material.
Prefabricated concrete roadway elements are subjected to strong forces from passing vehicles, expanding and contracting according to outdoor temperature, and are generally placed on uncemented soil that changes with the weather depending on climatic conditions (ice, rain, etc.) and various vibrations and tremors. Thus, the ground undergoes different degrees of settling depending on its location. Consequently, prefabricated concrete roadway elements must be joined by a connecting system that takes these parameters into account and prevents the appearance of “steps” interfering with vehicle traffic.
Currently the system for connecting flat prefabricated elements consists of providing bolts mounted in openings provided for this purpose on the transverse end edges of the flat prefabricated elements that must be located opposite each other and in close proximity after assembly on the ground. Generally, according to this technique, each flat prefabricated element receives the attaching bolts on one of its transverse end edges, but there is no bolt housed in the openings situated on the other transverse end edge. Therefore, each flat prefabricated element has one extremity comprising male connections and another extremity comprising unattached female receptor openings. During assembly of the two successive flat prefabricated elements on the ground, a first flat prefabricated element is positioned on a flat portion of backfilled ground, using a crane, for example. Next the second flat prefabricated element is positioned on the ground close to and following the first one, for example, using the same crane, with the transverse end edges of the two flat prefabricated elements facing each other. Next, still using the same crane, the second element is moved longitudinally in translation toward the first one causing the male connectors on one to penetrate the female receptors on the other. The cooperation between the male connectors and the female receptors ensures the connection between the two flat prefabricated elements.
This prior art system for joining flat prefabricated elements has numerous disadvantages.
First, a high degree of precision is required to embed the male connectors of one flat prefabricated element in the female receptor orifices of the other flat prefabricated element, making the maneuvers extremely difficult, especially when the crane is manipulating very heavy flat prefabricated elements.
Additionally, this embedding process takes place by moving one flat prefabricated element along the ground in translation towards the other one. This displacement along the ground generally creates a pile of sand or dirt between the two elements, interfering with the process of joining them and making the ground susceptible to unevenness in that area.
In order to prevent water from infiltrating between two flat prefabricated elements and carrying sand as it trickles into the area where the elements are joined, this space is generally blocked by a flexible seal between the two flat prefabricated elements. This seal is usually formed by flowing liquid polymer between adjacent end edges of the two successive flat prefabricated elements. This is a delicate step that must be performed by different work crew than the crew that positioned the flat prefabricated elements and which requires drying time prior to manipulation, slowing progress on the work site.
Finally, the presence of connecting bolts between two flat prefabricated elements concentrates localized stress in the area surrounding each bolt, which may cause fissures and then breakage of the flat prefabricated elements in this area.
Similarly, the rigidness of this connecting system allows only a slight amount of play if the flat prefabricated elements move or swell, which can constitute an additional source of element breakage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Because of this, a simple, quick system is needed for connecting two flat prefabricated elements that will be assembled on the ground which can take place immediately after the flat prefabricated elements are positioned, uses the same construction crew, requires no translational movement of the elements along the ground, is flexible enough to accommodate weather-related ground changes so the prefabricated flat elements can expand and contract freely, makes the assembled flat prefabricated elements watertight and limits the risk of breakage by the flat prefabricated elements.
To achieve a global solution to these technical problems, the junction, along with the connection system of the present invention, maintains the assembly of the two flat prefabricated elements to be assembled on the ground in linear succession, generally coplanar, to form a road surface, more specifically, a travel surface for road vehicles.
Each of the flat prefabricated elements to be assembled has at least one transverse edge, corresponding to its transverse extremity, and two lateral surfaces, with the at least one transverse end edge of one of the successive flat prefabricated elements being situated, after assembly, opposite that of the successive prefabricated element.
The junction with its connecting system according to the present invention comprises:
at least one transverse housing formed by the junction of two transverse channels each formed in the at least one transverse end edge of the successive flat prefabricated elements; at least one passage conduit formed by associating the extensions of two conduits, each formed in one of the successive flat prefabricated elements and each opening on one end at the transverse end edge, and on the other end, at one of the lateral surfaces, upper or lower, of the prefabricated element; at least one flexible transverse insert,
designed to be placed in the at least one transverse housing, extending across essentially the entire width of at least one transverse housing, and
at least one guiding means to be located inside at least one of the passage conduits; tensioning means for the one or more guiding means; and means for maintaining the assembly of the two successive flat prefabricated elements.
The tensioning elements may also be elements for maintaining the tension and the assembly of the two successive flat prefabricated elements similar to a locking system.
According to one variation, the flexible transverse insert has at least one conduit passage traversing it which opens on one side, at the transverse end edge of one of the flat prefabricated elements; and on the other side, at the transverse end edge of the other flat prefabricated element to be connected, opposite the passage conduits formed in the flat prefabricated elements and opening on one side at their transverse end edge and on the other side at one of their lateral surfaces, upper or lower.
Each flat prefabricated element is positioned vertically following the other one facing it and immediately proximate to it, for example, using a crane; this operation may be facilitated by using a vertical guide element. The transverse insert is then introduced horizontally into the housing formed between two successive flat prefabricated elements by the horizontal channels that face each other.
The guiding means are then introduced into the passage conduits. In the case of where the guiding means are diagonal tie beams, the passage conduits cross, without splitting, for example, generally in the middle of the housing formed by the junction of two horizontal channels that face each other. The guiding means are designed to be long enough so their extremities extend beyond the flat prefabricated elements on one side at one of the lateral surfaces, upper or lower, of one of the flat prefabricated elements and on the other, at one of the lateral surfaces, upper or lower, of the other flat prefabricated element. These flat prefabricated elements may comprise lateral recesses allowing the ends of the guiding means to remain free. The guiding means are then subjected to tension by turning screws mounted on each of their extremities, thereby maintaining the tension and the connection between the flat prefabricated elements. It is preferable for a washer to be placed before the screw on the extremities of the guiding means to support the screw better on the concrete, prevent it from breaking apart when tightened, and sustain a flexible tightening force for maintaining tension.
The transverse insert is made of a watertight, relatively flexible material so that after slight compression, it seals the two flat prefabricated elements while still allowing for expansion without deteriorating. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transverse insert may be made of rubber, polyurethane resin, or recycled tires.
Extending along the entire span of the flat prefabricated elements, this insert does not concentrate stress and, therefore, there is no risk of causing the slightest deterioration in the flat prefabricated elements.
Likewise, the elasticity or the shape of the transverse insert allows a certain degree of flexibility in the connection which permits the flat prefabricated elements to be positioned on slightly rounded or concave ground and allows the flat prefabricated elements to move along with the ground without breaking when the ground changes due to weather.
It could, therefore, be considered to be a low displacement pivot articulation for absorbing the various movements of the two prefabricated elements it connects.
Subjecting the guiding means to tension also permits the position of one prefabricated flat element to be precisely adjusted relative to the nearby element, thereby correcting any slight offset if the prefabricated flat elements to be joined are not exactly opposite each other.
Similarly, if there are two tie beams, by increasing the tension of the guiding means more on one side than the other, it is possible to assemble two flat prefabricated elements by forming a slightly broken angular line between the two, which can create a succession of prefabricated flat elements that form a curve over a large distance. If the tie beams are not horizontal, but angled, it is also possible to regulate the height of the extremities of the flat prefabricated elements, relative to one another, by increasing the tension on one guiding means.
Furthermore, the prefabricated flat elements are assembled by positioning them vertically without any need to move them horizontally in translation, which is a much simpler way to manipulate them and does not require the intervention of another work crew to form the connections.
Finally, if a prefabricated flat element deteriorates, it is very easy to replace it without any need to move the other prefabricated flat elements, which was impossible to do using the prior art technique.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other characteristics and features of the invention will be apparent from reading the following detailed description, taken with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 through 4 represent the steps of positioning one flat prefabricated element following another one, according to the method of the invention;
FIGS. 5 through 8 represent the steps of assembling two flat prefabricated elements positioned, one after the other, using the connecting system that is part of the invention;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the circled detail in FIG. 8 ;
FIGS. 10 through 14 represent different examples of the shape of the section of transverse insert;
FIG. 15 is a profile view of two flat prefabricated elements assembled using the connecting system that is part of the invention comprising rectilinear tie beams;
FIG. 16 is an overhead view of two flat prefabricated elements assembled using the connecting system that is part of the invention comprising rectilinear tie beams;
FIG. 17 is a profile view of two prefabricated flat elements assembled using the connecting system that is part of the invention comprising curved tie beams forming an arc;
FIG. 18 is an overhead view of two flat prefabricated elements assembled using the connecting system that is part of the invention comprising curved tie beams forming an arc; and
FIGS. 19 through 22 are perspective views showing the connecting system that is part of the invention used to assemble three different types of prefabricated elements of a travel pathway.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The junction, with its connecting system, will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 through 22 . Equivalent elements shown in different drawings will bear the same reference numerals.
For the remainder of the description, the concepts of top and bottom, lower and upper, will be defined relative to the orientation adopted by the flat prefabricated elements, once they are positioned on the ground.
The connecting system 1 that is part of the present invention is provided for use in assembling flat prefabricated elements 2 on the ground in linear succession.
According to a preferred use of the invention, these flat prefabricated elements 2 are prefabricated road elements. FIGS. 19 through 22 show an exemplary use of the connecting system 1 of the invention for two prefabricated road elements for a vehicle on tires traveling on a central guide rail.
In the variation shown in FIG. 19 , the prefabricated road elements 2 , 20 each comprise two parallel concrete travel pathways 21 separated by one longitudinal central housing 25 for a rail. The prefabricated elements 2 , 20 each have passage conduits 7 for guiding means 10 and a transverse horizontal trough-shaped channel 3 in which are respectively housed two guiding means 10 in the form of curved tie beams 24 and a transverse insert 9 .
According to this embodiment, each prefabricated flat element 2 has at least four passage conduits 7 that serve as housings for guiding means 10 , because at least two passage conduits 7 are oriented toward the front end transverse edge 4 and at least two passage conduits 7 are oriented toward the rear end transverse edge 5 .
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 20 , the prefabricated road elements 2 , 20 each comprise two parallel concrete travel pathways 21 attached at a distance from a central support 22 to which a guide rail will eventually be attached. Each of the two concrete travel pathways 21 is connected to the central support 22 by transverse cross-pieces 26 . Each concrete travel pathway 21 has passage conduits 7 , for the guiding means 10 , and a transverse horizontal trough-shaped channel 3 respectively housing two guiding means 10 in the form of diagonal tie beams 23 and a transverse insert 9 .
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 , the prefabricated road elements 2 , 20 each have two parallel concrete travel pathways 21 located at a distance from each other and connected to each other by transverse cross-pieces 26 . Each prefabricated element 2 , 20 has at least one passage conduit 7 for the guiding means 10 in each of its transverse cross-pieces 26 which houses a guiding means 10 in the form of a straight longitudinal tie beam.
In this embodiment, the guiding means 10 in the form of a straight longitudinal tie beam 23 maintains and brings together the two flat prefabricated elements 2 by means of their transverse cross elements 26 , allowing the two flat prefabricated elements to be very easily assembled on the ground in linear succession and essentially coplanar. Actually, when positioning flat prefabricated elements 2 , access is gained to transverse cross pieces 26 and it is therefore very easy to introduce a straight longitudinal tie beam 23 into at least one of the passage conduits 7 present in each transverse cross piece 26 and then subject them to tension.
Each prefabricated flat element 2 has a transverse channel 3 that is trough-shaped or some other shape (round, polygonal, oval, square, etc.) on its front end edge 4 and on its rear end edge 5 . There are two transverse end edges 4 , 5 that must face each other in immediate mutual proximity to an analogous transverse edge 5 , 4 of the nearby flat prefabricated element 2 after they are assembled on the ground one after the other. When yjr two flat prefabricated elements 2 are positioned end-to-end, their facing transverse channels 3 are preferably horizontal and each forms a transverse housing 6 that is preferably horizontal.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 , each concrete travel pathway 21 has a trough-shaped transverse channel 3 on each of its oblique edges, front end edge 4 and rear end edge 5 , which house a transverse insert 9 .
The passage conduits 7 are preferably diagonal or arched. They preferably originate on one lateral surface 8 and terminate on the respective transverse front end edge 4 or rear end edge 5 so as to form passage conduits that are coaxial to those located across from them in the next prefabricated flat element. The passage conduits 7 , for the guiding means 10 , terminate essentially in the middle of the respective front end edge 4 or the rear end edge 5 , but without splitting. The passage conduits 7 preferably are angled upward very slightly, from the horizontal, and preferably are vertically offset from one another so as to cross two by two without splitting.
When the two flat prefabricated elements 2 are positioned end-to-end, a passage conduit 27 is formed by associating the two extended opposing conduits 7 each formed in one of the successive flat prefabricated elements and each opening on one side at the transverse end edge 4 , 5 and on the other side at one of the upper or lower lateral surfaces 8 of the prefabricated element 2 .
The junction, according to the present invention, comprising a connecting system 1 is composed of a transverse insert 9 and at least one guiding means 10 , but two in the exemplary embodiment shown.
The transverse insert 9 is provided for introduction into transverse channel 3 on transverse end edges 4 , 5 which must be facing each other and in immediate proximity after assembly on the ground. It has at least two conduit passages 11 for tie beams, preferably diagonal and cylindrical, allowing guiding means 10 to cross over insert 9 when they are introduced into the prefabricated flat elements 2 . As with prefabricated flat elements 2 , the two conduit passages 11 in transverse insert 9 are preferably diagonal and cross over each other essentially in the middle of transverse insert 9 but without splitting.
The transverse insert 9 is preferably made of a flexible, watertight polymer material.
It is preferably hexagonal in section (see FIG. 12 ) or otherwise polygonal, although several other shapes for its section are possible. As shown in FIGS. 10 through 14 , it is possible for the transverse insert 9 to be square, trapezoidal, round or oval in section.
By virtue of its shape, it is possible to precisely define the orientation of the transverse insert 9 in its transverse channel 3 , ensuring that the two passage conduits 11 for the guiding means 10 of the transverse insert 9 are positioned across from and within the axis of the flat prefabricated elements 2 in order for the guiding means 10 to be introduced through the flat prefabricated elements 2 and the transverse insert 9 . A mark on one of the end surfaces of the transverse insert 9 can also facilitate orientation for the user, said mark constituting an index that coincides with a corresponding index mark on the lateral surfaces 8 of the flat prefabricated elements 2 , when the transverse insert 9 is introduced in the transverse channel 3 in the correct orientation.
The transverse insert 9 forms a connection between two successive flat prefabricated elements. It is preferably adapted to the shape of the transverse channel 3 , preferably horizontal, and generally equal to or slightly smaller than the channel diameter in order to furnish a seal between the prefabricated flat elements 2 under all conditions.
In the situation where the flat prefabricated elements 2 are assembled on a bed of compacted fill, which is generally the case, the transverse insert 9 forms a barrier that prevents water from passing between two flat prefabricated elements 2 and eroding the sand in the fill; over time, this could create a recess in the ground under flat prefabricated elements 2 .
The length of the transverse insert 9 preferably is generally equal to or slightly smaller than the length of the transverse channels 3 , or rather the width of the prefabricated flat elements 2 if the channels 3 are horizontal. Because of its length, the transverse insert 9 does not concentrate stress locally in the flat prefabricated elements 2 and, therefore, there is no risk they will rupture.
Made of flexible material, the transverse insert 9 also forms a deformable articulation between two successive flat prefabricated elements 2 , allowing them to adapt to the curvature of the ground and its eventual changes, or to the curvature desired for the travel pathway consisting of the succession of the flat prefabricated elements 2 , however, without creating stress capable of causing breakage.
According to a preferred embodiment, the guiding means 10 are tie beams 23 with threaded ends, each receiving a screw, which may be made in various shapes.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the guiding means 10 are in the form of conventional metal tie beams 23 , for example straight metal pins each with a threaded portion 12 at each extremity. These tie beams 23 will be introduced into diagonal rectilinear passage conduits 7 , 11 , 27 . They are preferably made of flexible metal so as to resume their initial shape after eventual deformation. The natural or forced immobilization of each screw ensures that the assembly is maintained.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the tie beams 23 are in the form of arched metal rods comprising, for example, a threaded portion 12 at each extremity. These tie beams 23 will be introduced into curved passage conduits 7 , 11 , 27 , which may be arched. They are preferably made of flexible metal so as to resume their initial shape after any eventual deformation and permit them to be subjected to flexible tension forces.
According to a third and a fourth embodiment of the invention, the guiding means 10 are flexible connectors 24 that may assume a rectilinear or curved shape, like the preceding tie beams. Each flexible connector 24 is formed of a metal strap with a solid threaded portion at each end.
The guiding means 10 have a sufficiently large diameter to resist the mechanical stress and forces to which they are subjected. Their diameter should not be excessively large, as this would require the various passage conduits 7 , 11 , 27 to be larger in diameter, thereby making flat prefabricated elements 2 and/or transverse insert 9 fragile.
Because of their generally long length, essentially of the order of double the width of the flat prefabricated elements 2 in the case of diagonal guiding means 10 , the rigid guiding means 10 may be flexible to a certain extent, advantageously given them the ability to deform to a certain extent for connection between the two flat prefabricated elements 2 and for their constituent elements.
This freedom to deform, obtained regardless of the type of guiding means used, represents an important feature of the invention; among other things, it allows the formation of a deformable articulation between the flat prefabricated elements 2 as indicated previously, and it also allows expansion or contraction with temperature changes and flexion without breaking when stress is exerted on flat prefabricated elements 2 . The connecting system 1 thus endures and “lives” along with the flat prefabricated elements 2 which it is used to assemble.
Other guiding means besides connectors are possible, for example, using a handle, a lever, or an exterior tool. A connection is then formed in some way, resulting in slight compression of the insert. Maintaining the insert results in blocking, which locks the assembly. The connection may be rigid or flexible with extremities immobilized by pins.
A preferred method of utilizing a connection system 1 will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8 . The example describes a connection system 1 comprising a hexagonal transverse insert 9 , two tie beams 23 constituting the guiding means 10 in the form of straight metal rods with threaded extremities and tensioning means in the form of screws attached to the extremities of tie beams 23 .
To save space in the drawings, flat prefabricated elements 2 are not shown in their entirety; the transverse dashed lines show a section of undefined length.
First, a guide element 13 , for example, a metal plate 14 of predefined thickness, is placed vertically against the free transverse end edge of a flat prefabricated element already positioned on the ground (see FIG. 1 ). This guide element 13 , 14 may have, for example, an upper portion 15 that is angled toward flat prefabricated element 2 already positioned on the ground, such that its free surface 16 serves as a vertical guide when the next flat prefabricated element 2 is positioned. The thickness of metal guide element 14 depends upon the spacing desired between two flat prefabricated elements 2 once assembled on the ground. This spacing is especially necessary to allow expansion by the flat prefabricated elements 2 , during temperature changes. It preferably ranges from 1 to 20 millimeters and more preferably, from 3 to 5 millimeters. Therefore, it is preferable for the two transverse end edges 4 , 5 , facing the two successive flat prefabricated elements 2 , not to be in direct contact after assembly, but in immediate proximity to each other.
FIG. 2 represents the placement of the next flat prefabricated element 2 beside the preceding one already on the ground by moving in vertical translation against external surface 16 of vertical guide element 13 . This process of placing the next flat prefabricated element 2 , which is generally just as heavy as the preceding one, preferably takes place using a crane (not shown).
Once flat prefabricated element 2 is positioned on the ground, the vertical guide element 13 can be withdrawn, as shown in FIG. 3 . As a result, the two flat prefabricated elements 2 are positioned on the ground, as shown in FIG. 4 , and are ready to be assembled using connection system 1 .
A transverse insert 9 is then introduced into transverse housing 6 formed by the junction of two transverse channels 3 facing flat prefabricated elements 2 , as shown in FIG. 5 .
A guiding means 10 in the form of a tie beam 23 is then introduced into each passage conduit 27 formed by associating the extensions of two passage conduits 7 for the guiding means 10 of one of the flat prefabricated elements 2 to emerge on the other side of each passage conduit 7 for guiding means 10 of the flat prefabricated element 2 beside it. As shown in FIG. 6 , the two tie beams 23 may also be engaged on the same side by introducing them on the same side into passage conduits 27 of the two flat prefabricated elements 2 , which produces the same result but may be more practical if one of the lateral surfaces 8 of one of the flat prefabricated elements 2 is difficult to access.
Once introduced into their respective passage conduits 27 , the guiding means 10 in the form of tie beams 23 have their extremities projecting outside passage conduits 27 . If it is not desired for the extremities of tie beams 23 to project beyond lateral surfaces 8 of the flat prefabricated elements 2 , these elements may include a recess 17 at the level of the extremities of each passage conduit 27 , which is shown in the different drawings. The extremities of tie beams 23 are thus unexposed and do not project from flat prefabricated elements 2 , therefore, they pose no danger to people nearby.
Once guiding means 10 , in the form of tie beams 23 , are positioned, the tie beams are then subjected to tension from the tensioning means located at the extremities of tie beams 23 and the tie beams are immobilized, preventing retraction of tie beams 23 from passage conduits 7 , 11 , 27 where they are attached and thus maintaining and locking the connection between the two flat prefabricated elements.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for exerting tension and maintaining the assembly are screws 19 , one screw 19 being attached to each of the threaded extremities 12 of tie beams 23 . A washer 18 is preferably introduced on each extremity prior to attaching a screw 19 to it, as shown in FIG. 7 .
By exerting tension on guiding means in the form of tie beams 23 , attaching the screws 19 compresses transverse insert 9 and maintains the connection of the two flat prefabricated elements 2 like a lock. By tightening certain screws 19 more than others, it is possible to adjust slightly the position of one flat prefabricated element 2 relative to the other, as previously mentioned above.
FIGS. 15 and 16 respectively show the profile and the top of flat prefabricated elements 2 assemble according to the method shown in FIGS. 1 through 8 . In these drawings, certain hidden elements are shown in transparency by broken lines.
FIGS. 17 and 18 respectively show the profile and the top of flat prefabricated elements 2 assembled according to the connection system 1 of the invention in which the rectilinear tie beams 23 , of FIGS. 15 and 16 , are replaced by curved, arched tie beams 23 .
It is apparent that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described previously and shown in the different drawings, since a person skilled in the art might make numerous modifications and conceive of other embodiments without departing from the either scope or the realm of the invention.
Thus, although we have shown flat prefabricated elements that are generally parallelepipedal in order to simplify the drawings, the invention applies to and can be adapted to flat prefabricated elements of any other shape.
Similarly, the tensioning means formed of screws for attachment to the threaded extremities of the guiding means could be replaced by any other similar means.
Moreover, although the invention advantageously uses the same transverse insert to simultaneously form a seal and a deformable connection, it is possible to separate these two functions by using separate transverse elements for insertion into the housing provided for the transverse insert. Finally, the transverse insert is not necessarily made of a single unitary piece, although that is advantageous, particularly for forming a seal and for rapid positioning, but it may be formed of two or more pieces.
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A junction between successive flat pre-fabricated elements which comprises an elastic transverse insert ( 9 ), an approaching mechanism ( 10 ) in the form of tie beams ( 23 ) and tensioning mechanisms ( 19 ). The flat pre-fabricated elements ( 2 ) to be assembled each have a transverse channel ( 3 ) adapted so as to receive the insert along the end transverse edges ( 4, 5 ) thereof, which must face each other after assembly on the ground, and conduits ( 7 ) of the tie beams. Each pre-fabricated element is successively arranged, one after the other, and the transverse insert is introduced into the transverse housing ( 6 ) formed by transverse channels facing each other. The tie beams are introduced into the conduits, the ends thereof projecting outside the pre-fabricated elements. The tie beams are then tensioned by a tensioning mechanism, at each of the ends thereof, in order to immobilize the flat pre-fabricated elements and thereby connected by the tie beams.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to marking material-spraying anti-theft devices, and, more particularly to anti-theft systems which spray a marking material such as a dye or odorant on a thief who opens a particular closure in a protected article.
Conventionally, marking material-spraying anti-theft devices are activated by a timing means, such as in dye grenades for adding to bags of money during bank robberies. Additionally, it is known to use hand-held devices, which are activated by a victim, to spray dye on a thief. None of these devices is useful as a safe, effective method for identifying a thief after a mugging or purse-snatching. Devices with timers are useful only when they can be activated by a victim before a thief absconds with the stolen article. Such timer devices are problematic because the victim may not have a chance to activate such a device, and in doing so, the victim risks retaliation by an alert thief. Hand-held spray devices also invite retaliation by the thief because the thief must be present when such devices are used.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a marking material-spraying anti-theft device which can be used to mark a thief and the stolen goods after the thief has left the victim, and the victim is thus out of danger. There is also a need for a marking material-spraying anti-theft device which is automatic, and does not require dangerous action by the victim during a robbery to be effective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is provided, in accordance with the invention, an improved marking material-spraying anti-theft device that does not possess the shortcomings of the prior art, and offers the advantages of being safe for the victims to use because it operates automatically. The device has a closure, which is preferably a part of the protected article, i.e. a wallet, purse, etc. The owner knows not to open the closure because doing so actuates an activator which causes marking material to spray out of the protected article. Since a thief is likely to search the stolen protected article for valuables after leaving the victim, the victim does not risk retaliation by a thief who is marked with the dye.
More particularly, the marking material-spraying anti-theft device of the present invention comprises a container which may contain means for directing the marking material spray toward the thief. This means for directing the marking material may comprise one, or preferably several, aperture sections designed to break open when sufficient pressure develops within the container. A marking material is positioned within the container such that when an overpressure inside the container causes the aperture sections to break, the marking material sprays out of the broken aperture sections.
Upon activation, an overpressure generating means, such as an explosive or compressed gas vessel, supplies the necessary overpressure. The force exerted by the overpressure then breaks open the aperture sections, and sprays out the marking material. An activating means triggers the overpressure generating means when a thief opens a closure within the article while searching for valuables.
The overpressure generating means must be powerful enough to force the dye to spray out of the container onto the thief. However, it must not be powerful enough to rupture the container in places other than the weaker aperture sections. At least one of the aperture sections should be positioned to direct the spraying dye through the now-opened closure towards the thief.
The present invention may be employed to advantage in personal carriers such as wallets, purses, briefcases, handbags, personal computer carrying cases or other articles which have compartments for receiving items of value.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a protected wallet according to the invention with parts broken away to show an anti-theft device.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of the wallet of FIG. 1, and illustrates the aperture sections for directing the marking material.
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the wallet of FIG. 1, after detonation.
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a further embodiment of the anti-theft device according to the invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of one embodiment of a closure that, when opened, triggers activation.
FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of one embodiment of an activating means.
FIGS. 7(a), 7(b) and 7(c) are schematic circuit diagrams of three embodiments of a switch. FIG. 7(a) shows the switch as a combination of several subswitches connected in series. FIG. 7(b) shows the switch as a combination of several subswitches connected in parallel. FIG. 7(c) shows the switch as a combination of several subswitches connected in series and in parallel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1, a container 10 has a flexible bladder 11 containing a marking material in the form of a dye 15. The container 10 is shown situated in a compartment or pocket 14 of a wallet 12, which has a closure 35. The wallet has a first compartment 13 used in the ordinary way to contain, e.g., currency as indicated. The composition of the container 10 in the wallet's second compartment 14 is not important so long as it is strong enough to only break at one or more weaker aperture sections 17 when the explosive 19, detonates. The shape of the container 10 is also unimportant so long as the weaker aperture sections 17 can be located such that dye material 15 spraying from the container 10 (as shown in FIG. 3) will be directed toward a person activating the device.
Moreover, while a flexible container 10 with a flexible interior bladder 11 is contemplated in FIG. 1, it will be recognized that various alternative arrangements may suffice, such as a rigid container shaped to fit the protected item and/or an inflexible piston driven by an explosive or compressed air to force the marking material from the container.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a detonating circuit 45 is electrically connected with the explosive 19. A flexible bladder 11 divides the container into (i) a first container section 16 containing the dye 15; and (ii) a second container section 18 containing the explosive 19. The first container section 16 which contains the dye 15, also defines the weaker aperture sections 17. These weaker aperture sections 17 may be formed by stretching or heating a thermoplastic material, forming the container 10 so that it is considerably weaker at the aperture sections 17.
As seen in FIG. 2, looking down on the top of the container 10, one or more of the weaker aperture sections 17 may be located as shown. These aperture sections 17 are not necessarily circular; their shape is unimportant so long as they direct the dye 15 to spray out towards the thief upon activation. One or more aperture sections 17 may also be located in other parts of the container 10 to direct some of the dye to spray out in other directions, e.g. onto the valuable contents of the wallet.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 4, the dye 25 is contained in one or more passages 23 found in the container 20. These dye-filled passages 23 engage the explosive material 29. The explosive material 29 is positioned within, or proximate to the passages 23, such that detonation forces the dye 25 to spray out of a series of weaker aperture sections 27 similar to those previously described. The passages 23 may be formed by heat sealing together two sheets of thermoplastic material in the pattern shown to form heat seals at the walls 31 and 33. The aperture sections form the ends of the passages 23. The passages and the location of the aperture sections direct the marking material to spray out at a thief opening a closure 35.
The weaker aperture sections 17 or 27 of both the first and second embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 respectively, may be of the same material as the walls of the container 10 or 20, weakened by stretching or heating, or they may be separable patches or the like of the same or different material forming closures to holes in the container.
In FIG. 6 a preferred embodiment of a circuit 45 is shown which can be used as an activating means to detonate the explosive 19 or 29 when the closure 35 is opened. This particular circuit comprises a five volt battery 47, an optional 100 μf capacitor 49 (shown in broken lines in FIG. 6), a ZVN4210A-ND transistor 51, a resistive detonating element 55, a 22MΩ or greater resistor 53, and a closure incorporating a switch 41. The switch 41 may actually comprise several sub-switches 43 connected in series, or in parallel, or both, as shown in FIGS. 7(a), 7(b) and 7(c).
The circuit 45, shown in FIG. 6, is but one of many circuits which would work satisfactorily in the present invention. The important feature of the circuit is that it must send enough current through the resistive detonating element 55 to detonate the explosive 19 when the closure 35 is opened.
In FIG. 5 the closure 35 is used for triggering the invention. The closure 35 has one or more electrical leads 37. These electrical leads 37 and the closure 35 form the switch 41 which connects to circuit 45 of FIG. 6.
In the embodiments of the invention shown, opening the closure 35 opens the switch 41, which causes the circuit 45 to detonate the explosive 19 or 29. Alternatively, it will be apparent that one may make an embodiment of the invention where opening the closure 35 would close a switch 41, and cause a different circuit to detonate an explosive or release a compressed gas.
In the circuit 45 shown, opening the closure 35, physically breaks electrical contact between both ends of the electrical leads 37. The electrical leads 37 may comprise separable contacts 39. These separable contacts 39 are physically separated when the closure 35 is opened, thus breaking electrical contact. The separable contacts 39 may be magnetic, and may themselves serve as the means for maintaining the closure closed. It is also possible that the electrical leads 37 could be designed spanning the closure 35 without separable contacts 39 to simply break when the closure is opened.
The degree to which the closure 35 must be opened to activate the explosive 19 may be chosen in a number of ways. This can be accomplished by changing the positions where the electrical leads 37 or subswitches 43 separate upon opening the closure 35. Also, series-connected switches arranged along the length of a closure as in FIG. 7(b) will permit activation by just opening of a single switch in just one portion of the closure. Switches arranged along the length of a closure, but connected in parallel as in FIG. 7(a), will require the closure to be opened more fully to open each switch and activate the explosive. Various combinations, such as that of FIG. 7(c), are possible as well.
In operation, referring again to the embodiment of the invention pictured in FIG. 1, when a thief opens the closure 35 of FIG. 5, electrical current ceases flowing through the electrical leads 37. The cessation of current through the electrical leads 37 causes the circuit 45 to redirect current through the resistive detonating element 55.
As happens in the activation of an automobile air bag, the energized resistive detonating element 55 then heats to detonate the explosive 19. This creates an explosively expanding gas 113, shown in FIG. 3. The explosively expanding gas 113 creates an overpressure in the container 10, which is transmitted to the flexible bladder 11. This overpressure causes the weaker aperture sections 17 to rupture. The pressure exerted on the compressed flexible bladder 11 causes the dye 15 to spray from the ruptured aperture sections 17 onto the thief who opened the closure 35.
The alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 operates in much the same way as the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, except that upon detonation of the explosive 29, by the circuit 45, the explosively expanding gas 113 (shown in FIG. 3), enters the passages 23. The pressure from the gas 113 forces the dye 25 to push against the weaker aperture sections 27 with enough force to cause them to rupture and spray out the dye 25 as in the embodiment of FIG. 3.
In both alternative embodiments of the invention, the container 10 or 20 may be so dimensioned as to fit within a wallet, purse, briefcase, handbag, personal computer carrier or the like.
The explosive 19 or 29 may be an azide or another suitable explosive. The explosive 19 or 29 may be replaced by any means for generating an overpressure. The dye 15 or 25 may be a liquid or a powder, and may also contain odiferous material. Alternatively, if desired, an odorant alone may replace the dye 15 or 25 as the marking material. The closure 35 is preferably held closed by synthetic materials that adhere when pressed together, which are commonly sold under the trademark "Velcro." However, the closure 35 may use any sort of fastener.
The separable contacts 39 are not essential, so long as the electrical conducting path across the switch 41 is broken when the closure 35 is opened. A circuit such as the one shown in FIG. 6 may incorporate a delay provision such as the capacitor 58 (indicated in broken lines in FIG. 6) to provide a slight delay between opening the closure 35 and detonating the explosive 19 or 29. Such a delay could help prevent accidental misfiring. Alternatively, if the closure were changed such that opening the closure would close a switch, a circuit could detonate the explosive when the switch was closed. Also, the circuit 45 may be located either inside the container as shown in FIG. 1, or outside the container as shown in FIG. 4.
Many other variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments are, therefore, intended to be merely exemplary, and all such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
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A marking material-spraying mechanism is incorporated into a protected article, such as a wallet, handbag, laptop computer case, or briefcase. When a thief who has stolen the protected article opens a closure within the article the mechanism operates to spray the marking material on the thief. The mechanism is automatic, and does not require activation during a robbery.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims the benefit from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/297,921, filed Feb. 21, 2016, and from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/435,765, filed Dec. 17, 2016, which are both incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present teachings relate to a collapsible outdoor structure. In particular, the present teachings relate to an outdoor living structure that includes an internal collapsible frame and a fabric roof and side walls for residential, commercial, and humanitarian uses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known humanitarian outdoor structures can be categorized as emergency shelters, intermediate shelters, and long-term shelters. Emergency shelters typically include rapid set-up tents or suspended tarps to protect people from the elements within 24 hours. Intermediate term shelters are more robust and are intended to serve as a bridge shelter, up to 12 months, until a long term permanent housing solution can be found. However, known intermediate term shelters require a great deal of time and resources to construct.
Known commercial outdoor structures have frames that require assembly. After frame assembly, a fabric covering is installed over the frame. The frames remain fixed in the location chosen for the structure and complete disassembly is required to relocate. In regions subject to snow, the fabric coverings must be removed each winter because the outdoor structures are unable to support the snow load. The installation and removal of fabric coverings usually requires up to 2 people, or even more. Often, the user will elect to leave the assembled frame erected without the fabric covering until the next season of use. This leaves a skeletal frame that is not very attractive and is itself subject to adverse weather and potential damage.
Known commercial structures include a single layer roof fabric and sidewall screen. In some instances, optional frame components can be installed for attachment of a screen and curtain combination for the sidewall.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an outdoor structure that can be readily set-up and taken down, is fully assembled in a stored state, and is easily transportable. A need also exists for an outdoor structure that a single person can readily open and close in a short period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present teachings provide an internal collapsible frame for use with an outdoor living structure. The internal collapsible frame can include a center tube assembly having a center tube including a top end portion and a bottom end portion. A top hub can be fixably attached to the center tube in the vicinity of the top end thereof. A slidable hub can be arranged on the center tube and slidably movable between the top end portion and a bottom end portion. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of roof tube assemblies each including a first end and second end, each first end being pivotably attached to the top hub. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of ceiling tube assemblies each including a first end and a second end, each first end being pivotably attached to the slidable hub and each second end can be attached to an outer corner connection assembly. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of hinged strut assemblies each including a first end and a second end and being capable of folding about a hinge, each of the first and second ends of the hinged strut assemblies can be attached to a ceiling tube end cap of the outer corner connection assembly. The distal end of each roof tube assembly can be attached via a pivot hinge to a ceiling tube assembly in an area between the first end and the second end of the ceiling tube assembly. When the internal collapsible frame is being erected by the application of an upward force to the slidable hub, the distance between neighboring outer second ends of the ceiling tube assemblies increases forcing each of the hinged strut assemblies to unfold until the hinged strut assemblies are all in a straightened state and form a ring around an outer perimeter of the collapsible frame.
The present teachings also provide an internal collapsible frame for use with an outdoor living structure. The internal collapsible frame can include a center tube assembly having a center tube including a top end portion and a bottom end portion. A top hub can be fixably attached to the center tube in the vicinity of the top end thereof. A slidable hub can be arranged on the center tube and slidable movable between the top end portion and a bottom end portion. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of ceiling tube assemblies each including a first end and a second end, each first end being pivotably attached to the slidable hub and each second end being attached to an outer corner connection assembly. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of hinged strut assemblies each including a first end and a second end and being capable of folding about a hinge, each of the first and second ends of the hinged strut assemblies being attached to a ceiling tube end cap of the outer corner connection assembly. When the internal collapsible frame is being erected by the application of an upward force to the slidable hub and causing the distance between neighboring outer second ends of the ceiling tube assemblies to increase, the ends of the hinged strut assemblies are configured to i) pivot with respect to a top surface of the ceiling tube end cap, and ii) rotate about a central axis of the hinged strut assembly.
The present teachings further provide a collapsible structure including an internal collapsible frame and a fabric roof securable to the internal collapsible frame. The internal collapsible frame can include a center tube assembly including a center tube including a top end portion and a bottom end portion. A top hub can be fixably attached to the center tube in the vicinity of the top end thereof. A slidable hub can be slidably arranged on the center tube. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of roof tube assemblies each including a first proximal end and a second distal end, each first proximal end being pivotably attached to the top hub. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of ceiling tube assemblies each including a first proximal end and a second distal end, each first proximal end being pivotably attached to the sliding hub and each second distal end being attached to an outer corner connection assembly. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of hinged strut assemblies each including a first end and a second end and being capable of folding about a hinge, each of the first and second ends of the hinged strut assemblies being attached to a ceiling tube end cap of a respective outer corner connection assembly and being capable of pivoting and rotating with respect to the ceiling tube end cap.
Additional features and advantages of various embodiments will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and will, in part, be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of various embodiments. The objectives and other advantages of various embodiments will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the description herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the collapsible outdoor living structure of the present teachings in an erected, non-collapsed state;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the collapsible outdoor living structure of FIG. 1 with the fabric roof cap removed;
FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the collapsible outdoor living structure of FIG. 1 with the fabric removed and showing the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 3B shows a blown-up perspective view of outer corner connection assembly of detail ‘ 3 B’ of FIG. 3A ;
FIG. 3C shows a blown-up perspective view of the sliding hub assembly of detail ‘ 3 C’ of FIG. 3A ;
FIG. 3D shows a blown-up perspective view of the top hub assembly of detail ‘ 3 D’ of FIG. 3A ;
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the internal collapsible frame of FIG. 3A in the process of being erected;
FIG. 5A shows a side view of the internal collapsible frame in a collapsed state;
FIG. 5B shows a blown-up view of a bottom portion of internal collapsible frame of detail ‘ 5 B’ of FIG. 5A ;
FIG. 5C shows a blown-up view of a top portion of internal collapsible frame of detail ‘ 5 C’ of FIG. 5A ;
FIG. 6A shows a perspective view of a roof tube assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 6B shows a exploded view of the top hub connector of detail ‘ 6 B’ of FIG. 6A ;
FIG. 6C shows a exploded view of the roof pivot connector of detail ‘ 6 C’ of FIG. 6A ;
FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of a ceiling tube assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 7B shows a exploded view of the sliding hub connector of detail ‘ 7 B’ of FIG. 7A ;
FIG. 7C shows a exploded view of the ceiling tab end cap of detail ‘ 7 C’ of FIG. 7A ;
FIG. 8A shows a perspective view of a leg tube assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 8B shows a exploded view of the leg end cap of detail ‘ 8 B’ of FIG. 8A ;
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of an outer corner connection assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 10A shows a perspective view of a strut tube assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 10B shows a blown-up view of left end hinge assembly of detail ‘ 10 B’ of FIG. 10A ;
FIG. 10C shows a blown-up view of central hinge assembly of detail ‘ 10 C’ of FIG. 10A ;
FIG. 10D shows a blown-up view of right end hinge assembly of detail ‘ 10 D’ of FIG. 10A ;
FIG. 10E shows a cross-section through the strut tube of FIG. 10A ;
FIG. 11A shows an exploded view of left strut end connector of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 11B shows an exploded view of right strut end connector of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 12 shows a center hinge assembly of the strut tube assembly of FIGS. 10A and 10C ;
FIG. 13A shows a perspective view of the center pipe assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 13B shows a blown-up view of the top hub of detail ‘ 13 B’ of FIG. 13A ;
FIG. 13C shows a blown-up view of the sliding hub of detail ‘ 13 C’ of FIG. 13A ;
FIG. 13D shows a blown-up view of the center base tube of detail ‘ 13 D’ of FIG. 13A ;
FIG. 14 shows a side view of the fabric roof cap of the collapsible outdoor living structure of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the fabric inner ceiling of the collapsible outdoor living structure of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of the 3-way cross brace assembly of the internal collapsible frame;
FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the sliding hub assembly of the internal collapsible frame; and
FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the top hub assembly of the internal collapsible frame.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are intended to provide an explanation of various embodiments of the present teachings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring initially to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 4, and 5A , a collapsible outdoor living structure 100 of the present teachings can include an internal collapsible frame 140 onto which a fabric roof 180 , as well as optional sidewalls and interior screening can be detachably secured. As best shown in FIG. 3 , the internal collapsible frame 140 can be manually actuated (i.e. erected or collapsed) by applying force, upward or downward, to a sliding hub 220 mounted about a center tube assembly 200 . The internal collapsible frame 140 can include a plurality of roof tube assemblies 300 that can be connected to a top hub 210 that is mounted on a top portion of the center tube assembly 200 . The internal collapsible frame 140 can include a plurality of ceiling tube assemblies 400 that can be connected to the sliding hub 220 which can slide freely up or down along the axis of the center tube assembly 200 . Each of the roof tube assemblies 300 can be connected to a respective ceiling tube assembly 400 via a pivot hinge connection 410 .
When the internal collapsible frame 140 is fully erected, a plurality of hinged strut assemblies 600 form a ring around the entire outer perimeter of the collapsible frame 140 . Each of the ends of the hinged strut assemblies 600 can be connected to respective outer corner connection assemblies 420 . Attached to the outer ends of each of the ceiling tube assemblies 400 can be leg tube assemblies 500 that are allowed to pivot so that when the internal collapsible frame 140 is in a collapsed state, the roof tube assemblies 300 , ceiling tube assemblies 400 , leg tube assemblies 500 , and hinged strut assemblies 600 fold and rest in close proximity to the center tube assembly 200 , as shown in FIG. 5A .
When a user erects the outdoor living structure 100 by moving the sliding hub 220 upwardly along the center tube assembly 200 , the design of the internal collapsible frame 140 allows the creation of a gravity assist as will be described in more detail below.
Referring to FIG. 4 , when an upward force, F, is directly or indirectly applied to the sliding hub 220 , the ceiling tube assemblies 400 apply a load to the roof tube assemblies 300 via the pivot hinge connections 410 and force the ceiling tube assemblies 400 and roof tube assemblies 300 to extend radially outwardly from the center tube assembly 200 . As the roof tube assemblies 300 and the ceiling tube assemblies 400 extend outwardly, gravity causes the leg tube assemblies 500 to pivot via ceiling tube end caps 480 of outer corner connection assemblies 420 so that the leg tube assemblies 500 remain substantially parallel (i.e. vertically aligned) in relation to the axis of the center tube assembly 200 .
When the internal collapsible frame 140 is fully erected, the plurality of hinged strut assemblies 600 form a ring around the entire outer perimeter of the collapsible frame 140 . Each of the ends of the hinged strut assemblies 600 can be connected to respective outer corner connection assemblies 420 . As shown in FIG. 5A , when the internal collapsible frame 140 is at rest in a closed or collapsed state, the plurality of hinged strut assemblies 600 fold and lay at rest between each of the ceiling tube assemblies 400 . Later, when the internal collapsible frame 140 is being erected, the distance between neighboring outer ends of the ceiling tube assemblies 400 increases. As this distance increases, each of the hinged strut assemblies 600 begin to unfold until the hinged strut assemblies 600 are all in a straightened state. When the internal collapsible frame 140 is fully erected, central hinge assemblies 630 of the hinged strut assemblies 600 can be locked via the insertion of a lock pin 618 into the hinged joint as discussed below with reference to FIG. 12 . By way of the outer corner connection assemblies 420 , as the internal collapsible frame 140 is being erected the ends of the hinged strut assemblies 600 are designed to i) pivot approximately 60 degrees along the same plane as a top surface of the ceiling tube end cap 480 (discussed in more below), and ii) rotate about 30 degrees about the central axis of strut end hinge assemblies 610 , 620 (also discussed in more detail below).
As shown in FIG. 10E , the hinged strut assemblies 600 can include extruded tubes having t-slots 642 on each exterior face. The t-slots 642 can include fabric attachment slots that can incorporate common fabric rollers or slides, or can be used with t-slot nuts to attach accessories to each exterior face of the assembled hinged strut assembly 600 . When the t-slots 642 are used as fabric tracks, curtains and screening can be attached to and can slide along each strut tube segment 640 so the user can readily open or close wall fabrics and screening.
The fabric roof 180 can be made as a single unit including sewn sections of material, or can be divided into two sections of overlapping sewn fabric stitched together along seams in a manner that allows air to pass between the two overlapping sections to reduce internal pressure. Fabric side wall materials of the collapsible outdoor living structure 100 can include an inner and outer curtain, an internal screening, or additional fabric layer. The internal collapsible frame 140 is designed to allow the roof and side wall fabrics and screening to remain attached to the internal collapsible frame 410 and to naturally fold in an orderly fashion about the components of the frame 410 as it is being collapsed.
The collapsible outdoor living structure 100 of the present teachings simplifies seasonal set-ups and take downs by providing a fully assembled, transportable, and collapsible structure that can be collapsed into a narrow column, such as a hexagonal column. This allows a single person to open or close the collapsible outdoor living structure 100 in a very short period of time. When the collapsible outdoor living structure 100 is collapsed, a cover can be placed over the hexagonal column to protect the collapsible frame 140 and the attached fabric from the elements. The fully assembled collapsible outdoor living structure 100 can be readily moved from one location to another without disassembly.
FIG. 1 shows the collapsible outdoor living structure 100 of the present teachings in an erected (i.e. non-collapsed) state with the fabric roof 180 including a fabric roof cap 184 being arranged on the internal collapsible frame 140 . FIG. 2 also shows the collapsible outdoor living structure 100 of FIG. 1 with the fabric roof cap 184 removed and showing a fabric inner ceiling 186 attached to the internal collapsible frame 140 . The fabric inner ceiling 186 can be attached around the perimeter of the internal collapsible frame 140 at the hinged strut assemblies 600 and can also be attached to the ceiling tube assemblies 400 and the roof tube assemblies 300 .
Referring now to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C , the internal collapsible frame 140 is shown in a collapsed state where the roof tube assemblies 300 , ceiling tube assemblies 400 , and leg tube assemblies 500 are all folded and extend parallel to the axis of the center tube assembly 200 in a manner that leaves a sufficient gap to allow space for fabric to remain attached to the internal collapsible frame 140 . The hinged strut assemblies 600 are folded and resting about the ceiling tube assemblies 400 .
Referring now to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C , each roof tube assembly 300 can be made up of a roof tube 310 having a top hub connector 340 attached at one end thereof and a roof pivot connector 380 attached at the opposite end thereof. A top hub connector mount stem 342 can be inserted into an inner channel 344 of the roof tube 310 and can be fastened to the roof tube 310 by mating bolts 346 . The roof pivot connector 380 can be inserted into roof tube 310 and fastened with mating bolts 346 . The extruded roof tube 310 can include an upper t-slot 356 and a lower t-slot 358 . The top hub connector 340 can include stabilizer tabs 362 that are designed to engage the upper t-slot 356 and the lower t-slot 358 after insertion into roof tube 310 . The roof pivot connector 380 can also include stabilizer tabs 382 similar to the top hub connector 340 .
Referring now to FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C , each ceiling tube assembly 400 can include a ceiling tube 440 , a sliding hub connector 450 , roof pivot connector hinge 410 , a ceiling tube end cap 480 , and a soffit bracket 494 . The sliding hub connector 450 can be inserted into a ceiling tube inner channel 442 and can be fastened with mating bolts 444 . The sliding hub connector 450 can include stabilizer tabs 451 that can engage upper t-slot 414 and lower t-slot 418 . The roof pivot connection hinge 410 can be attached to a t-slot nut 412 which can be inserted into an upper t-slot 414 of ceiling tube 440 and fastened with bolts 416 . The ceiling tube end cap 480 can be attached to ceiling tube 440 via bolts 482 passing through top of ceiling tube end cap 480 and into upper t-slot nut 484 positioned within upper t-slot 414 . Two lower bolts 482 are inserted through ceiling tube end cap 480 and into a lower t-slot nut 486 positioned within a lower t-slot 418 . The ceiling tube end cap 480 can include two strut attachment protrusions 488 formed with thru holes 492 . A lower face of the ceiling tube end cap 480 can include a thru hole to receive a leg connector pin 490 . Attached to an outer face of the ceiling tube end cap 480 can be a soffit bracket 494 fastened with two bolts 482 . Structure anchor connectors 483 can be attached to ceiling tube end cap 480 via bolts 482 . As shown in FIG. 7B , on a minimum of two adjacent ceiling tube assemblies 400 , a lift handle 402 can be attached via a lift handle bolt 404 inserted through ceiling tube thru-hole 406 . A pair of lift handles 402 can be attached on opposite sides of two adjacent ceiling tubes 440 selected for lift handle attachment to prevent interference between neighboring lift handles 402 .
Referring now to FIGS. 8A and 8B , each leg tube assembly 500 can include a leg tube 510 , a leg end cap 520 , and a leg base 550 . A leg end cap stem 534 of the leg end cap 520 can be inserted into a leg tube inner channel 522 and fastened with mating bolts 530 . The leg base 550 can be adjustably positioned as needed and is connected to leg tube 510 with a leg base connector pin 552 that can be passed through selected leg base adjustment holes 554 on the leg base 550 and a leg tube thru-hole 556 on the leg tube 510 .
Referring now to FIG. 9 , an outer corner connection assembly 420 including a ceiling tube end cap 480 is shown. The outer corner connection assembly 420 can include a left end hinge assembly 610 and a right end hinge assembly 620 . The left end hinge assembly 610 can include a left strut end connector 422 that can be secured to the ceiling tube end cap 480 via a pin 424 and pin clips 426 . The right end hinge assembly 620 can include a right strut end connector 428 that can be secured on the opposite side of ceiling tube end cap 480 via a pin 424 and pin clips 426 . Universal strut end caps 430 , 431 can rest on the flat surface of each of the strut end connectors 422 , 428 and are allowed to rotate about central lock bolts 439 that are used to connect the outer corner connection assembly 420 to respective hinged strut assemblies 600 , shown on FIG. 10 . A leg tube end cap 520 can be pivotally attached to the ceiling tube end cap 480 via a pin 432 and pin clips 434 . As previously discussed above, by way of the outer corner connection assemblies 420 , as the internal collapsible frame 140 is being erected the ends of hinged strut assemblies 600 are designed to i) pivot up to about 60 degrees along the same plane as the top surface of the ceiling tube end cap 480 of the outer corner connection assembly 420 , and ii) rotate up to about 30 degrees about the central axis of the strut end hinged connection assemblies 610 , 620 . It is noted that the central axis of the strut end hinged connection assemblies 610 , 620 is coaxial with a central axis of the strut tubes 640 of the hinged strut assemblies 600 when they are in a straightened state.
Referring now to FIGS. 10A-10E , each hinged strut assembly 600 can include a left end hinge assembly 610 , a right end hinge assembly 620 , and a central hinge assembly 630 . Each hinged strut assembly 600 can include a pair of strut tubes 640 . As shown in FIG. 10E , each of the strut tubes 640 can include four t-slots 642 and a central hole 644 tapped on each end to receive lock bolts 646 , 439 for attachment to the central hinge assembly 630 and the left and right end hinge assemblies 610 , 620 .
Referring now to FIGS. 11A and 11B , the left end hinge assembly 610 can include the left strut end connector 422 , a universal strut end cap 430 , a thrust bearing 652 , and a central lock bolt 439 . The thrust bearing 652 fits into a cavity on left strut end connector 422 . The central lock bolt 439 is inserted through a center hole 662 on thrust bearing 652 , through center hole 656 on left strut end connector 422 , through center hole 662 on universal strut end cap 430 , and is threaded into center hole 644 on strut tube 640 , as shown on FIG. 10 . The left strut end connector 422 can include two dowel pins 658 that can engage with slots 664 on universal strut end cap 430 . The slots 664 limit the degree of rotation of the hinged strut assembly 600 and the direction of the rotation. The upper plane of the hinged strut assembly 600 must be allowed to rotate 30 degrees inward to reduce stress on central hinge assembly 630 when the internal collapsible frame 140 is being collapsed.
Referring to FIG. 11B , the right end hinge assembly 620 can include a right strut end connector 428 , a universal strut end cap 431 , a thrust bearing 672 , and a central lock bolt 439 . The thrust bearing 672 fits into a cavity on right strut end connector 472 . The central lock bolt 439 is inserted through a thrust bearing center hole 682 on thrust bearing 672 , through right end hinge center hole 673 , through the center hole 682 on universal strut end cap 431 , and threaded into strut center hole 644 on strut tube 640 , as shown in FIG. 10 . The right strut end connector 428 can include two dowel pins 678 that can engage the universal end cap slots 684 in the same manner as the left end hinge assembly 610 , however, the dowel pin 678 placement on the right end hinge assembly 620 is opposite of the dowel pin 658 placement on the left end hinge assembly 610 in order for the upper plane of the hinged strut assembly 600 to rotate inward 30 degrees.
Referring now to FIG. 12 , a center hinge assembly 630 for a hinged strut assembly 600 can include a female hinge half 632 and a male hinge half 634 connected via a pin 612 and pin clips 614 . Both hinge halves 632 , 634 can include a lock pin protrusion 636 including a lock pin thru hole 616 to accommodate a lock pin 618 . The lock pin 618 can be inserted when the internal collapsible frame 140 is erected and then later removed prior to the frame 140 being collapsed. Female hinge half 632 can include an embedded spring plunger 638 that can apply force to open the hinged assembly 630 and to aide in strut collapse during the take down of the frame 140 . The strut hinge halves 632 , 634 can be fastened to ends of strut tubes 640 through the use of lock bolts 646 and the central hole 644 formed in the strut tubes 640 , shown on FIG. 9 . The heads of the lock bolt 646 can be arranged to securely fit into cavities 648 formed on each hinge half 632 , 634 .
Referring now to FIGS. 13A-13D , the center tube assembly 200 can include a top hub 210 , a sliding hub 220 , a sliding hub stop ring 230 , a center tube 250 , and a center tube base 270 . The top hub 210 can include a fabric tensioner 212 that threads into a threaded hole 214 formed on top hub 210 . The fabric tensioner 212 can be threaded up or down to increase or decrease the tension on the fabric roof cap 184 . A lock nut 216 can be used to lock the fabric tensioner 212 in place once a desired fabric tension is achieved. The top hub 210 can be attached to the center tube 250 via bolts 252 that can be inserted through the top hub 210 and into center pipe 250 through bores 254 . The sliding hub 220 can be free to slide along the axis of the center tube 250 between sliding hub stop ring 230 and the center tube base 270 . After the internal collapsible frame 140 is erected, a safety pin 222 can be inserted through a bore in the center tube 250 to limit vertical movement of the sliding hub 220 . The center tube base 270 can include mounting holes 272 formed thereon to allow securement of the center tube base 270 to the ground or various platforms or structures. The center tube base 270 can include adjustment holes 256 to allow height adjustment of the center tube 250 . Center tube base 270 can be connected to the center tube 250 via a locking pin 274 that passes through the adjustment holes 256 .
Referring now to FIG. 14 , the fabric roof cap 184 can be made of a variety of outdoor fabrics sewn together in segments at seams 190 . Each seam 190 of the fabric roof cap 184 can be full flat felled. The fabric roof cap 184 can include a fabric soffit facia 192 . Each corner of the fabric roof cap 184 can include button snaps 193 that can attach to soffit bracket 494 , shown in FIG. 7C .
Referring now to FIG. 15 , the fabric inner ceiling 186 can include a fabric center portion 170 that can be attached to a fabric perimeter portion 160 . The fabric center portion 170 can be a watertight fabric or screening that can be sewn together in segments at seams 172 . Each fabric center seam 172 can be full flat felled. The fabric inner ceiling 186 can be secured to hinged strut assemblies 600 , ceiling tube assemblies 400 , and the roof tube assemblies 300 via button snaps 188 that are positioned in t-slot features of these assemblies. The outer edge of the fabric inner ceiling 186 can include double folded seams 194 and a ceiling tube end connector notch 196 to accommodate the ceiling tube end cap 480 , shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C .
Referring now to FIG. 16 , there is shown a perspective view of a 3-way cross brace assembly 422 that can be arranged at the ceiling tube end cap 480 of FIGS. 7A and 7C . The 3-way cross brace assembly 422 can include a channel 424 that can accommodate an end of the ceiling tube 440 . The 3-way cross brace assembly 422 can secure to a hinged strut assembly 600 , shown on FIG. 10 , via t-slot nuts 426 inserted into t-slots 642 formed in strut tube 640 , as shown on FIG. 10 , and fastened with bolts 428 . The 3-way cross brace assembly 422 can include two flat planes 430 that can rest against strut tubes 640 and a lower flat plate 432 that can abut leg tube 510 , shown on FIG. 8 . The cross brace assembly 422 can include gussets 434 to provide additional stiffness.
Referring now to FIG. 17 , the sliding hub assembly is shown including the sliding hub 220 along with a plurality of sliding hub connectors 450 . The sliding hub connectors 450 can be pivotably attached to the sliding hub 220 via pins 222 and pin clips 224 . When the internal collapsible frame 140 is in an erected, non-collapsed position, the sliding hub connectors 450 can pivot downwardly allowing the ceiling tube assemblies 400 to extend substantially horizontally. Moreover, after the internal collapsible frame 140 is erected, connector pins can be inserted through holes 228 formed on the sliding hub connectors 450 and through lower thru holes 226 formed on sliding hub 220 to lock the frame 140 in the erected, non-collapsed position.
Referring now to FIG. 18 , the top hub assembly is shown including the top hub 210 along with a plurality of top hub connectors 340 . The top hub connectors 340 can be pivotably attached to the top hub 210 via pins 370 and pin clips 372 . The fabric tensioner 212 can be threaded into the top hub 210 and can be locked in position with the lock nut 216 .
Those skilled in the art can appreciate from the foregoing description that the present teachings can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while these teachings have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples thereof, the true scope of the present teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein.
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An internal collapsible frame for use with an outdoor living structure is provided. The internal collapsible frame can include a center tube assembly including a center tube including a top end portion and a bottom end portion. A slidable hub can be slidably arranged on the center tube. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of roof tube assemblies each including a first proximal end and a second distal end, each first proximal end being pivotably attached to the top hub. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of ceiling tube assemblies each including a first proximal end and a second distal end, each first proximal end being pivotably attached to the sliding hub and each second distal end being attached to an outer corner connection assembly. The internal collapsible frame can include a plurality of hinged strut assemblies each including a first end and a second end and being capable of folding about a hinge, each of the first and second ends of the hinged strut assemblies being attached to a ceiling tube end cap of a respective outer corner connection assembly and being capable of pivoting and rotating with respect to the ceiling tube end cap.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device for the building field, for individually protecting against falls workers assigned to walking at high elevations in buildings under construction.
[0002] Safety devices for buildings are known for providing individual protection against falls of workers assigned to walking at high elevations in buildings under construction.
[0003] These devices generally comprise a plurality of metal poles, which are mutually spaced and are connected, at their base, to a horizontal surface of the building, constituted for example by a beam, and have, at their top end or in an intermediate region of their vertical extension, a passage for a cable, which is fixed to the building at its ends and is tensioned by means of suitable cable tensioning elements so as to form a safety parapet.
[0004] In these devices, the poles are merely meant to keep the cable at a preset height, so that it is easily engaged by the spring-clips of the safety belts or harnesses worn by workers.
[0005] U.S. Ser. No. 09/645,560 by the same Applicants, which is herein included by reference, illustrates a safety device significantly reducing the stresses transmitted from the cable to the pole transversely to the axis of the pole and allows to distribute over multiple poles the stresses transmitted along the cable, thus reducing the stresses discharged onto each pole.
[0006] Although this device ensures a better performance than conventional safety devices, it has limitations of application when the spacing between the poles becomes considerable. This device in fact offers adequate assurances of safety, with acceptable dimensions of the pole and of the system for connection to the surface of the building, for pole spacings up to approximately 10 m. When greater spacings are required, in order to work safely it would be necessary to oversize considerably the pole and the insert embedded in the concrete component to which the pole is rigidly coupled. This would inevitably entail an increase in the weight of the device and in its cost. Furthermore, with this device it is technically inadvisable to have pole spacings of more than 10 m, since beyond this limit in operating conditions the forces that become involved are different not only in terms of load but also in terms of multiple traction components: the pole might tip not only in the direction of the cable but also at right angles, since the cable would oscillate laterally. So-called “whiplash”, i.e., dynamic stresses that are highly amplified and are composed of forces that are parallel and perpendicular to the line of the cable, causing tipping or oscillations of the poles, might also occur.
[0007] Another limit that can be observed in known types of device is the fact that these devices have been conceived mainly to be installed on prefabricated beams, i.e., on components that have a reduced transverse dimension. Because of this, the accidental fall of the worker is very close to the ideal tension line of the cable and therefore produces on the cable a force that has a modest lateral component, which can be withstood easily both by means of the cable and by means of the base for interlocking and resting the pole in and on the beam.
[0008] If these safety devices were installed on wider structural elements, such as for example prefabricated concrete floor or covering slabs, the traction components directed laterally to the cable would increase considerably, since any fall of the worker would be laterally quite distant from the ideal tension line of the cable. The cable, by touching the lateral edge of the concrete component, would in fact generate an additional significant lever arm and would introduce a torque and/or flexural moment that are difficult to recenter on the pole.
[0009] Moreover, it should be noted that prefabricated slabs (which are usually 10-20 meters long but are sometimes as long as 30 m) are often transported when they are already pre-impermeabilized with bitumen coats, except for the ends where the inserts for facilitating their lifting are inserted.
[0010] In such cases it is unfeasible to maintain a limited spacing between the poles, since it would be necessary to pierce the coat at the insert in order to connect the base of the poles.
[0011] Particularly for these kinds of components, there is a need to have a safety device for individually protecting against falls workers assigned to walking at high elevations in buildings under construction, which offers adequate assurances of safety even with considerable pole spacings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The aim of the present invention is indeed to provide a safety device for the building field, for individually protecting against falls workers assigned to walking at high elevations in buildings under construction which is capable of withstanding forces, even considerable ones, orientated transversely to the line of the cable in the presence of large pole spacings.
[0013] Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a device that can adapt itself without problems to different operating conditions and to different types of prefabricated component.
[0014] Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is simple to use and offers the greatest assurances of safety.
[0015] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a safety device for the building field, for individually protecting against falls workers assigned to walking at high elevations in buildings under construction, which comprises at least one pole and means for detachably connecting the base of said pole to the surface of a building; said pole having, proximate to its top end, engagement means for a cable element that is suitable to form a safety parapet, characterized in that it comprises at least one leg which is connected laterally to said pole and can rest, with its lower end, on said surface of the building, laterally to the region engaged by the base of said pole, in order to form, for said pole, an auxiliary resting element for pushing against said surface of the building.
BIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the device according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0017] [0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 2 is a partially sectional side elevation view of the device, applied to a concrete component;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 3 is a partially sectional front elevation view of the device, applied to a concrete component;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the device;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a leg of the device according to the invention;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 6 is an axial sectional view of the top end of the pole of the device according to the invention;
[0023] [0023]FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views of the use of the device with two types of prefabricated concrete component;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the use of the device with another type of prefabricated concrete component.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] With reference to the figures, the device according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , comprises at least one pole 2 and connection means 3 for detachably associating the base of the pole 2 with the surface 4 of a building, particularly for associating the base of the pole 2 with a prefabricated concrete component which is part of the building. The pole 2 has, proximate to its top end, engagement means 5 for a cable element 6 that is suitable to form a safety parapet.
[0026] According to the invention, the device comprises at least one leg 7 , which is connected laterally to the pole 2 and can rest, with its lower end, on the surface 4 of the building on which the pole 2 is arranged, laterally to the region of said surface that is engaged by the base of the pole 2 , so as to form, for the pole 2 , an auxiliary resting element for pushing against the surface 4 of the building.
[0027] Instead of a single leg 7 , it is also possible to provide two legs 7 , connected laterally to the pole 2 and arranged angularly spaced from each other, around the axis 2 a of the pole 2 ; each one of these legs 7 can rest, with its lower end, on the surface 4 of the building laterally to the region engaged by the base of the pole 2 so as to form, for the pole 2 , two auxiliary resting elements for pushing against the surface 4 of the building.
[0028] Preferably, the device comprises three legs 7 , which are connected laterally to the pole 2 and are arranged angularly spaced from each other about the axis 2 a of the pole, so as to form three auxiliary resting elements for the pole 2 on the surface 4 , laterally to the region engaged by the pole 2 . In this case, one leg 7 is arranged on a first vertical plane that passes through the cable element 6 and the other two legs are arranged on a vertical plane that is substantially perpendicular to said first plane. In particular, the leg 7 , which lies on the first plane, is preferably arranged on the side of the pole 2 that is directed in the direction in which the cable element 6 runs, from the pole 2 being considered, toward a similar opposite pole 2 , to which the other end of the cable element 6 is fixed.
[0029] Each one of the legs 7 is pivoted, proximate to its upper end, to the pole 2 , about an axis 7 a , which is substantially perpendicular to the axis 2 a of the pole 2 and can open in a compass-like fashion laterally to the pole 2 . The pivoting axis 7 a is preferably arranged proximate to the top end of the pole 2 .
[0030] Conveniently, each leg 7 has a variable useful length, which is preferably obtained by providing each leg 7 with a telescopic structure.
[0031] More particularly, as shown, each leg 7 comprises two elements which are telescopically mutually coupled; respectively, a first element 8 , which is shaped like a hollow cylinder and partially coaxially accommodates a second element 9 , which is substantially cylindrical. The second element 9 has, on its axial end that is accommodated inside the first element 8 , a threaded shaft 10 , which couples to a through female thread 11 formed inside the first element 8 . The second element 9 can rotate about its own axis with respect to the first element 8 so as to achieve, as a consequence of the threaded coupling between the shaft 9 and the female thread 11 , an axial movement of the first element 8 with respect to the second element 9 , thus achieving a variation of the overall length of the leg 7 .
[0032] In order to facilitate the rotation of the second element 9 with respect to the first element 8 , on the portion of the cylindrical side wall of the second element 9 that is external with respect to the first element 8 there are holes 12 , which are arranged angularly spaced from each other around the axis of the leg 7 and in which it is possible to insert a lever or pin in order to turn the second element 9 . For the same reason, a portion 13 of the cylindrical side wall of the second element 9 , which is external with respect to the first element 8 , can be conveniently shaped like a hexagonal prism in order to allow to turn it by means of a wrench.
[0033] The upper end of the second element 9 , which protrudes upward from the first element 8 , has a pivot 14 whose axis coincides with the common axis of the first element 8 and of the second element 9 . Said pivot 14 couples, so that it can rotate about its own axis, inside a seat 15 formed in a block 16 . The pivot 14 is locked axially inside the seat 15 , for example by means of an elastic ring, and the block 16 is pivoted to the pole 2 about the pivoting axis 7 a.
[0034] A frame 17 is connected to the top end of the pole 2 , and the upper ends of the legs 7 are pivoted thereto about the corresponding pivoting axes 7 a.
[0035] Advantageously, each leg 7 has, at its lower end, a resting foot 18 , which is articulated to the remaining part of the leg 7 so as to allow to orientate the resting foot 18 in order to adapt its resting surface to the inclination of the surface 4 of the building. In particular, the resting foot 18 is pivoted to the remaining part of the leg 7 about a pivoting axis 18 a, which is substantially parallel to the pivoting axis 7 a.
[0036] It should be noted that the engagement of the foot or feet 18 on the surface 4 is a simple resting contact and therefore no prior installation of anchoring elements for the feet 18 in the surface 4 is required; moreover, one is provided with the greatest freedom in positioning the feet 18 .
[0037] Conveniently, means are provided for delimiting the compass-like opening angle of each leg 7 with respect to the pole 2 . Said delimiting means, in the illustrated embodiment, are constituted by chains 19 , which are connected, with one of their ends, to the corresponding leg 7 and can be coupled to suitable hooks 20 fixed to the pole 2 proximate to its base.
[0038] The pole 2 can be constituted by a pole of a known type used to anchor a safety cable element to the surface of a building.
[0039] Preferably, the pole 2 is constituted by the pole disclosed in the previously cited U.S. Ser. No. 09/645,560.
[0040] As disclosed in said patent application, the pole 2 is provided with engagement means 5 for the cable element 6 , and said engagement means comprise guiding means for the cable element 6 , which are suitable to divert, along a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis 2 a of the pole 2 , at least part of the stresses transmitted by the element 6 to the pole 2 . The pole 2 is furthermore provided with means for damping the stresses transmitted by the cable element 6 to the pole 2 along a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis 2 a of the pole 2 .
[0041] The pole 2 comprises a main structure, which can be fixed detachably, by way of the above cited connection means 3 , to the surface 4 of the building.
[0042] More particularly, the main structure of the pole 2 is constituted by a lattice-like box structure 39 , which tapers from the bottom upward.
[0043] The connection means 3 comprise an anchoring element 21 , which can be fixed to the surface 4 of the building or better still can be embedded in the prefabricated concrete component that forms said surface 4 , and in which there is a female seat 22 , which lies along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the surface 4 with an access opening formed in said surface 4 of the building.
[0044] On the base of the pole 2 there is a male element 23 , which is provided in the same manner described in the above cited patent application and can be inserted and locked axially inside the female seat 22 formed by the anchoring element 21 .
[0045] The guiding means for the cable element 6 comprise elements for guiding the cable element 6 , which form, for said cable element 6 , proximate to the top end of the pole 2 , a portion of a path whose component is parallel to the axis 2 a of the pole 2 .
[0046] At least one of said guiding elements is mounted on a supporting element 24 , which can move with respect to the pole 2 along a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis 2 a . The above cited damping means are interposed between the main structure of the pole 2 and the supporting element 24 .
[0047] Conveniently, said guiding elements comprise two lateral pulleys 25 a and 25 b, which are associated with the frame 17 connected to the main surface of the pole 2 and are arranged so that their axes 26 a and 26 b are mutually parallel and substantially at right angles to the axis 2 a . The axes 26 a and 26 b are spaced laterally in mutually opposite directions with respect to the axis 2 a.
[0048] Preferably, the pulleys 25 a and 25 b are supported, so that they can rotate about their respective axes 26 a and 26 b, by two pairs of wings 27 a and 27 b of the frame 17 . More particularly, there are two wings 27 a , which are arranged side by side and support the pulley 25 a, and two wings 27 b, which are also arranged side by side and support the pulley 25 b.
[0049] Said guiding elements comprise, in addition to the pulleys 25 a and 25 b, an intermediate pulley 28 , which is arranged so that its axis 28 a is parallel to the axes 26 a and 26 b of the pair of pulleys 25 a and 25 b and is arranged between the pulleys 25 a and 25 b . The intermediate pulley 28 is further spaced from the pair of pulleys 25 a and 25 b along a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis 2 a in order to guide the cable element 6 from the pair of pulleys 25 a and 25 b to the intermediate pulley 28 along two path portions, designated by the arrows 30 and 31 , which have a component that is parallel to the axis 2 a of the pole.
[0050] The supporting element 24 , on which the intermediate pulley 28 is mounted, is supported by the main structure of the pole 2 so as to allow movement along the axis 2 a of the pole 2 .
[0051] The damping means can be constituted, as shown, by a spring 32 , for example a helical spring that is orientated so that its axis lies parallel to the axis 2 a , or can be constituted by a hydraulic or pneumatic damper interposed between the main structure of the pole 2 and the supporting element 24 .
[0052] The supporting element 24 is provided with a sleeve 33 , whose axis preferably coincides with the axis 2 a of the pole and is coupled, so that it can slide along its axis, to a coaxial sliding seat 34 formed in the top end of the pole 2 .
[0053] The spring 32 is mounted around the sleeve 33 and engages, with one of its ends, against a shoulder 35 a formed by the supporting element 24 and, with its other end, against a shoulder 35 b formed in the main structure of the pole 2 around the inlet of the sliding seat 34 .
[0054] It should be noted that in the end of the sleeve 33 that passes through the sliding seat 34 there is female thread 36 , with which a screw 37 engages; said screw protrudes upward from a through hole provided for this purpose in the frame 17 coaxially to the sliding seat 34 . By virtue of the rotation of the screw 37 , it is possible to vary the distance at rest between the shoulders 35 a and 35 b and therefore vary the preloading of the spring 32 .
[0055] The operation of the device according to the invention is as follows.
[0056] At least two poles 2 of the device according to the invention are fixed, in two mutually spaced regions, along the surface 4 of the building, using the connection means 3 and the female seats 22 of the anchoring elements 21 provided for this purpose inside the prefabricated component that forms the surface 4 of the building. After fixing the pole 2 to the prefabricated component that forms the surface 4 , the leg or legs 7 are rested on the surface 4 , in regions that are spaced laterally from the region where the base of the pole 2 rests, using the possibility to vary the length of the legs 7 and the orientation of the supporting foot 18 . In this manner it is possible to achieve correct resting of the feet 18 of the legs 7 on horizontal or variously inclined flat surfaces, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , which illustrate the application of the device according to the invention to various kinds of prefabricated slab or covering. In practice, it is possible to achieve correct resting of the legs 7 for any type of prefabricated component currently in use.
[0057] A cable element 3 is then stretched between the two poles 2 , fixing it to said poles 2 , for example by means of a clamp with bolts 40 , and passing it through the pulleys 25 a , 25 b , 28 , so as to form a safety parapet to which the spring-clips of the safety belts or harnesses of workers can be anchored. If workers accidentally fall, the forces that are discharged onto the cable element 6 and by said element onto the poles 2 , thanks to the presence of the leg or legs 7 , are re-centered along the axis 2 a of the pole 2 and are discharged onto the component to which the poles 2 are anchored, without the danger of tearing out or tipping the poles even in the presence of intense forces orientated transversely to the cable element 6 .
[0058] Accordingly, the spacing between the poles 2 can be considerably longer than the spacing allowed by conventional safety devices.
[0059] Furthermore, it should be noted that the forces transmitted by the cable element 6 to the pole 2 are re-centered along the axis 2 a of the pole also due to the particular path of the cable element 6 imposed by the pulleys 25 a , 25 b , 28 and are also damped by the action of the spring 32 .
[0060] In practice, it has been found that the device according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since thanks to the additional resting provided by the leg or legs to the pole, it is capable of withstanding intense forces, generated by the accidental fall of workers connected to the cable element, even if said forces are applied in regions that are considerably spaced laterally from the ideal tension line of the cable element and even if the distance between the poles that support the cable element is, due to contingent requirements, considerably greater than the distance compatible with the use of safety devices of the conventional type. Accordingly, the device according to the invention can use just two poles connected proximate to the longitudinal ends of prefabricated components of considerable length, which do not allow to install a larger number of poles and are also quite wide, such as for example most of the prefabricated slabs currently in use.
[0061] The device thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
[0062] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. M12001A000803 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
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A safety device for the building field, for individually protecting against falls workers assigned to walking at high elevations in buildings under construction. The device comprises at least one pole, a detachable connection for the pole base with the surface of a building, the pole having at its top end, an engagement for a cable element forming a safety parapet, at least one leg connected laterally to rest, with its lower end, on the surface of the building, laterally to the region engaged by the base of the pole, to form, for the pole, an auxiliary resting element for pushing against the surface of the building.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/726,260, filed Dec. 2, 2003, which claims priority to German Application No. 103 20 873.9, filed May 9, 2003, and which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/705,021, filed Nov. 11, 2003, now abandoned, which claims priority to German Application No. 103 20 873.9, filed May 9, 2003, and this application is also a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/556,012, which is a national stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2004/004903, filed May 7, 2004, which claims priority to German Application No. 103 20 873.9, filed May 9, 2003, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein; and this application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/744,268, filed Apr. 4, 2006, and entitled “Handel Set for a Door Lock,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for an electronic lock and lever set for a lock, the handle set having an authentication circuit and actuator in the interior handle that allow access only to authenticated transponders. The present invention relates also to a device and method, in particular for transmitting a movement as well as corresponding forces and/or moments and, in particular, a rotational movement to a lock, wherein the transmission takes place in a coupled state, but not in a decoupled state and wherein the lock cannot change between coupled and decoupled states when secured by a security assembly. The present invention also relates to a device and method for selecting the handedness of a lock.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Although key-operated locking mechanical systems may provide adequate protection in most situations, there are some drawbacks associated with their use. Firstly, keys for the most part can be easily copied and distributed to unauthorized users. Also, if the key is ever lost or stolen, it might be necessary to replace the whole lock cylinder in order to assure that an unauthorized user does not gain access. This can be a significant disadvantage in some cases. For example, it could be costly and rather inconvenient for a business location having many employees to replace a lock cylinder each time an employee loses his key.
As an alternative to conventional key-operated mechanical locking systems, locking arrangements were designed which utilize electronic access control means for keyless entry. U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,047 discloses a keyless entry deadbolt locking system wherein an electronic access control means, in the form of a decoding means, is located next to the knob on the outside of the door. When the decoding means is decoded by an authorized user, a coil is energized such that a rod is moved rightward and the extensions of the rod are caused to engage with grooves of a disc whereby a shaft can be rotated and the door can be opened. Although the deadbolt offers security against prying, one of the disadvantages of this locking system is that the electronic access control means can be accessed from the outside, and thus can be tampered with.
German Patent 198 51 308, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes a locking system for a door wherein the access control means is located within a knob on the inside of the door. The electronic access control means comprises a wireless data signal receiver which receives signals transmitted from a remote transmitter operated by a user. Once an authorized signal is recognized by the access control means, a solenoid is activated to control a coupling element which in turn allows the lock to be moved in a locked or unlocked position using a knob on the outside of the door. Since the remote transmitter transmits data signals using an alternating magnetic field, data signals can be transmitted with acceptable reception quality through even highly secure metal laminated doors. This allows the access control means to be placed on the inside of the door where it would be protected against tampering from the outside. However, this is only advantageous with locking cylinder standards which consist of a single element that goes through the whole door. The U.S. standard cylinder is a single cylinder. So the electronics in the knob are on the outside and can easily be manipulated. If the access control means are located on the inside of the door, an expensive through connection is necessary, which is dependent on the type of door and lock and which is furthermore difficult to install.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,086 discloses a keyless entry deadbolt lock arrangement for a door wherein the access control means is located within the door. The deadbolt lock arrangement can be opened manually by inserting a key or operating a switch, or opened remotely by using a RF (radio frequency) remote controller to activate an actuator that places the lock in a locked or unlocked position. Since reception of the wireless signal by the access control means located within the door can pose a problem depending on the type of door, the top portion of the housing containing the locking cylinder is provided with openings in order to permit better reception of the signal transmitted by the remote transmitter.
U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2004/0255628, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes an electronic lock system with improved lock and transponder for securing a door that is easy to install and can easily be retrofitted. The keyless electronic door lock system has an access control means which is located within the cylinder body of the lock.
Some electronic locks require a coupling interface that transmits the movement from the outside handle to the latch to open the door in the unlocked state (coupled state) and to allow for the handle to rotate, but not transmit, the movement to the latch in the locked state (decoupled state). DE-C-37 42 189 discloses a lock cylinder, the coupling of which is connected to the locking bit and can be brought into engagement on one side with a bossed shaft. In order to configure such a lock cylinder in a more simple manner and to achieve better protection against unauthorized use of the lock cylinder, it is proposed that the bossed shaft be enclosed by a locking sleeve which can be displaced axially by the coupling and secured in certain positions.
EP-A-1 072 741 discloses a lock cylinder, in particular, an electronic lock cylinder with electromechanical rotational blocking in which the electronic key has opposing electrical terminals on the shaft and the rotatable core of the lock cylinder has an external annular track that is electrically conducting, and with its inner face, communicates with an electrical contact supported on the terminal whereas the external annular track is supported in the electrical brushes of the external and internal rotors.
EP-A-0 743 411 discloses a lock device in which the key of the lock device comprises a code transmitter formed by a transponder. An actuator, a transponder reading device, and a power supply device are arranged in the cylinder housing of the lock cylinder of the lock means. The actuator serves for displacing a locking means which locks or releases the cylinder core and which engages at the circumference of the cylinder core.
EP-A-1 079 050 discloses a lock means comprising a lock bit being blockable by a locking mechanism, wherein a coupling is arranged between the blocking mechanism and the lock bit. The coupling can be separated from only one side of the lock means. The lock means should thus be unlockable from this side without any access authorization for the locking mechanism.
EP-B-0 805 905 discloses a closing mechanism for a door comprising a spindle, an actuating means turning the spindle, a locking element in functional connection with the spindle to lock the door, and a coupling element fitted in the actuating means and acting on the rotation of the spindle. The coupling element moreover has a pin which moves to and from axially to the spindle and which can be moved to and fro via a spindle by means of a locking element arranged independent of the actuating means via an electric motor drivable by means of an electronic control in order for either to transmit the rotation of the freely rotatable actuating means to the spindle or, in the case of an actuating means, being rigidly connected with the shaft to allow only a slight rotation of the actuating means connected with the shaft. Moreover, a cam is formed on the pin and a spiral spring is clamped as a force storage means between the cam and the spindle of the electric motor, and on the front surface of the actuating means a contact disk is provided via which the electronic control from an electronic information carrier can be controlled via data exchange.
Known coupling interface devices and methods of this kind prove to be disadvantageous in that relatively much energy is demanded for shifting the coupling or lock element that forces acting on the coupling element in the coupled and decoupled states and causes a load of the lock element and that a load of the coupling element or lock element is transmitted to the drive or actuator.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/705,021 published as 2005/0050929, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes an electronic lock that requires relatively little energy for shifting the coupling or lock element. The coupling mechanism is shifted into the coupled and decoupled states by a bi-stable actuator that is powered by batteries. The actuator rotates to move a coupling locking element into a position where it causes the lock to be in a coupled state. The coupling locking element moves in a linear direction. In the coupled state, the coupling locking element allows for the rotational force from the exterior knob to be transferred to the latch in order to open the door. In the decoupled state, the rotational force from the exterior knob is not transferred to the latch.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/556,012 published as 2007/0137326, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes an electronic lock with a coupling locking element that is positioned between two reel elements in the coupled state so that reels can overcome the mechanical potential of a take-off, and thereby cause the latch to operate. In the decoupled state, the coupling locking element is not positioned between the reels, and the reels cannot overcome the mechanical potential of the take-off.
The coupling interface and/or actuator may not be configured to handle the stress of the forces exerted by the user, especially when excessive force is exerted through a lever. The transmission of forces to the drive or actuator can result in increased wear and reduced functional safety. In the United States, building codes may require that locks have levers, and levers can transmit large amounts of torque to a lock. Low-energy electronic lock mechanisms may not be strong enough to handle the torque from a lever without breaking or wearing down.
Building and fire codes may require that a lock be operable by exerting a downward force on a lever (e.g. a code may require that lock must be operable by persons with disabilities). Depending on the orientation of the door (left-hand or right-hand), the downward direction of the outside lever of a lock may be a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction. Using the outside of the door as a reference (i.e. the side of the door where one locks the door after exiting the room that the door encloses), a left-hand door is an inward swinging door with hinges on the left side and a right-hand door is an inward swinging door with the hinges of the right side. Some locks can be handed, which means that the locks can be employed in a left-hand or a right-hand door arrangement by rearranging the interrelationship of some of the internal components of the lock. Presently, for those locks which cannot be so handed, two separate models must be manufactured and inventoried throughout the trade. For the locks that can be handed, some locks can be handed by specially trained personnel in the field, and some locks require handing by trained personnel at the factory or by a locksmith. Locks are typically installed by carpenters or other building tradesmen with no special locksmith training so that even the partial disassembly and reassembly of the intricate components by such personnel to “hand” the lock results in a maximum of frustration, limited success, and added expense. The alternate choice of engaging a locksmith to install the lock adds considerable expense.
Electronic door locks may be susceptible to tampering, especially when the lock circuitry and/or actuator are/is located within the exterior handle. Door locks utilizing magnetic/electromagnetic actuators should be secured against tampering by an applied external magnetic field.
It can also be difficult to provide electronic lock hardware that mechanically interacts with existing conventional door locks, and it can be especially difficult to provide electronic lock hardware that can be retrofitted into installed/mounted conventional door locks. Electronic lock hardware that can be retrofitted into installed/mounted conventional door locks should be easy to install so that installation does not require a locksmith.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a handle set for a door lock having a latch, the handle set having an authenticator circuit and actuator preferably arranged in or at least partially in an interior handle so that they are protected from tampering from the exterior side of the door. The handle set can be retrofitted into existing door locks thereby turning the door lock into an electronic lock and/or forming an electronic door locking and lever assembly. In one embodiment of the invention, the exterior handle is coupled to the latch when the handle set is in a coupled state and a blocking member is in a coupled position. The handle set is configured to allow the exterior handle to transfer force to a coupling apparatus without transmitting large amounts of force to the blocking member when the blocking member is in the coupled position.
The present invention also provides a coupling cartridge for an electronic lock with an exterior handle, an interior handle, a lock body with a latch, and an access control circuit. The coupling cartridge is configured to handle increased torque transmitted by a lever without damaging a low-power actuator. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the coupling cartridge comprises a coupling member with spring ramps, a plurality of camming blocks rotatably coupled to the exterior handle, and a blocking member; wherein the camming blocks can transmit rotation and force from the exterior handle to the coupling member when the blocking member is positioned between the camming blocks and wherein the camming blocks cannot transmit rotation and force from the exterior handle to the coupling member when the blocking member is not positioned between the camming blocks.
The present invention also provides a security apparatus configured to prevent the blocking member from moving to a position between the camming blocks and from a position between the camming blocks so that the electronic lock cannot change between coupled and decoupled states unless authorized to do so.
The present invention also provides a coupling cartridge with a plurality of handing marks that allows for untrained personnel to hand the electronic lock.
The present invention also provides for a method of handing a coupling cartridge having a coupling member with a right-hand marking and a left-hand marking, an interior handle linkage with a first alignment marking, and an exterior handle linkage with a second alignment marking, the method comprising rotating the coupling member to align one of the right-hand marking and left-hand marking between the first and second alignment markings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and:
FIG. 1 is a view of a handle set according to the present invention installed in a door,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handle set for a cylindrical lock according to an embodiment of the present invention installed in a door that is shown in phantom;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a handle set for a cylindrical lock according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a section view of the handle set shown in FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer coupling member according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a coupling cartridge of a handle set in a left-hand orientation;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a coupling cartridge of a handle set a right-hand orientation;
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a coupling cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9 a is a sectional view of a coupling mechanism in a decoupled state;
FIG. 9 b is a sectional view of an electronic lock in a decoupled state;
FIG. 10 a is a sectional view of a coupling mechanism in a decoupled state;
FIG. 10 b is a sectional view of a coupling mechanism and actuator assembly in a decoupled state;
FIG. 11 a is a sectional view of a coupling mechanism in a coupled state;
FIG. 11 b is a sectional view of a coupling mechanism and actuator assembly in a coupled state;
FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a coupling mechanism and actuator assembly in a coupled state;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a handle set for a mortise lock according to an embodiment of the present invention installed in a door that is shown in phantom;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a coupling cartridge of a handle set for a mortise lock in a left-hand orientation;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a coupling cartridge of a handle set for a mortise lock in a right-hand orientation;
FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a handle set for a mortise lock according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 17 is an exploded view of an adapter mechanism of the handle set shown in FIG. 16 ;
FIG. 18 is a side view of an actuator assembly of a handle set in a decoupled state;
FIG. 19 is a side view of an actuator assembly of a handle set in the coupled state;
FIG. 20 is an end view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly of a handle set in an unsecured and decoupled state;
FIG. 21 is an end view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly of a handle set in an unsecured and coupled state;
FIG. 22 is an end view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly of a handle set in a secured and decoupled state;
FIG. 23 is an end view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly of a handle set in a secured and coupled state;
FIG. 24 is a side view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly of a handle set with an external magnetic field applied;
FIG. 25 is a side view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly with an external magnetic field applied; and
FIG. 26 is an end view of a security assembly and an actuator assembly of a handle set with an external magnetic field applied.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. Nothing in this application is considered critical or essential to the present invention unless explicitly indicated as being “critical” or “essential.”
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is generally shown handle set hardware for a lock 10 , which makes the lock an electronic door lock or electronic door locking and lever assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention as operatively mounted in a door 12 or other type of closure panel. The lock hardware 10 is constructed in a conventional cylindrical configuration, having interior and exterior handles 14 and 16 , respectively, that are cooperatively connected through the door 12 to operatively move and lock a latch member 18 . The latch member 18 engages a strike plate (not shown) in a door frame (not shown) to secure or release the door 12 for pivotal motion within the door frame in a manner well known in the art. The lock hardware 10 is normally in a decoupled state which means that the exterior handle 16 cannot cause the latch member 18 to move. When the lock hardware 10 is in the decoupled state, the exterior handle 16 may rotate, but this rotation is not coupled to the latch member 18 . The lock hardware 10 is configured so that the interior handle 14 can always cause the latch member 18 to move so that the door can always be opened from the interior. In an alternative embodiment, the lock hardware 10 can be a double lock and the interior handle 14 can operate like the exterior handle 16 in the coupled and decoupled states.
Upon activation by a user, an authorization means 20 which can be a transponder 20 as shown in FIG. 1 communicates a wireless data signal 22 to access control circuitry (not shown) of the lock hardware 10 . The access control circuitry determines whether or not the wireless data signal 22 identifies an authorized transponder. If the transponder 20 is determined to be an authorized device, the access control circuitry causes the lock 10 to change to a coupled state so that the exterior handle 16 can cause the latch member 18 to move to open the door. After a period of time, the access control circuitry causes the lock hardware to return to the decoupled state so that the exterior handle 16 can no longer cause the latch member 18 to move. The access control circuitry may also be configured to change from the coupled to the uncoupled state when an appropriate signal is sent from the transponder. The verification of an authorization means such as the transponder or some other type of key could occur in the transponder or some other authorization device and the lock 10 can be sent a signal to couple or decouple. In this context, a transponder can be adapted as a portable device which can be worn and/or carried by a user (i.e. as a credential and or other electronic key) as shown in FIG. 1 and/or can be mounted at the door or next to the door and/or within the exterior handle. The transponder contains data for authorization and is able to communicate wirelessly and/or passively. In an embodiment, the transponder can be a passive key or an active key. The transponder can be activated by a user. The lock hardware 10 may also be set on a timer to place the lock in the coupled and decoupled state for a certain time in the day. A control center could also cause a wireless signal to be sent to couple/decouple the lock 10 . The access control circuitry can be programmed wirelessly, and can be controlled, programmed, and read out through a wireless network. In particular, the access control circuitry can be programmed from a programming device, including a central computer, through wireless data exchange, e.g., via Bluetooth, Zigbee, a mobile phone or other wireless technology in the LF or RF frequency band, wherein information stored in the access control circuitry can be retrieved and transmitted to a programming device or a central computer. Further, the access control means can be programmed such that the coupling apparatus 36 couples either only temporarily (e.g. 10 seconds after a correct authorization of a user) or switches permanently to the coupled state (until switched back from the coupled to the uncoupled state through the next authorized user) or switches automatically between the coupled and the uncoupled state at predetermined time units (e.g. day/night mode).
The access control circuitry can contain a processor or processing unit, a memory storage device or memory unit, a power supply (comprising, e.g., a battery and/or an accu and/or a solar cell and/or a fuel cell and/or a piezo-electric device) and/or a communication device (comprising, e.g., an antenna and/or a RFID unit and/or passive reader) configured to send and/or receive non-contact signals (e.g. wireless signals, RFID signals, passive electromagnetic signals). In an embodiment, the processing unit and the memory unit can be located within the interior handle. Further, the processing unit can compare a received signal of a user requesting access to the data stored in the memory unit and can activate an actuator of an access control device 75 described below to change a coupling apparatus from the decoupled state to the coupled state. In an embodiment, the communication device can comprise an antenna with a transmitter and a receiver or with a transceiver.
In a further embodiment, the antenna or any other communication device for the wireless data exchange can be located within the interior handle and/or within the exterior handle. In a further embodiment the antenna or any other communication device for the wireless data exchange can be located in an interior or exterior rose of the lock 10 . The antenna can be connected to the processing unit through a wire that is conducted through a connecting element 72 of the coupling apparatus, wherein the antenna is preferably suited to receive and handle signals from common-used passive cards e.g., operating at a frequency of 125 kHz or 13.56 MHz.
In a preferred embodiment, the access control circuitry and the communication device are housed within the interior handle 14 . The communication device can also be housed in the exterior handle 16 and can be wirelessly and/or electrically connected to the access control circuitry by wire(s) run through the lock hardware 10 . The exterior handle 16 can include a biometric reader or biometric fingerprint sensing unit configured to transmit information to the access control circuitry via a wire or wirelessly. The biometric fingerprint sensing unit can be equipped with a processing unit, a memory and a wireless data exchange unit, wherein the biometric fingerprint sensing unit can compare a user's fingerprint with a fingerprint stored in the memory and can send a wireless authorization signal to the access control circuitry in, e.g., the interior handle.
In a further embodiment, when the exterior handle 16 is operated a signal is transmitted to an access control circuitry in the interior handle 14 , causing the access control circuitry to emit a wireless credential request signal e.g. to a user's credential and/or transponder. In response to the request signal, the transponder emits an identifying signal (e.g., a credential signal) to the access control circuitry, and then the access control circuitry determines whether the transponder should be given access. In an embodiment, the exterior handle 16 can include a switch that detects operation of the handle. In another embodiment, the exterior handle 16 comprises a proximity sensor (e.g., a capacitive proximity sensor) that is able to sense the proximity of a person (e.g., sensing the person or the person's hand or skin), wherein upon detection of the proximity of a person a request signal is emitted.
The handles 14 and 16 can also have LEDs or other such visual indicators that can be used to indicate the status of the lock hardware 10 and/or access control circuitry.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 , a handle set for a cylindrical door lock 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention can be installed in a door in a conventional manner. The door lock 10 has interior and exterior handles 14 and 16 , respectively, and interior and exterior roses 24 and 26 , respectively. The exterior handle 16 is rotatably attached to the exterior rose 26 so that an attack of over-torque on the rose 26 is not transmitted to the handle 16 or the internal components of the lock 10 . The lock 10 further comprises a latch member 18 , a lock body 28 having an exterior flange 30 , a lock body interior flange 32 , an interior rose spring assembly 34 , and a coupling cartridge 36 .
The lock 10 can be installed in a door 12 that has a cylindrical hole (not shown) through the door 12 , the openings (not shown) of a cylindrical hole in the door 12 being on the interior face 38 and exterior face 40 of the door 12 . A latch hole (not shown) in the door 12 extends from the edge 42 of the door 12 to a portion of the door (not shown) that forms a side surface of the cylindrical hole. To install the lock 10 , the latch member 18 is first inserted into the latch hole in the door 12 . The lock body 28 is then inserted into the cylindrical hole in the door 12 so that the exterior flange 30 rests against the exterior face 40 of the door 12 . The lock body 28 and the latch member 18 mechanically interact with each other in a conventional manner. Next, threaded portion 44 of the lock body interior flange 32 is inserted into the cylindrical hole of the door 12 so that the flange 32 rests against the exterior face 40 of the door 12 and so that threading 44 of the lock body interior flange 32 can engage threading (not shown) of the lock body 28 . The lock body interior flange 32 is then threaded into the lock body 28 so that the lock body 18 is secured in the door 12 and so that notches 46 (one not shown) of the lock body interior flange 32 line up with notches 48 of the exterior flange 30 . Threaded bosses 50 (one not shown) of the exterior rose 26 are then fed through notches 48 of the exterior flange 30 . Guide tubes 52 of the interior rose spring assembly 34 are then fed through the notches 46 of the interior flange 32 . Bolts 54 are then inserted into the guide tubes 52 of the interior rose spring assembly 34 , and then the bolts 54 are fastened into the threaded bosses 50 of the exterior rose 26 . The coupling cartridge 36 is then handed as described hereinafter. Next, exterior end 46 of the coupling cartridge 36 is inserted through a hole (not shown) in the interior rose spring assembly 34 until the exterior end 46 engages a mechanical interface (not shown) of the exterior handle 16 . Interior handle 14 is inserted through interior rose 24 and a faceted end 58 of the handle 14 is placed onto a faceted outer portion 60 of the interior rose spring assembly 32 . A set screw 62 is then screwed into a set screw receptor 64 in the faceted outer portion 60 so that the handle 14 is secured to the interior rose spring assembly 32 . The interior rose 24 is then twisted one-quarter turn, concealing the set screw and securing the rose through an interlock between dimples on the rose and grooves in the interior rose spring assembly 32 to complete the lock assembly 10 . In an alternative embodiment, the coupling cartridge 36 can be upon manufacturer permanently left-handed or right-handed.
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the coupling cartridge 36 has an interior end 66 and an exterior end 68 . The exterior end 68 comprises a piezoelectric speaker spring mount 70 attached to the exterior-most portion of an exterior handle shaft 72 . The exterior handle shaft 72 comprises a square shaft portion 74 adjacent to where the spring mount 70 is attached and a round shaft portion 76 located interior of the square shaft portion 74 . As is known in the art, the square shaft portion 74 is sized and dimensioned to interfit with a square shaft adapter (not shown) of the exterior handle 16 so that the exterior handle 16 can be rotatably linked to the exterior handle shaft 72 , and so that the exterior handle 16 can transfer torque to the exterior handle shaft 72 . The exterior handle shaft 72 has a hollow center (not shown) configured so that wires may be run through its interior portion.
As will be discussed hereinafter, the coupling cartridge 36 further comprises an outer coupling member 78 that is coupled to the exterior handle 16 when the lock 10 is in the coupled state and is not coupled to the exterior handle 16 when the lock 10 is in the decoupled state. The outer coupling member 78 comprises an octagonal link member 80 that interfits with the lock body 28 so that the octagonal link member 80 can cause the lock body 28 to operate the latch 18 when the outer coupling member 78 is rotated.
The coupling cartridge 36 further comprises a faceted coupling barrel 82 that has two teeth 84 . The teeth 84 of the faceted coupling barrel 82 are positioned within two slots 86 of the outer coupling member 78 . The teeth 84 of the faceted coupling barrel 82 can be rotated to act against two teeth 88 of the outer coupling member 78 so as to cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate thus causing the latch 18 to operate. As will be discussed hereinafter, the orientation of the faceted coupling barrel 82 in relation to the outer coupling member 78 depends on the handedness of the coupling cartridge 36 .
The coupling cartridge 36 comprises a coupling apparatus which comprises a drive and a take-off, wherein the drive is formed essentially by the exterior handle shaft 72 and a force transfer member 83 . Further, the take-off is formed essentially by the outer coupling member 78 and the link member 80 . The link member 80 is a latch actuating means that actuates the latch member 18 to open the door 12 . When the coupling apparatus is in a coupled state, the drive 72 , 83 is coupled to the take-off 78 , 80 wherein a movement of the exterior handle 16 can be transmitted from the drive 72 , 83 to the take-off 78 , 80 to actuate the latch member 18 to open the door. When the coupling apparatus is in a decoupled state the drive 72 , 83 is decoupled from the take-off 78 , 80 so that a movement of the exterior handle 16 is not suitable to operate the take-off 78 , 80 to actuate the latch member 18 to open the door 12 . Further, a coupling barrel 82 which forms the coupling element 82 is linked to the take-off 78 , 80 and further linked to the interior handle 14 , so that, when the interior handle 14 is moved or rotated the movement is transmitted to the coupling element 82 which moves the take-off 78 , 80 so that the latch member 18 can be operated when the coupling apparatus 36 is in a coupled or decoupled state.
The coupling cartridge 36 comprises further an access control circuit cover 90 disposed on the interior end 66 of the coupling cartridge 36 and removably attached to an access control circuit housing (not shown), and covers and/or partially covers components of the access control circuit including an electronic circuit board (not shown), a pair of batteries (not shown), a piezoelectric speaker (not shown), and an antenna (not shown). A piezoelectric speaker (not shown), or other such speaker, can be housed within the exterior handle 16 . The antenna can also be positioned within the exterior handle 16 . The elements contained within the coupling cartridge 36 will be discussed hereinafter.
Referring now to FIG. 8 , an exploded view of the coupling cartridge 36 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The coupling cartridge 36 includes an access control device 75 . As will discussed hereinafter, the access control device 75 houses the access control circuitry, the actuator, and a linkage system that connects the actuator to a blocking member 300 . The access control device 75 can move the blocking member 300 to a coupled position and to a decoupled position. In the coupled position, the blocking member 300 is positioned in between two coupling rectangular camming blocks 77 , the camming blocks 77 positioned within the outer coupling member 78 . Torsion springs 79 are connected to the camming blocks 77 and to a force transfer member 83 . The torsion springs 79 are positioned within the inner diameter of the force transfer member 83 . The force transfer member 83 is positioned within the inner diameter of the outer coupling member 78 and within the inner diameter of the faceted coupling barrel 82 . The force transfer member 83 has rectangular holes 85 that extend through the force transfer member 83 from its inner curvilinear face to its outer curvilinear face. The camming blocks 77 are fitted within the rectangular holes 85 of the force transfer member 83 so that the camming blocks 77 are perpendicular to the outer face of the force transfer member 83 . The camming blocks 77 can slide towards and away from the center of the force transfer member 83 . The torsion springs 79 force the camming blocks 77 radially outward towards the outer coupling member 78 . The force transfer member 83 has a notched and toothed end 87 that interfits with a notched and toothed end 89 of the exterior handle shaft 72 . A retaining ring 91 can be disposed in the notches of the end 87 and end 89 when they are interfitted together to keep the ends 87 and 89 together. The exterior handle 16 can cause the exterior handle shaft 72 to rotate, the exterior handle shaft 72 can cause the force transfer member 83 to rotate in the same direction as the exterior handle 16 , and the force transfer member 83 can cause the camming blocks 77 to rotate in the same direction as the exterior handle 16 . The holes 85 and the walls of the holes 85 of the force transfer member 83 are sized and dimensioned so as to transfer force to the camming blocks 77 without allowing the camming blocks 77 to rotate relative to the holes 85 and without allowing the camming blocks 77 to tilt relative to the outer surface of the force transfer member 83 . Therefore, the exterior handle 16 is always coupled to the camming blocks 77 so that rotational movement of the exterior handle 16 causes rotational movement of the camming blocks 77 in the same direction.
Referring now to FIG. 5 , an outer coupling member 78 according to an embodiment of the invention has an interior end 92 and an exterior end 96 . The octagonal link member 80 is disposed on the exterior end 96 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The teeth 88 of the outer coupling member 78 are disposed on the interior end 92 . The outer coupling member 78 has a body 98 , four spring mount portions 100 , and two coupling walls 102 . The inner and outer faces of the body 98 , spring mount portions 100 , and coupling walls 102 are curvilinear. The body 98 is generally proximate to the octagonal link member 80 . The outer diameters of the body 98 and spring mount portions 100 are the same. The inner diameter of the body 98 is smaller than the inner diameter of the spring mount portions 100 . The inner diameter of the coupling walls 102 is larger than the inner diameter of the body 98 and smaller than the inner diameter of the spring mount portions 100 . The inner and outer faces of the coupling walls 102 are curvilinear. Each of the coupling walls 102 has two edges 104 that are defined by generally radial lines from the center of the outer coupling member 78 . The spring mount portions 100 each include a groove 106 , each groove having a mounting slot and a ramp slot formed therein that holds a spring ramp 99 in place (as will be discussed hereinafter). The coupling walls 102 include channels 101 in which ramped ends 103 of the spring ramps 99 are positioned, the channels 101 allowing the ramped ends 103 of the spring ramps 99 to be pushed radially outward. The teeth 88 extend above the coupling walls 102 and have curvilinear inner and outer faces. The outer diameter of the teeth 88 is equal to the outer diameter of the coupling walls 102 and the inner diameter of the teeth 88 is larger than the inner diameter of the coupling walls 102 and is less than the inner diameter of the spring mount portions 100 . The teeth 88 have edges 108 that are defined by generally radial lines from the center of the outer coupling member 78 .
Referring to FIG. 9 a , the spring ramps 99 have a ramp end 103 , a ramp portion 112 , a curvilinear portion 114 , and straight end 116 . Each spring ramp 99 is positioned within a groove 106 of a spring mount portion 100 . Each groove 106 includes a mounting slot 110 , a groove wall 118 , and a ramp slot 120 . The straight end 116 of the spring ramp 99 extends through the mounting slot 110 . The curvilinear portion 114 of the spring ramp 99 is adjacent to the inner portion of the groove wall 118 . The straight end 116 can be bent around the outer portion of the groove wall 118 to mount the spring ramp 99 in place. The ramp portion 100 of the spring ramp 99 defines a ramp that begins at the curvilinear portion 114 and extends inward, the ramp ending at the ramp end 103 . The ramp end 103 extends outward through the channels 101 of the coupling walls 102 so that the spring ramps 99 are not blocked from moving outward by the coupling walls 102 .
Referring to FIGS. 9 a and 9 b , the lock 10 is in the decoupled state, which means that the blocking member 300 is not positioned between the camming blocks 77 . The lock 10 has been handed (as will be discussed hereinafter) so that each of the camming blocks 77 is positioned nearer to one coupling wall 102 than to the other coupling wall 102 when the exterior handle 14 has not been rotated from its default position. The torsion springs 79 outwardly push the camming blocks 77 so that they contact a pair of spring ramps 99 . When the exterior handle 14 is rotated, rotation is transferred to the camming blocks 77 and the camming blocks 77 cam on the spring ramps 99 in the direction of rotation of the exterior handle 14 . When the camming blocks 77 are rotated toward the nearest coupling wall 102 , the camming blocks 77 will cam along the ramp portions 112 of the spring ramps 99 . As shown in FIGS. 10 a and 10 b , the ramp portions 112 cause the camming blocks 77 to be forced inward as the camming blocks 77 cam on the ramp portions 112 because the force of the torsion springs 79 is overcome. The camming blocks 77 are not able to overcome the force of the spring ramps 99 ; therefore, the camming blocks 77 do not contact the edges 104 of the coupling walls 102 . The camming blocks 77 can cam over the ramp portions 112 and then can cam along the coupling walls 102 . Not enough force is transferred from the camming blocks 77 to the coupling walls 102 to cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate. If the camming blocks 77 are rotated in a direction away from the nearest coupling walls 102 , the camming blocks 77 cam along the spring ramps 99 , but will not rotate enough to reach the ramp portions 102 .
Referring to FIGS. 11 a and 11 b , the lock 10 is in the coupled state, which means that the blocking member 300 is positioned between the camming blocks 77 . The lock 10 has been handed (as will be discussed hereinafter) so that each of the camming blocks 77 is positioned nearer to one coupling wall 102 than to the other coupling wall 102 when the exterior handle 14 has not been rotated from its default position. The torsion springs 79 outwardly push the camming blocks 77 so that they contact a pair of spring ramps 99 . When the exterior handle 14 rotated, rotation is transferred to the camming blocks 77 , and the camming blocks 77 cam on the spring ramps 99 in the direction of rotation of the exterior handle 14 . When the camming blocks 77 are rotated toward the nearest coupling wall 102 , the camming blocks 77 will cam along the spring ramps 99 until they reach the ramp portions 112 of the spring ramps 99 . As shown in FIG. 12 , the camming blocks 77 are prevented from moving inward by the blocking member 300 . Thus, the camming blocks 77 are able to overcome the force of the spring ramps 77 and can cause the spring ramps 99 to be pushed outward. The camming blocks 77 can then contact the edges 104 of the coupling walls 102 thereby transmitting torque to the outer coupling member 78 and causing the outer coupling member 78 to rotate. The rotation of the outer coupling member 78 causes the latch to operate and the door can be opened. If the camming blocks 77 are rotated in a direction away from the nearest coupling walls 102 , the camming blocks 77 cam along the spring ramps 99 but will not rotate enough to reach the ramp portions 102 . In another embodiment of the invention, the camming blocks 77 can transmit torque to the edges 104 of the coupling walls through the spring ramps 77 and thereby cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate when the lock 10 is in the coupled state.
In other words, the drive 72 , 83 and the take-off 78 , 80 can be coupled when the blocking element 300 is positioned between the camming blocks 77 . In the coupled state a movement of the exterior handle 16 can be transmitted from the drive to the take-off to actuate the latch member 18 . However, in the decoupled state a movement of the drive 72 , 83 causes a movement of the camming blocks 77 , wherein said movement is not suitable for transmitting a movement from the drive 72 , 83 to the take-off 78 so that a transmission of the movement is allowed in the coupled state but not in the decoupled state.
In this embodiment the take-off is formed essentially by two separate parts, namely the outer coupling member 78 and the link member 80 . However, the outer coupling member 78 and the link member 80 can be also formed as one part or in other words can be integrally connected.
Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ends of the camming blocks 77 that contact the spring ramps 99 are generally square. In another embodiment of the invention, the ends of the spring ramps 99 that contact the spring ramps 99 can be square with filleted edges, chamfered, and/or rounded.
In another embodiment of the invention, the four spring ramps 99 may be replaced by a single band having four ramped surfaces extending from the band, the ramped surfaces configured to provide ramping like the ramping provided by the spring ramps 99 . The spring force of the ramped surfaces is not overcome by the camming blocks in the decoupled state, but is overcome by the camming blocks in the coupled state.
The access control device 75 causes the lock 10 to move between coupled and decoupled states by moving the blocking member 300 between its coupled position and its decoupled position. Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19 , the blocking member 300 has a blocking head 302 and a counterweight head 304 . The blocking member 300 is in the coupled position when the blocking head 302 is positioned between the camming blocks 77 . The blocking member 300 is in the decoupled position when the blocking head 302 is not positioned between the camming blocks 77 . The blocking head 302 is sized and dimensioned to prevent the camming blocks 77 from moving radially inward in the coupled state as discussed hereinabove. The blocking member 300 is pivotably connected to the access control body 306 , the blocking member 300 having pivot pins 305 and the access control body 306 having pivot pin receptors (not shown). As shown in FIG. 19 , the blocking member 300 is pivotably attached to the right of the camming blocks 77 (closer to the exterior handle 16 ). The blocking member 300 has a spring chamber 310 on the same side of the pivot pins 305 as the blocking head 302 . The spring chamber 310 is sized and dimensioned to receive and anchor a blocking member torsion spring 312 . One end of the torsion spring 312 is anchored in the blocking member 300 and the other end of the torsion spring 312 is anchored in the access control body 306 so that the torsion spring 312 biases the blocking member 300 to rotate until the counterweight head 304 rests against a square block 314 of the access control body 306 ; therefore, the blocking head 302 will be positioned between the camming blocks 77 if the camming blocks 77 have not been moved radially inward so that the blocking head 302 cannot fit in between the camming blocks 77 . Thus, the torsion spring 312 biases the blocking head 302 to be in the coupled state (to be positioned between the camming blocks 77 ).
The access control device 75 includes an actuator assembly 316 . The actuator assembly 316 comprises a linkage push arm 318 , a linkage hook arm 320 , a switch element 322 , a yoke 324 or other armature, and a coil 326 . The actuator assembly 316 can cause the linkage push arm 318 to move into and out of a position where the linkage push arm 318 pushes the blocking head 302 of the blocking member 300 out of a position between the camming blocks 77 . The actuator assembly 316 is configured to transfer enough force to the linkage push arm 318 so as to overcome the spring force of the torsion spring 312 thereby causing the blocking member 300 to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction that the torsion spring 312 biases the blocking member 300 . The linkage push arm 318 is sized and dimensioned so that it does not inhibit the camming blocks 77 from moving radially inward when it is positioned between the camming blocks 77 (and therefore the blocking head 302 is not positioned between the camming blocks 77 ).
The linkage push arm 318 is generally U-shaped. The linkage push arm 318 has a linkage head 328 disposed on the cross portion of the linkage push arm 318 , the linkage head 328 extending towards the camming blocks 77 . The ends of the linkage push arm 318 are pivotably connected to the linkage hook arm 320 . The linkage push arm 318 further includes a spring catch 330 that extends near one end of the linkage push arm 318 .
The linkage hook arm 320 has a generally rectangular shape and has a security hook 332 extending from the side of the linkage hook arm 320 that is nearest to the camming blocks 77 . The security hook 332 extends in a direction perpendicular to the linkage head 328 of the linkage push arm 318 . The linkage hook arm 320 is pivotably attached to the access control body 306 so that it can pivot on a pivot axis (not shown) that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (not shown) of the lock 10 . The linkage push arm 318 pivots with the linkage hook arm 320 . The switch element 322 is generally U-shaped with a middle section 334 and parallel end sections 336 . The middle section 334 is flat and is generally wider than the end sections 336 . The end sections 334 are flat near the middle section 334 and gradually curve towards their ends so that the switch element 322 can rock on a flat surface. The linkage hook arm 320 includes a set of recesses 338 sized and dimensioned to receive the ends of the end sections 336 of the switch element 322 and a set of hooks 340 that are sized and dimensioned to grip the middle section 334 of the switch element 322 . Thus, the switch element 322 , linkage push arm 318 , and linkage hook arm 320 are arranged to pivot together, with the switch element 322 rocking on the yoke 324 .
A linkage spring 342 pushes on the spring catch 330 of the linkage push arm 318 so that the linkage push arm 318 , the linkage hook arm 320 and the switch element 322 are biased towards the yoke 324 . Therefore, the linkage head 328 of the push arm 318 is biased to be in the decoupled state (i.e. biased to push the blocking head 302 from in between the camming blocks 77 ). In this decoupled state (as shown in FIG. 18 ), the linkage head 328 pushes on a push nub 344 of the blocking member 300 . The push nub 344 is disposed on the blocking member 300 so that the blocking head 302 is not positioned between the camming blocks 77 when the linkage head 328 pushes on the push nub 344 .
The access control device 75 can be controlled electronically by the access control circuitry to cause the linkage head 328 of the push arm 318 to move from the decoupled state to the coupled state. In the coupled state, the linkage head 328 is in a position where it does not push the blocking head 302 ; therefore, the blocking head 302 is positioned between the camming blocks 77 because the blocking head 302 is biased to that position and the linkage head 328 is not forcing the blocking head 302 from that biases position. To move the linkage head 328 into the coupled state, the access control device 75 causes the linkage push arm 318 to pivot away from the yoke 324 . The linkage push arm 318 is pivoted away from the yoke 324 when the yoke 324 is magnetized and middle section 334 of the switch element 322 is thereby attracted to the yoke 324 . When the yoke 324 is magnetically enabled, the magnetic attraction of the middle section 334 of the switch element 322 to the yoke 324 overcomes the force of the linkage spring 342 and the switch element 322 rocks so that the middle section 334 of the switch element comes into contact with the yoke 324 and the ends of the end sections 336 move away from the yoke 324 . The switch element 322 thereby moves the linkage push arm 318 and linkage hook arm 320 thus putting the lock 10 in the coupled state.
The access control device 75 can switch the lock 10 from the coupled state to the decoupled state by demagnetizing the yoke 324 thus removing the magnetic attraction between the yoke 324 and the switch element 322 so that the linkage spring 342 returns the linkage push arm 318 , the linkage hook arm 320 , and the switch element 322 to the decoupled state.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the yoke 324 (or other such armature) is a configured to be demagnetized by AC current (or other such electric current) applied to the coil 326 and magnetized by DC current (or other such electric current) applied to the coil 326 . The switch element 322 is configured to be attracted to the magnetized yoke 324 with sufficient force to overcome the force of the linkage spring 342 . The access control device 75 only requires power to switch between states thereby prolonging battery life. In another embodiment of the invention, an energized electromagnet can be used to place and hold the lock 10 in the coupled state. The lock may also be configured so that a solenoid can also be used to directly move the blocking member 300 in and out of alignment with the camming blocks 77 . The blocking member 300 can also be moved to and from a position between the camming blocks 77 by an actuator such as an electromotor and/or a shape memory alloy and/or a piezoactuator and/or an electromagnet assembly and/or an actuator configured to transform an electronic signal into a mechanical movement.
Referring now to FIGS. 18-26 , in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the access control device 75 further comprises a security assembly that prevents the lock 10 from changing between states when an external magnetic field is applied to the lock 10 in order to secure the lock 10 from tampering. The security assembly includes the security hook 332 of the linkage hook arm 320 , a pair of security plates 346 and 347 , and a security arm 348 . The security arm 348 is pivotably connected to an access control support structure 350 , which is connected to the access control body 306 , at pivot points 352 . The security arm 348 can pivot on a pivot axis (not shown) defined by the pivot points 352 . The security arm 348 includes a camming arm 356 that extends upward from the security arm 348 and to the right of the spring catch 330 of the linkage push arm 318 (as shown in FIG. 20 ). The security arm 348 further includes a blocking arm 358 that extends downward from the security arm 348 and to the right of the yoke 324 (as shown in FIG. 19 ). The blocking arm 358 includes a blocking bar 360 perpendicularly extending from the end of the blocking arm 358 in a direction away from the yoke 324 . A spring 362 is disposed between a spring retainer 364 extending from the camming arm 356 of the security arm 348 and a spring retainer 366 of the access control support structure 350 . The spring 362 biases the security arm 348 so that the blocking arm 358 is to the left of the security hook 332 of the linkage hook arm 320 (as shown in FIG. 20 ). Thus, the blocking bar 360 does not inhibit movement of the security hook 332 in this position, and the lock 10 is said to be in the unsecured state. In the unsecured state, the security hook 332 , and therefore, the other parts of the actuator assembly 316 , are free to move so as to switch the lock 10 between the coupled and decoupled states.
The security plates 346 and 347 are generally square and include on one end mounting tabs 368 and 369 , respectively, that extend through mounting orifices 370 in the access control support structure 350 so that the security plates 346 and 347 can be sandwiched together (as shown in FIG. 20 ) or can pivot to be separated (as shown in FIG. 22 ). The ends of the plates 346 and 347 opposite the mounting tabs 368 and 369 are in contact with a camming surface 372 on the inner portion of the camming arm 356 . A spring 362 biases the security arm 348 so that the camming surface 372 causes the security plates 346 and 347 to be sandwiched together.
When an external magnetic force is applied to the lock 10 such as the external magnetic field 458 of a permanent magnet 460 , the lock 10 becomes secured against changing states because the plates 346 and 347 become magnetically opposed to each other and are forced apart thereby causing the security arm 348 to move. The magnetic field of the yoke 324 and/or coil 326 do not cause the plates 346 and 347 to become magnetically opposed to each other. The upper plate 346 cams upward on a curved portion of the camming surface 372 until the plate 346 is blocked from further movement by cam stop of a security fork 374 . The lower plate 347 cams downward until it is blocked from further movement by a cam stop 376 of the security arm 348 . The plates 346 and 347 transmit force to the security arm 348 and the force of the spring 362 is overcome. The security arm 348 pivots so that the blocking bar 360 of the blocking arm 358 is aligned below or above the security hook 332 of linkage hook arm 320 . Thus, the blocking bar 360 inhibits the security hook 332 , either from moving up or down, which means that the lock 10 cannot change between the coupled and decoupled states. As shown in FIG. 22 , the lock 10 is in the decoupled state and the blocking bar 360 blocks the security hook from moving up; therefore, the lock 10 cannot change from the decoupled state to the coupled state. As shown in FIG. 23 , the lock 10 is in the coupled state and the blocking bar 360 blocks the security hook 332 from moving down; therefore, the lock 10 cannot change from the coupled state to the decoupled state.
To prevent the security hook 332 from moving the blocking bar 360 to an unblocking position when the lock 10 is in the decoupled state, and the security hook 332 is being forced upward in an attempt to change to the coupled state, the blocking bar 360 has an angled lower edge 378 that can engage an angled upper edge 380 of the security hook 332 so that the blocking bar 360 is not forced out of alignment with the security hook 332 . As shown in FIG. 22 , both the angled lower edge 378 of the blocking bar 360 and the angled upper edge 380 of the security hook 332 angle downward from left to right. If the security hook 332 is forced upwards (as it would be forced to when changing from the decoupled state to the coupled state), the edges 378 and 380 come into contact and cause the security arm 348 to be pushed towards the linkage hook arm 320 instead of being pushed away.
To prevent the security hook 332 from moving the blocking bar 360 to an unblocking position when the lock 10 is in the coupled state and the security hook 332 is being forced downward in an attempt to change to the decoupled state, the blocking bar 360 has an angled upper edge 382 that can engage a lower edge 384 of the security hook 332 so that the blocking bar 360 is not forced out of alignment with the security hook 332 . As shown in FIG. 23 , the angled upper edge 382 of the blocking bar 360 angles upward from left to right. If the security hook 332 is forced downward (as it would be forced to when changing from the coupled state to the decoupled state), the edges 382 and 384 come into contact and cause the security arm 348 to be pushed towards linkage hook arm 320 instead of away.
Referring now to FIGS. 24 and 25 , the security fork 374 and switch element 322 are configured to provide further protection from tampering by an external magnetic field such as the magnetic field 458 . The switch element 322 can be attracted to a lower finger 462 of the security fork 374 when an external magnetic field is applied thus preventing switching between the decoupled and coupled states.
The security assembly can include a mechanical, electromechanical and/or electromagnetic tampering sensor that sends a signal to the access control circuitry when the lock hardware 10 is tampered with by an external magnetic and/or electromagnetic field. The access control circuitry can then send a signal to a control center reporting the attempt to tamper with the lock 10 and/or can cause the lock 10 to make an alarm sound.
Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 16 , there is generally shown handle set hardware 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention as operatively mounted in a mortise lock body 402 that is installed in a door 404 . The handle set hardware 400 is configured to be retrofitted into already-installed mortise locks so that the mortise lock becomes a wireless electronic lock. The handle set hardware 400 replaces handles, shafts, spring returns, and other parts of the installed mortise lock. The handle set hardware 400 has an exterior handle 406 and an interior handle 408 . The handles 406 and 408 are individually coupled to a coupling cartridge 410 . The handles 406 and 408 are not coupled to each other directly thereby preventing a situation where one handle can prohibit the other handle from being actuated. The handle set hardware 400 is configured so that interior handle 408 transmits rotational force to a faceted coupling barrel 412 . As discussed above with regard to the cylindrical lock 10 , when the faceted coupling barrel 412 rotates, it can cause an outer coupling member 414 to rotate. The outer coupling member 414 includes a square link member 416 that transmits rotational movement to the mortise lock body 402 thereby operating the latch of the mortise lock body 402 when the outer coupling member 414 is rotated. The handle set hardware 400 is further configured so that the exterior handle 406 transmits rotational force to an exterior handle shaft 418 of the coupling cartridge 410 . As discussed hereinabove with regard to the cylindrical lock 10 , the exterior handle shaft 418 transmits rotational movement to the outer coupling member 414 when the handle set hardware 400 is in the coupled state and does not transmit rotational movement to the outer coupling member 414 when the lock 400 is in the decoupled state.
The mortise lock bodies of different manufacturers have different mounting hole configurations. The hardware 400 is configured so that it can be retrofitted with different mortise lock bodies. The hardware 400 includes an exterior spring block 420 , an interior adapter plate 422 , and an interior spring block 424 . The exterior spring block 420 and interior adapter plate 422 are configured so that the handle set hardware 400 can be mounted to mortise lock bodies of different manufacturers. The exterior spring block 420 and interior adapter plate 422 have sets of holes that correspond to the mounting hole configurations of different mortise lock bodies. A pair of mounting tubes 426 extend through a set of mounting holes 428 of the mortise lock body 402 and through the corresponding holes in the exterior spring block 420 and interior adapter plate 422 . The exterior spring block 420 and interior adapter plate 422 are secured to the mortise lock body 402 with a set of bolts 430 that are secured to the mounting tubes 426 . The interior spring block 424 is then secured to the interior adapter plate 422 . The remaining parts of the lock 400 can then be secured to the interior spring block 424 and the exterior spring block 420 so that the lock 400 functions in a similar manner to the cylindrical lock 10 . The exterior spring block returns the exterior handle 406 to its default horizontal position after the handle 406 has been rotated. The interior spring block 424 returns the interior handle 408 to its default horizontal position after the interior handle 408 has been rotated. The interior spring block 424 is handed by rotating the cover of the interior spring block 424 , the exterior spring block 420 is handed by flipping it over in a conventional manner.
Referring now to FIGS. 6 , 7 , 14 , and 15 , the difference between the coupling cartridge 410 for the mortise lock and the coupling cartridge 36 for the electronic cylinder lock is that the coupling cartridge 410 has a square link member 416 instead of an octagonal link member 80 . The link members 80 and 416 transmit rotational movement to the lock bodies, which in turn cause the latches to operate. The square link member 416 is square because mortise locks are designed to accept square link members or shafts. Other than the difference between the link members 80 and 416 , the coupling cartridges 36 and 410 are the same and operate in the same manner as discussed hereinabove with regard to the coupling cartridge 36 .
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the coupling cartridge 36 is configured to be easily handed by an assembler before being packaged and/or by an installer during installation. The cartridge 36 needs to be handed because the faceted coupling barrel 82 and the camming blocks 77 will cause the outer coupling member 78 to actuate the latch only when rotated in one direction. The coupling cartridge 36 has a handing marking 450 on the faceted coupling barrel 82 , a handing mark 452 on the round shaft portion 76 of the exterior handle shaft 72 , a right-handed marking 454 on one face of the octagonal link member 80 of the outer coupling member 78 , and a left-handed marking 456 on one face of the octagonal link member 80 of the outer coupling member 78 . The coupling cartridge 36 is handed by first lining up the markings 450 and 452 and then by rotating the outer coupling member 78 so that either the right-handed marking 454 is lined up between the handing markings 450 and 452 (as shown in FIG. 7 ) or the left-handed marking 456 is lined up between the handing markings 450 and 452 (as shown in FIG. 6 ). The coupling cartridge 36 is then held in a right-hand or left-hand configuration until it is installed in the lock 10 . When installed, the coupling cartridge 36 will remain in the default position until the handles are rotated.
Referring now to FIG. 6 , which illustrates the left-hand configuration, the faceted coupling barrel 82 is aligned with the outer coupling member 78 so that one tooth 84 of the faceted coupling barrel 82 is positioned adjacent to and on the right of one tooth 88 of the outer coupling member 78 . The faceted coupling barrel 82 will cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate (and thereby operate the latch) when the faceted coupling barrel 82 is rotated so that a tooth 84 moves in a direction towards the nearest tooth 88 . When the faceted coupling barrel 82 rotates in the opposite direction (i.e. when a tooth 84 moves away from the nearest tooth 88 ), the faceted coupling barrel 82 does not cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate because the teeth 84 of the faceted coupling barrel do not engage the teeth 88 of the outer coupling member 78 .
Referring now to FIG. 7 , which illustrates the right-hand configuration, the faceted coupling barrel 82 is aligned with the outer coupling member 78 so that one tooth 84 of the faceted coupling barrel 82 is positioned adjacent to and on the left of one tooth 88 of the outer coupling member 78 . The faceted coupling barrel 82 will cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate (and thereby operate the latch) when the faceted coupling barrel 82 is rotated so that a tooth 84 moves in a direction towards the nearest tooth 88 . When the faceted coupling barrel 82 rotates in the opposite direction (i.e. when a tooth 84 moves away from the nearest tooth 88 ), the faceted coupling barrel 82 does not cause the outer coupling member 78 to rotate because the teeth 84 of the faceted coupling barrel do not engage the teeth 88 of the outer coupling member 78 .
Referring now to FIG. 9 a , each camming block 77 is positioned nearer to one coupling wall 102 than the other, which coupling wall 102 is the nearest depends on the handing of the cartridge 36 . When the lock 10 is in the coupled state, the camming blocks 77 transmit torque to the outer coupling member 78 only when the camming blocks 77 are rotated toward the nearest coupling wall 102 . Otherwise, the camming blocks 77 rotate away from the nearest coupling wall 102 , but do not reach the furthest coupling wall 102 so that the outer coupling member 78 is not rotated.
Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15 , the coupling cartridge 410 for the mortise lock 400 is the same as the coupling cartridge 36 for the cylinder lock 10 except that the coupling cartridge 410 has a square link member 416 instead of an octagonal link member 80 . The cartridge 410 is handed in the same manner that the cartridge 36 is handed.
Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in considerable detail. Many modifications and variations to the embodiments described will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the embodiments described, but should be defined by the claims that follow.
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The present invention provides for a handle set for a lock with a latch, the handle set having an authentication circuit and actuator in the interior handle that allow access to authenticated transponders. The present invention also provides a device and method for transmitting a rotational movement and force in an electronic lock, wherein the transmission takes place in a coupled state and not in a decoupled state and wherein the transmission of force does not damage an actuator that requires little energy to change between the coupled and decoupled states. The handle set can include a coupling cartridge that can be easily handed. The electronic lock can be retrofitted in installed mortise locks and used with cylindrical locks. The electronic lock can include a security feature that prohibits the electronic lock from changing between the coupled and decoupled states.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/745,730, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,266, filed Aug. 16, 1991, entitled "Self-Contained Apparatus and Method for Determining the Static and Dynamic Loading Characteristics of a Soil Bed", in the names of Wayne B. Ingram and Byron W. Porter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to novel data gathering and sampling in connection with soil mechanics. More particularly, this invention concerns a method and apparatus for sampling and determining the dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed, and more particularly, a method for measuring, as a function of time, the force and displacement on a soil sample as the apparatus presses into a soil bed at an uncontrolled rate resulting in a variable penetration rate. The apparatus may be used in connection with a sub-sea soil bed or a soil bed on land.
In the past, it has been common practice to extract soil samples and make laboratory measurements of data concerning the characteristics of a soil bed on the recovered samples. While some arrangements have exhibited at least a degree of utility in the gathering of data in connection with soil mechanics analysis, room for significant improvement remains.
The structural loading of soil has been a problem for many years, but these problems were not approached in an orderly manner until the advent of modern soil mechanics theory in the 1920's. The application of soil mechanics theory requires the collection of accurate data to evaluate certain soil parameters. The task of gathering reliable data is of paramount importance in the satisfactory application of soil mechanics theory. This task becomes acutely more difficult when analyzing a soil bed that lies beneath a body of water.
As the world's oil supply dwindles and available land based drilling sites are exhausted, the need to construct offshore oil drilling platforms increases. The increased size and utilization of these offshore platforms magnifies the need for reliable data to evaluate the stability of sub-sea soil beds. Offshore platforms constructed on pilings driven into the soil bed under bodies of water proliferate in the Gulf of Mexico and along the continental shelf bordering the east and west coasts of the United-States.
Data taken while sampling a soil bed helps determine the soil bed's ability to support the foundation of a structure. A foundation is only as stable as the soil bed that supports it. Accurate data collection concerning a soil bed is the first step in correctly evaluating the soil bed's ability to support a structural foundation. A stable foundation is fundamental to the stability of a structure. The need for accurate design data is paramount. A calculation based on erroneous data is a miscalculation that can produce disastrous results. A structure built upon a piling foundation, subjected to a sudden load from a wave surge or earthquake, can collapse, resulting in a loss of life and property.
The ability of a soil bed to support a structure's foundation is related to the rate a load is applied to the foundation. While a soil bed may adequately support a foundation during normal wave activity, or normal land based loading, the soil bed may not adequately support the foundation during a sudden surge in response to severe wave action or an earthquake. An unexpected load applied suddenly to the foundation could topple the structure. Therefore, there is an important need to accurately predict the ability of a soil bed to support a structure, especially during the variable rate loading conditions experienced on land and at sea. Variable rate loading characteristics are referred to as the dynamic loading characteristics of the soil bed.
Present methods and apparatus for measuring the ability of a soil bed to support a structure are limited in several ways. First, there are no known methods or apparatus that measure the dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed as a function of time. Moreover, present methods and apparatus utilize short displacement, cyclic, linear penetration techniques that penetrate a soil bed at a constant rate and do not measure the dynamic loading characteristics of the soil.
Known measuring systems are intolerant of a hostile sea state and require a benign sea state to obtain accurate data. Unless these methods and apparatus are used in smooth water conditions, motion compensation devices must be used to obtain accurate measurements.
Physical interface umbilicals from the surface are difficult to deploy and present a formidable, if not impossible, design challenge in deep sea applications. In addition the tremendous pressure exerted on equipment and instrumentation submerged in over five hundred fathoms of water presents a formidable design problem.
Isolating a monitoring system from extreme water pressure and from the corrosive action of the sub-sea environment is extremely difficult. These problems are exacerbated by the use of physical umbilicals.
The problems enumerated in the forgoing are not exhaustive but rather are among many which tend to impair the effectiveness of previously known soil sampling and data gathering systems. Other noteworthy problems may also exist; however, those presented above should be sufficient to demonstrate that soil sampling and data gathering systems appearing in the art have not been altogether satisfactory.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Recognizing the need for an improved soil sampling and data gathering system it is, therefore, a general object to provide a novel method and apparatus for determining the dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed which are simple to construct and operate and which obviate the need for an umbilical between the apparatus and the surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained method and apparatus for determining dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed by measuring a plurality of parameters associated therewith.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for determining the dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed, that can withstand the extreme pressures of deep water operations without leakage and remain isolated to neither contaminate nor be contaminated by the ocean environment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a self-compensating method and apparatus for determining the dynamic loading characteristics of an under water soil bed that can be operated from a floating platform.
To attain these and other objectives, an apparatus for sampling a soil bed from the surface of the earth or the surface of a body of water is provided. The apparatus includes a housing adapted to be attached to the bottom of a drill string. On land the housing may be attached directly to the drill string by removing the drill string from the well bore and attaching the housing to the bottom of the drill string in place of the drill bit. At sea the housing may be dropped down the drill string or lowered from a wire line within the drill string for transporting the apparatus from the surface of a body of water to a location adjacent the soil bed beneath the body of water. Additionally the apparatus includes a sub positioned in the drill string and adapted to receive the apparatus housing during sea-based operations, a sample tube extending below the housing for penetrating the soil bed, a means for attaching the housing to the bottom of the drill string, a selectively lockable means for use during sea-based operations to selectively lock the housing into the sub to enable the housing to transmit load between the drill string and the sample tube, a load detector within the housing adapted to generate a first signal corresponding to loading as a function of time on the sample tube, a movement detector within the housing adapted to generate a second signal corresponding to the upward displacement of a soil sample within the sample tube and a recorder within the housing adapted to record the first and second signals simultaneously.
Examples of the more important features of this invention have thus been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will also form the subject of the claims appended hereto.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been applied to like elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the problems described above by providing a system for sampling a soil bed which is capable of operation from a floating or land-based platform. The system is further capable of pressing on a soil bed at an uncontrolled rate resulting in a variable penetration rate, and also retrieving a soil sample. The variable penetration rate is beneficial in providing insight into the dynamic loading characteristics of the soil bed.
The apparatus of the invention is self-contained. It may be attached directly to the bottom of a drill string or it may be dropped down the well bore or lowered on a wire line without removing the drilling apparatus. Consequently, samples may be obtained and retrieved from, say, a well bore without removing drilling apparatus from the bore. An instrument package may be deployed and retrieved from a well bore without removing drilling apparatus from the bore. The apparatus contains a data acquisition system that records various parameters, notably the soil penetration rate and the load required to affect penetration. Soil samples captured by the apparatus are retrievable by raising the drill string or retrieving the housing by wire line, thus enabling the operator to keep the drilling apparatus in the well bore throughout the sampling.
The system of the invention is suitable for use with conventional drilling systems. The apparatus of the invention is insertable into a conventional drill string above a conventional drag bit or coring bit, i.e., a bit having a central passageway or opening. The apparatus of the invention may also be attached directly to the bottom of a drill string.
The apparatus of the invention also comprises an elongated housing, adapted at its upper end to releasably engage an overshot or the like for attachment to the lower end of a wire line. A plurality of dogs or the like are positioned near the upper end of the housing. The dogs engage recesses formed in the inner wall of the housing, and are designed to be retractable.
A sample tube, preferably cylindrical in shape, comprises or attaches to the lower end of the housing. The sample tube slides through the opening in the drill bit when the housing is locked into the drill line during sea-based operation. When the apparatus of the invention locks into position in the sub for sea-based operation, the sample tube protrudes below the bit by a selected amount, which in practice may measure about two feet or about sixty centimeters. Thus, as the sample tube presses into a soil bed, a sample of the soil enters the sample tube.
The housing portion of the apparatus generally will be an assembly of several components. A first such component, a load cell, positioned in the housing, couples to the top of the sample tube. The load cell measures the axial load imposed on the sample tube. There are many ways to measure such a load.
A second component of the housing is an instrument chamber or compartment. This component will normally contain a power pack, a data acquisition system and an electronics package. The instrument compartment may also contain an LVDT unit or other position measuring device for indicating the extent to which a core sample enters the sample tube. To activate the LVDT unit, a sample or core follower is preferably provided within the sample chamber. The core follower includes a piston immediately above a sample in the sample tube and a piston rod attached to the piston. As a soil sample enters the sample tube, the piston travels upward. The LVDT core rod attaches to the piston to provide a measurement of the sample length.
From these features of the invention, it becomes apparent that use of the invention provides a continuous record of the load acting to penetrate and withdraw a soil bed, as well as the extent of penetration. The invention also provides a soil sample which is retrievable from the surface of a body of water or from the surface of the earth.
An especially attractive feature of the invention is its ability to operate without motion compensation. Thus, movement of a floating vessel or platform from which the invention operates may vary the loading on the sample tube as well as its rate of penetration without degradation of the measurement data's accuracy. However, these are the same type of dynamic factors which affect the legs of platforms, pilings or other structural members which penetrate a soil bed. Hence, the dynamic data provided by the present invention provides a very useful insight into the dynamic performance to be expected of such structural members in a soil bed from which the data is obtained.
In accordance with the invention, the load data and the penetration data for a given soil sample are recorded with time as the sample tube presses into the soil. The resulting records are especially valuable in reflecting the uniformity of the soil.
The invention has particular application not only in offshore operations, but is also of great interest in land based operations. In addition to oil and gas drilling structures, the invention is useful in other offshore and land based structures such as, for example, bridges, towers, tall buildings, and the like. The dynamic characteristics are useful in the evaluation of soil properties for earthquake analysis.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for determining the dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed by measuring the forces exerted on a self-contained, environmentally isolated data measurement and sampling apparatus. A sample tube presses into the soil bed at an uncontrolled rate resulting in a variable penetration rate. The data acquisition system measures and records the force, as a function of time, exerted on the sample tube during penetration and withdrawal. The data acquisition system measures and records the depth of penetration as a function of time. These measurements are used to determine the dynamic loading characteristics of the soil bed. The method includes a step whereby the sample tube captures a soil sample for laboratory analysis at the surface.
Soil parameters of primary interest are pile design parameters with an emphasis on open ended steel pipe piles which are used offshore. If a steel pipe pile and a steel sample tube are compared, they are of very similar proportions. It is therefore to be expected that the parameters measured while pushing a sampling tube into a soil bed may be applied to driving a pile into the soil. The value of these measurements is accordingly apparent. With appropriate interpretation and modification, the measurements taken during sampling may be applied advantageously to pile design.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a schematic or conceptual drawing that shows a boring drilled to the desired depth in a soil bed using an open ended drag bit.
FIG. 1B is a schematic or conceptual drawing of one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention as it is lowered into the drill string and latched into place. The sampling tube extends beneath the open drill bit at the end of the drill string.
FIG. 1C is a schematic or conceptual drawing that shows a drill string pushing the sampling apparatus of the invention into the sub-sea soil bed.
FIG. 1D is a schematic or conceptual drawing that shows the sampling apparatus of the invention after it is fully inserted into the soil bed to a depth d2.
FIG. 1E is a schematic or conceptual drawing that shows the drill string as it withdraws the sampling apparatus to remove it from the soil bed.
FIG. 1F is a schematic or conceptual drawing that shows the retrieval system as it attaches to the top end of the apparatus, unlatches the apparatus from the drill string and raises the apparatus to the surface.
FIG. 2 is a graph that shows possible force and displacement curves, plotted as a function of time. Time t1 corresponds to depth d1 in FIG. 1C. Time t2 corresponds to depth d2 in FIG. 1D.
FIG. 3A is a partial longitudinal section view that shows the top section of one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention. The apparatus is divided into four sections in FIGS. 3A-3D.
FIG. 3B is a partial longitudinal section view that shows the second section of the apparatus.
FIG. 3C is a partial longitudinal section view that shows the third section of the apparatus.
FIG. 3D is a partial longitudinal section view that shows the fourth section of the apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a view taken along section lines 4--4 of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a retaining clamp to hold the LVDT in place and to prevent the LVDT from being pushed into the instrument compartment by extreme water pressures at great depths under water.
FIG. 6 is a view taken along section lines 6--6 of FIG. 3B.
FIG. 7 is a view taken along section lines 7--7 of FIG. 3B.
FIG. 8 is a view taken along section lines 8--8 of FIG. 3C.
FIG. 9 is a view taken along section lines 9--9 of FIG. 3C and shows the load cell web. All the load is transmitted through the load cell web. The outer sleeve of the load cell and the inner sleeve of the load cell are shown along with the piston sleeve, the LVDT and the LVDT core rod.
FIG. 10 is a view taken along section lines 10--10 of FIG. 3D and shows a fluid release orifice positioned at the top of each ball valve channel. The piston sleeve, the LVDT and the LVDT core rod are shown concentrically located in the apparatus housing.
FIG. 11 is a view taken along section lines 11--11 of FIG. 3D and shows the piston sleeve bearing secured to the piston sleeve bearing retainer.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This detailed discussion of the apparatus of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive. It is readily envisioned that the apparatus may embody various types and styles of each element without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
GENERAL SUMMARY
FIGS. 1A-1F and FIGS. 3A--3D show an apparatus for sampling from the surface of land or a body of water a soil bed at the bottom of a bore hole in the presence of a drill string constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The apparatus may be seen to comprise seven main subassemblies; namely a housing assembly 14 adapted to be dropped down a drill string or lowered by a wire line within the drill string and utilized for transporting the apparatus of the invention from the surface 31 of land or of a body of water 21 to a location adjacent the soil bed, a drill string latching sub assembly 17 positioned in the drill string adapted to receive the housing assembly, a sample tube assembly 23 extending below the bottom of the drill string 30 and beyond the drill bit 42 for penetrating and sampling the soil bed, selectively lockable means 20 to lock the housing into the drill string latching sub assembly 17 to enable the drill string 30 to apply an axial load to the housing assembly 14 through the load detector assembly 9 to the sample tube assembly 23, a load detector assembly 9 within the housing assembly 14 adapted to generate a first signal corresponding to loading as a function of time on the sample tube assembly 23, a movement detector assembly 16 within the housing assembly 14 adapted to generate a second signal corresponding to the upward displacement of a soil sample within the sample tube and a recorder assembly 18 within the housing assembly 14 adapted to record said first and second signals simultaneously.
THE HOUSING ASSEMBLY
The housing assembly 14 of the present invention is utilized to contain the load detector assembly 9, the movement detector assembly 16, the sample tube 23, the recorder assembly 18 and the selectively lockable means 20 down the well bore 13 and through the drill string 30 without removing the drill string 30 from the well bore 13. The operator drops the housing assembly 14 down the drill string 30 or lowers the housing assembly 14 down through the drill string 30 using a wire line 28 attached to an over shot assembly 29. The over shot assembly attaches to overshot adaptor 22 at the top of the housing assembly 14. The operator lowers the apparatus of the invention through the drill string 30 to a location adjacent the bottom 12 of the well bore 13 drilled into a soil bed 35.
The drill string 30 may contain a latching-sub assembly 17. The latch-in assembly 34 contains the selectively lockable means 20. The selectively lockable means locks into the drill string latching sub assembly 17 locking the housing assembly 14 into the drill string 30. The latch-in assembly 34 is secured to the adaptor for the latch-in assembly 62 by threads 60 formed on the latch-in assembly adaptor tapered member 26. The threads 60 are formed on tapered member 26 at the top of the latch-in assembly adaptor body 61.
The landing ring 24 attaches to the housing assembly 14. The drill string 30 contains drill string landing sub assembly 19 with a drill string landing ring 25 near the bottom of the drill string 30. The landing ring 24 engages the drill string landing ring 25 positioning the housing assembly 14 in the drill string 30 as the housing assembly 14 is lowered by a wire line 28 or dropped and allowed to free fall into place in the drill string 30. The selectively lockable means 20 engages the drill string latching sub assembly 17 when the landing ring 24 positionally engages the drill string landing ring 25. The landing ring 24 is fluted to allow fluid to pass through the flutes 45.
In land-based operations the operator may drill a well bore 13 using a drill bit 42 and then remove the drill string 30 from the well bore 13. The operator may remove the drill bit 42 and replace it with the housing 14. The housing 14 attaches to the bottom of the drill string 30. The threads 60 on the tapered member 26 engage the threads at the bottom of the drill string 30. The operator may lower the drill string 30 with the attached housing 14 down into the well bore to a position adjacent the soil bed. The drill string then forces the sample tube 23 into the soil bed. The operator removes the drill string 30 to retrieve the housing 14 and the soil sample 50.
The housing assembly 14 includes a plurality of sleeves and annular transition members that form the exterior sheath of the housing assembly. The sleeves and transition members slide over the cylindrical members of the housing assembly. A plurality of cap screws secure the housing assembly sleeves and transition members to the cylindrical members.
The adaptor for the latch-in assembly 62 slides into housing exterior sleeve member 66. One or more cap screws 64 secure housing exterior sleeve member 66 to latch-in assembly adaptor body 61. The aperture 63 enables mechanical engagement and rotation clockwise and counterclockwise of cap screws 64. The cap screw threads 65 engage latch-in assembly adaptor body 61.
The instrument compartment plug 68 slides into the housing exterior sleeve member 66. One or more cap screws 70 secure housing exterior sleeve member 66 to instrument compartment plug 68. The aperture 72 enables mechanical engagement and rotation clockwise and counterclockwise of the cap screws 70. The cap screw threads 73 engage the instrument compartment plug 68.
An o-ring seal forms a water tight seal between the instrument compartment plug 68 and the exterior sleeve member. The o-ring seal includes an o-ring 74, an o-ring groove 76 and an o-ring backing 75. The o-ring 74 fits within the o-ring backing 75. The o-ring backing 75 fits within the o-ring groove 76.
The housing exterior sleeve member 66 attaches to the housing member 106 by engaging threads 302. The aperture 118 enables mechanical engagement for rotation of the housing exterior sleeve member 66 clockwise and counterclockwise. The aperture 54 enables mechanical engagement for rotation of housing member 106 clockwise and counterclockwise.
An o-ring seal forms a water tight seal between the housing exterior sleeve member 66 and the housing member 106. The o-ring seal includes an o-ring 104, an o-ring groove 105 and an o-ring backing 103. The o-ring 104 fits within the o-ring backing 103. The o-ring backing 103 fits within the o-ring groove 105.
The upper housing member 106 slides into the lower housing member 126. The cap screws 124 secure the housing member 126 to the housing member 106. The apertures 130 enable mechanical engagement and rotation clockwise and counterclockwise of the cap screws 124. The cap screw threads 129 engage the housing member 106.
An o-ring seal forms a water tight seal between the housing member 106 and the housing member 126. The o-ring seal includes an o-ring 122, an o-ring groove 56 and an o-ring backing 123. The o-ring 122 fits within the o-ring backing 123. The o-ring backing 123 fits within the o-ring groove 56.
The housing member 126 attaches to the sleeve member 200 by engaging the threads 212. The aperture 109 enables mechanical engagement for rotation of the housing member 126 clockwise and counterclockwise. The landing ring 24 attaches to the sleeve member 200. The sleeve member 200 attaches to the upper portion of the load cell 208 by engaging the threads 125. The exterior load cell sleeve 222 slides over the load cell 208.
The sample head 202 attaches to the lower portion of the load cell 208 by the engaging threads 236. The aperture 203 enables mechanical engagement for clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the sample head 202.
The sample head 202 slides into the sample tube 23. The cap screws 250 secure the sample tube 23 to the sample head 202. The aperture 251 enable mechanical engagement and rotation clockwise and counterclockwise of the cap screw 250. The cap screw threads 252 engage the sample head 202.
An o-ring seal forms a water tight seal between the sample head 202 and the sample tube 23. The o-ring seal includes an o-ring 242, an o-ring groove 244 and an o-ring backing 243. The o-ring 242 fits within the o-ring backing 243. The o-ring backing 243 fits within the o-ring groove 244.
The housing orifice 71 is used to facilitate machining of the latch-in assembly adaptor body 61.
THE DRILL STRING LANDING SUB ASSEMBLY
The drill string landing sub assembly 19 is configured to engage the landing ring 24 as the housing assembly 14 is dropped or lowered on a wire line 28 through the drill string 30. The drill string landing sub assembly 19 contains a drill string landing ring 25 to engage the landing ring 24 and halt the downward motion of the housing assembly 14 with respect to the drill string 30.
THE SAMPLE TUBE ASSEMBLY
The sample tube 23 attaches to the sample head 202 as a member of the housing assembly 14. The housing assembly 14 latches into the drill string 30 by means of latch-in assembly 34. The sample tube 23 hangs down through the bottom of the drill bit 42. The sample head 202 attaches to the load cell 208. The axial load placed on the sample tube 23 is transmitted through the sample head 202 to the load cell 208.
There are numerous other means for taking a soil sample that may be used in the present invention and the apparatus or method of the invention is not limited to the use of a cylindrical sample tube. The invention contemplates the use of any shape sampler such as a square, rectangle, triangle or any other suitable shape. The invention also contemplates the use of any means or method of extracting the soil sample, such as coring, trepanning or any other suitable method or apparatus.
THE SELECTIVELY LOCKABLE MEANS ASSEMBLY
The selectively lockable means assembly is used to lock the housing assembly 14 into the drill string 30. In a preferred embodiment the selectively lockable means 20 is a set of latching dogs as shown in FIG. 1B that disengage the recess 15 in the drill string latching sub assembly 17 when the overshot 29 and wire line 28 engage the overshot adaptor 22 and pull upwards on the apparatus housing assembly 14. The upward motion on overshot adaptor 22 moves sliding member 53 upward in groove 52 causing the latching dogs to pivot back into the latch-in assembly, disengaging the latching dogs. Upward tension on sliding member 53 causes the latching dogs to pivot into the recesses of the latch-in assembly 34. The latching dogs are weighted so that they are normally pivoted outwardly to protrude from the exterior of the latch-in assembly 34. The selectively lockable means 20 automatically engages the drill string latching sub assembly 17 when the housing assembly 14 is lowered or dropped into place in the drill string.
THE LOAD DETECTOR ASSEMBLY
The load detector assembly is used to measure the force exerted on the sample tube 23. The load cell 208 attaches to the sample head 202 and the sample head attaches to the sample tube 23 as described in the description of the housing assembly. Retaining pin 234 passes though the exterior load cell sleeve 222, the load cell 208 and the interior load cell sleeve 228. The load exerted on the sample tube 23 is transmitted to the load cell 208. The strain gauges 210 are attached to the load cell web 206. The load cell web 206 is positioned in the load cell recess 214. The load cell wiring 92 runs from the strain gauges 210 through the load cell wiring connector 91, the feed through apertures 85, the feed through connector 84, the feed through apertures 246, the feed through apertures 87, the feed through connectors 81 and the load cell wiring passage 93 to connect the load cell to the instrument compartment interface connector 90. The protector sleeve 128 separates the load cell wiring from the piston sleeve 41.
The o-ring seals keep water out of the load detector assembly. The o-ring seals include an upper interior o-ring seal, an upper exterior o-ring seal, a lower interior o-ring seal and a lower exterior o-ring seal. The upper interior o-ring seal includes o-ring 220, an o-ring groove 221 and an o-ring backing 223. The lower interior o-ring seal includes an o-ring 218, an o-ring groove 217 and an o-ring backing 215. The upper exterior o-ring seal includes an o-ring 204, an o-ring groove 205 and an o-ring backing 209 and o-ring 216. The lower exterior o-ring seal includes an o-ring 216, an o-ring groove 213 and an o-ring backing 219.
The upper and lower exterior o-ring seals fit between the load cell 208 and the exterior load cell sleeve 222. The upper and lower interior o-ring seals fit between the load cell 208 and the interior load cell sleeve 228. The exterior load cell sleeve 222 does not abut the sleeve member 200 leaving a space 224 between the exterior load cell sleeve 222 and the sleeve member 200. The exterior load cell sleeve 222 does not abut the sample head 202 leaving a space 226 between the sleeve 222 and the sample head 202. An annular space 108 exists between the piston sleeve 41 and the LVDT 101. An annular space 127 exists between the piston sleeve 41 and the protection sleeve 128.
There are numerous other means for measuring load that may be used in the invention and the apparatus of the invention is not limited to the use of a load cell. The apparatus of the invention contemplates the use of any suitable self-contained means for measuring load.
THE MOVEMENT DETECTOR ASSEMBLY
The movement detector assembly is utilized to measure the amount of soil sample 50 forced into the sample tube 23. The sample-follower piston 40 travels along the housing's longitudinal axis and inside the sample tube 23. A piston sleeve 41 is attached to the sample-follower piston 40. The displacement of the piston head is measured by a means for measuring movement- In a preferred embodiment this means can be a linear displacement transformer LVDT 101 as shown in FIG. 3D.
There are numerous other means for measuring displacement that could be used in a preferred embodiment and the apparatus of the invention is not limited to the use of a LVDT. The apparatus of the invention contemplates the use of any self contained means for measuring displacement.
The sample follower piston 40 includes a piston face 254 and a piston hub 256. The piston sleeve or hollow piston sleeve 41 slides into the piston hub. The cap screw 258 passes through the piston sleeve 41 and into the piston hub 256 and secures the piston sleeve 41 within the piston hub 256. The LVDT core rod 240 slides into the piston hub 256 and is secured into the piston hub by cap screw 258.
As shown in FIG. 5, the LVDT 101 passes through the LVDT retaining bracket orifice 230 into the LVDT retaining bracket 112. The LVDT retaining bracket 112 engages the top portion 96 of the LVDT and clamps the LVDT 101 in place. The LVDT retaining bracket 112 slides over the LVDT 101 and abuts the top portion 96 of the LVDT. The cap screw 116 passes through the aperture 120 and engages the LVDT retaining bracket 112 to close the gap 55 and reduce the diameter of the orifice 230 and tighten the LVDT retaining bracket 112 around LVDT 101. LVDT retaining bracket 112 fits into the LVDT retaining groove 97 at the top portion 96 of the LVDT. The threads 117 engage the LVDT retaining bracket 112. The orifice 119 in the cap screw head 118 enables mechanical engagement and rotation clockwise and counterclockwise of cap screw 116.
The cap screw 114 passes through the aperture 121 in the LVDT retaining bracket 112 and secures the retaining bracket to housing member 106. The cap screw threads 107 engage the housing member 106. The aperture 113 enables mechanical engagement and rotation clockwise and counterclockwise of the cap screw 77. The LVDT wiring 99 passes through the wiring passage 110 and connects the LVDT to the instrument compartment interface connector 90.
The piston sleeve 41 slides along the longitudinal axis of the housing on piston bushings 262 and 264. The upper piston bushing 262 also serves as stop for engaging the piston stop 43. The piston stop 43 keeps the piston from falling out of the end of the housing assembly 14. The piston bushing 262 is held in place by the bushing retainer 266. The bushing retainer 266 is secured to the sample head 202 by the cap screw 268. The cap screw threads 269 engage the sample head 202 to secure the bushing retainer 266. The piston bushing 264 is held in place by the bushing retainer 270. The bushing retainer 270 is secured to the sample head 202 by cap screw 272. The cap screw threads 271 engage the sample head 202 to secure the bushing retainer 270. The piston stop 43 engages the bushing 262.
The check valve 278 allows fluid or other matter in sample tube 23 to escape through the escape valve orifice 277 as the soil sample fills the sample tube 23 and displaces any water or other matter within the sample tube 23. The reduced diameter portion of the check valve 278 forms a seat 275 for the ball 274. The check valve ball 274 moves up and away from the valve seat 275 while fluid escapes during soil capture. The retaining pin 276 prevents the ball 274 from falling out of the valve. When the housing withdraws from the soil, the ball 274 returns to a resting position and rests on the valve seat 275 and seals the escape valve orifice 277 to form a suction on and retain the soil sample 50 in the sample tube 23.
THE RECORDER ASSEMBLY
The recorder assembly is utilized to record the data measured from the load detector and movement detector and any other detector simultaneously. The data recorder assembly includes the battery pack 38, the data acquisition system 39 and the electronics package 37. The wiring 300 connects the battery pack 38 to the data acquisition system 39 and the wiring 301 connects the battery pack to the electronic package. The wiring 301 connects the electronics package 37 to the data acquisition system 39. The wiring 303 connects the instrument compartment interface connector 90 to the data acquisition system 39 and the electronics package 39.
The LVDT wiring 99 connects the LVDT to the instrument compartment interface connector 90 and thus to the recording assembly. The load cell wiring 92 connects the load cell to the instrument compartment interface connector 90 and thus to the recording assembly. The battery pack 38, the data acquisition system 39 and the electronics package are contained in the instrument compartment 36.
The external data ports 94 are mounted on the housing recess 102 to provide a means for retrieving data from the data recorder assembly. The housing recess 102 keeps the external data ports 94 recessed and protected during operations. The rubber nipple 95 slides over and protects the external data ports 94. The external data port wiring 100 connects the external data ports 94 to the data acquisition system 39 for retrieval of data.
The apparatus of the invention is not limited to the use of the specific data acquisition system described here. The apparatus of the invention contemplates the use of any self-contained means for recording data. Thus, the invention contemplates the use of optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, and the like. The invention also contemplates the use of self-contained data acquisition systems that do not store data but transmit data to the surface without the use of a physical data cable umbilical from the surface to the apparatus of the invention.
OPERATION OF THE INVENTION
Apparatus Deployment and Retrieval Operations
In operation, the operator drills a well bore 13 into a soil bed 35 and raises the drill bit 42 approximately 2-5 feet off the soil bed 12 at the bottom of the well bore 13. The operator either drops the housing assembly 14 down through the well bore 13 or he may lower the housing assembly 14 on a wire line 28 through the well bore without removing the drilling apparatus 30 from the well bore 13. To lower the housing assembly 14 on a wire line 28, the operator attaches a wire line 28 and overshot 29 to the overshot adaptor located on the top of the housing assembly 14 or tool.
The selectively lockable means 20, located in the latch-in assembly 34, engages the latch recess 15 in the drill string sub assembly 17 located above the drill bit 42 at the bottom of the drill pipe.
The landing ring 24 formed on the apparatus housing assembly 14 abuts the drill string landing ring 25 at the bottom of the drill string 30 during deployment to limit the downward progress of the housing assembly 14. The fluted exterior of the landing ring 24 allows fluid to pass through the flutes 45 as the housing assembly 14 moves through the drill string 30.
The operator may retrieve the housing assembly 14 by lowering an overshot 29 on the end of a wire line 28 which engages the top of the housing assembly 14. As the wire line 28 pulls up on the latch-in assembly 34, the latching dogs rotate back into the latch-in assembly 34 and disengage the recess 15 in drill string latching sub assembly 17. The wire line 28 pulls the housing assembly 14 to the surface where the user recovers the data stored by the data acquisition system 39.
In land-based operations the operator may drill a well bore 13 using a drill bit 42 and then remove the drill string 30 from the well bore 13. The operator may remove the drill bit 42 and replace it with the housing 14. The housing 14 attaches to the bottom of the drill string 30. The threads 60 on the tapered member 26 engage the bottom of the drill string 30. The operator lowers the drill string 30 with the attached housing 14 down into the well bore to a position adjacent the soil bed. The drill string 30 then forces the sample tube 23 into the soil bed. The operator removes the drill string 30 to retrieve the housing 14 and the soil sample 50.
B. Load and Displacement Measurement Operations
As the drill string is lowered in the well bore, the LVDT 101 measures the displacement of the sample-follower piston 40 within the sample tube 23. The sample-follower piston 40 follows the progress of the soil sample 50 within the sample tube 23, as the drill string forces the sample tube into the soil bed. The load cell 208 measures the force exerted on the sample tube 23. The data acquisition system 39 concurrently reads and stores the force and displacement measurements as a function of time.
C. Data Capture Operations
The sample tube 23 normally penetrates the soil bed 12 at the bottom of the well bore 13 at a variable rate, enabling the determination of dynamic loading characteristics. The rate is uncontrolled in the sense that it is subject to such factors as inconsistencies in the soil bed and load fluctuations in the drill string. The tool can operate in a hostile sea state without data degradation because the data measurements are taken as a function of time. The operator retrieves the data stored by the data acquisition system 39 through the external data ports 94 after the tools returns to the surface.
The instrument compartment 36 contains the data acquisition system 39, the battery pack 38 and the electronics package 37. The instrument compartment interface connector connects the data acquisition system 39, the battery pack 38 and the electronics package 37 to the load cell 208, and LVDT 101 and external data ports 94. The instrument compartment interface connector 90 accommodates wire connections from the exterior data ports 94, the load cell 208 and from the LVDT 101.
The soil sampling and data gathering apparatus tool is totally self-contained. The tool provides its own power supply, measuring instruments and data acquisition system. A battery pack 38 provides electric power to the load cell, the LVDT, the data acquisition system and the electronics package.. A plurality of o-ring seals isolate the apparatus so that it is not contaminated by the exterior environment nor does it contaminate the exterior environment.
The electronics package 37 provides an electronic interface between the data acquisition system 39 and the load cell 208, LVDT 101 and external data ports 94. The data acquisition system 39 may be comprised of an industry standard module such as the Tattletale Model V, available from ONSET Computer Corp., P.O. Box 1030, 199 Main Street, N. Falmouth, Mass. 02556.
The data acquisition system typically includes a central processing unit, a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter, an analog to digital converter, static RAM and EPROM. The data acquisition system takes analog signals from the load cell and LVDT and converts them to digital signals. The data acquisition system samples the analog signals from the load cell and LVDT at regular intervals, as for example every 10 milliseconds, converts these analog measurements into digital signals and stores the digital signals. The resulting data measurements represent a force curve 32 and displacement curve 33 as a function of time during the sampling session.
The invention is not limited to any particular conventional data acquisition system. The invention contemplates any suitable data sampling and storage device, such as optical disc or any other means of data storage. There are numerous uses for the recovered measurement data. It is contemplated that additional uses and interpretations will develop as the users of the invention gain experience with the apparatus and method and the data derived from its use.
D. Soil Capture Operation
The sampling tube 23 typically hangs down about 2 feet beyond the bottom of the drill bit 42. The operator allows the drill string 30 to descend at an uncontrolled rate which presses the sample tube 23 into the soil bed at a variable rate. The pressure from the drill string forces a soil sample 50 into the sample tube 23 as the sample tube 23 penetrates the soil bed 12 at the bottom of the well bore 13. The sample-follower piston 40 tracks the progress of the soil sample 50 as it enters the sampling tube 23. The check valve 278 allows fluid to escape from the sampling tube 23 as the soil sample 50 displaces fluid in the sample tube 23. When the sample tube 23 withdraws from the soil bed 12, the check valve ball 274 seats and seals to provide suction that holds the soil sample 50 in the sample tube 23.
The apparatus captures a soil sample 50 in the sampling tube 23, and gathers data on the soil bed 12, in situ, concurrently. The uncontrolled descent of the drill string 30 forces the sampling tube 23 into the soil at a variable penetration rate, enabling the user to determine the dynamic and static loading characteristics of the soil bed. The time measurements also facilitate data corrections for variable loading.
E. Load Measurement Operations
The load cell 208 measures the force exerted on the sample tube 23. The force on the sample tube 23 is transmitted from the sample tube 23 through the sample head 202 to the load cell 208. The top of the load cell 208 screws into the sleeve member 200 and the bottom of the load cell 208 screws into sample head 202.
The load cell wiring 92 from the load cell 208 connects to the load cell wiring connector 91 and passes upwardly through the load cell wiring passage 93 and connects to the instrument compartment interface connector 90. The data acquisition system 39 records the load measured by the load cell as a function of time.
A plurality of strain gauges 210 attach to the load cell web 206 to determine the load as an average of the measurements taken at the strain gauges. The load cell wiring 92 runs from the strain gauges 210 up through the load cell wiring passage 93. The load cell wiring passage 93 is sealed to keep out water and other contaminants. The load cell web 206 is positioned between the interior load cell sleeve 228 and the exterior load cell sleeve 222. The load cell is sealed by a series of upper and lower load cell o-rings 204, 220, 216 and 218 placed between the load cell and the interior and exterior load cell sleeves. The exterior load cell sleeve 222 protects the load cell from the environment.
The outer load cell sleeve is separated from the sleeve member 200 by a space 224 and a space 226 so that the axial load passes through the load cell instead of sleeve member 200.
F. Displacement Measurement Operations
The sample-follower piston 40 hangs down inside the sample tube 23. The sample-follower piston 40 follows the soil sample 50 into the sampling tube 23 as the drill string 30 pushes the sampling tube 23 into the soil bed 12. The LVDT core rod 240 attaches to the soil follower piston hub 256 by means of cap screw 258. The LVDT 101 measures the progress of the soil sample 50, as it moves into the sample tube 23 displacing the sample-follower piston 40 and attached LVDT core rod 240. The LVDT core rod 240 moves within the LVDT 101 and generates an electrical signal proportional to the displacement of the LVDT core rod 240 and sample-follower piston 40. The cap screw 258 allows for adjustment of the sample-follower piston 40 position relative to the LVDT core rod 240 to fix the piston face 254 on the LVDT core rod 240 at the calibrated null position of the LVDT 101.
The LVDT 101 remains environmentally isolated and water tight even at extreme water pressure through the use of the LVDT o-ring. LVDT retaining screw 114 secures the LVDT retaining bracket 112 to housing member 106.
The piston sleeve 41 slides on replaceable bushings 262 and 264. The bushings keep the piston sleeve aligned along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus without rubbing against the LVDT. The piston sleeve annular stop 43 abuts the upper piston sleeve bushing 262 and halts the downward motion of the sample follower piston 40.
SUMMARY OF ADVANTAGES
It will be appreciated that the method and apparatus for determining the dynamic characteristics of a soil bed by penetrating a soil bed at a variable penetration rate and measuring the force and displacement of the sampling device as a function of time of the present invention, provide certain significant advantages.
The present invention is self-contained and environmentally sealed. The apparatus is capable of operating on land or at great depths under the sea. The apparatus is simple and easy to build, with fewer parts than known systems. The apparatus reduces or eliminates the need for a physical data and control umbilical to the surface. The method can be performed on land or in a benign or hostile sea state without the need for motion compensation. The method may also be performed more quickly than known methods. The concurrent acquisition of a core or soil sample as well as load data and penetration data provides a valuable insight into the characteristics of a soil bed and its pile carrying capacity.
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The invention comprises an improved self-contained, environmentally isolated, multi-parametric measuring apparatus and method for sampling and determining the dynamic loading characteristics of a soil bed. The apparatus is specially adapted to withstand the extreme pressures of deep water applications. In operation, a drill string presses the apparatus of the invention into a soil bed at an uncontrolled rate resulting in a variable penetration rate. The apparatus has a self-contained data acquisition system that measures and records, as a function of time, the force exerted on the sampling apparatus and the depth of penetration as the drill string presses the sampling apparatus into the soil bed. Data is provided that enables the user to determine the static soil characteristics (e.g., shear strength and stress-strain characteristics) and the dynamic loading characteristics of the soil bed. The apparatus captures a sample of the soil for laboratory analysis. The data collected provides information on the quality of the sample and location of defects in the sample which would affect laboratory test results. The apparatus is self-contained and operates independently of surface telemetry. The method of the invention may be performed in less time than known systems and can be advantageously performed from a floating platform, because the apparatus of the invention is self-compensating and not adversely affected by variable sea states.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to pre-manufactured concrete building structures, and more particularly, to building structures which can be attached to and removed from existing structures for repeated use.
BACKGROUND
[0002] For background, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,171,596, 4,275,533, 4,573,292, 4,745,719, 5,265,384, 5,727,353, 5,845,441, and 6,330,771.
SUMMARY
[0003] There is a need to provide portable structures to function as school classrooms, office spaces, and/or apartments in a economical and expeditious way. Readily adaptable and configurable building facilities are required to meet the rapidly changing requirements for facilities such as school classrooms. Structures according to the invention are formed from pre-manufactured modules which can be joined in many configurations for serving temporary or long term building needs.
[0004] Structures according to the invention can be readily attached to an existing building or serve as a standalone structure. In addition, the structure can be used for a number of years after being delivered to the site. If and when the demographics again change and the additional space afforded by the structure is no longer needed, the structure can be detached and moved to a new site for expansion of a new school facility.
[0005] Specifically in school applications, the total lead time from planning through commissioning, to building operation can take more than six years. With typical school expansion projects, an architectural firm will spend substantial efforts to develop and plan structures fitting the classrooms to the particular needs of the school. However, when specifying building modules according to the invention, the time required to plan and build the additional space is minimized. The necessity for numerous site specific shop drawings is also reduced because the specifications of the structure according to the invention are predefined. Through application of structures according to the invention, the delivery time and the costs of construction can be greatly reduced. Architects, engineers and school officials know building dimensions, specifications and costs in advance. Therefore, site specific planning and variability is vastly reduced. The total construction time is reduced because precasting of the building modules can be done concurrent with preparation of the existing school facility and adjacent construction site.
[0006] In one aspect according to the invention, a building structure includes at least one building module for providing a temporary or permanent dwelling space, the module including wall, floor and ceiling members formed from reinforced precast concrete. The members are detachably coupled to one another to form an enclosed space, with adjacent members being spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance. A compliant pad spans this distance and couples adjacent members to accommodate relative movement between the members during transport and once the structure is located on the site.
[0007] In one embodiment, the compliant pad is a synthetic rubber. In another embodiment, the structure includes a concrete form attached to the ceiling to accommodate fixtures, electrical conduit or suspending ceiling materials. The concrete form can include a channeled layer, such as a composite floor deck ceiling system, including EPICORE® (Epic Metals Corporation, Rankin, Pa.), for example. In another embodiment, the members of the structure are further adapted to detachably engage a second additional building module, comparable to the first module, to form a single larger structure. The modules can be arranged vertically to form a multiple-story building or connected along a horizontal orientation to form a larger single-story structure.
[0008] The structure can also include a conduit extending through the members for accommodating building utilities including at least one of plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning. The structure can also be adapted for attachment to an preexisting structure. The structure can also include any of number of exterior facade surfaces, such as brick, stone, stucco, or any combination thereof.
[0009] According to another aspect, of the invention, a portable pre-manufactured building includes a generally parallelepipal structure for releasable attachment to a pre-existing structure having vertical walls, a horizontal floor, and a horizontal ceiling. The walls and ceilings are formed from cast concrete including reinforcing steel rebar and include a connecting layer disposed between the top of the walls and the ceilings. Wall members can also include at least one conduit for uninterrupted passage of utilities.
[0010] In a various embodiments, the connecting substrate is a synthetic rubber, such as neoprene, for example. A channeled layer, such as EPICORE® or equivalent, can be attached to the floor and ceiling members. The members of the structure can be further adapted to detachably engage a second additional structure, comparable to the first structure, to form a single larger structure. The structure can also include a conduit extending through the wall members for accommodating building utilities, including, for example, at least one of plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning.
[0011] The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the detailed description, which refers to the following drawings, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pre-manufactured concrete building module according to the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two of the building modules shown in FIG. 1 , arranged in a vertical configuration;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a floor plan view of a pre-manufactured concrete building module attached to an existing building;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a section view of the building module of FIG. 3 through line A-A;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a floor plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 ;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-section elevation view of the typical wall and foundation construction;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-section elevation view of wall, floor, and foundation construction;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a detail cross-section view of the junction between ceiling and wall members and floor and ceiling members;
[0020] FIG. 9 is another detail cross-section view of the junction between ceiling and wall members and floor and ceiling members;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a detail cross-section view of the junction between floor, ceiling, and wall members which depicts the attachment to the building foundation;
[0022] FIG. 11 is a detail cross-section view of a junction between adjacent floor members and a wall member;
[0023] FIG. 12 is a detail cross-section view of a window installed in a wall member; and
[0024] FIG. 13 is a detail view of an exterior door and an attached folding stair.
[0025] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] This invention relates to a system of pre-manufactured concrete modules that can serve as a freestanding school classroom, expand a preexisting school, apartment units, small office of other commercial space. Construction details permit the option of readily adding exterior facades such as brick, stucco, stone or lapboard, for example, to architecturally blend the new structure with the existing structure. Individual modules can be connected horizontally and/or vertically stacked to form multi-story structures. The room sizes may vary as to need and desire so that the rooms can be versatile and the only thing that will be required is that the room sizes can be engineered economically and safely. The modules forming the building structure can be constructed to withstand hurricanes, rainstorms, windstorms, snowstorms, and if geographic conditions warrant, seismic activity.
[0027] For classroom applications, the modules can readily provide additional student capacity when demographic changes require it. The modules can be attached to and integrated with the existing school and not an isolated “portable” style classroom. The modules can be delivered to the construction site and furnished with interior features, desks, chalkboards. The modules can be located to form hallways and bathrooms, for example. In commercial applications, the modules can be arranged in various horizontal and vertical configurations to meet the particular building requirements.
[0028] With reference now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 , there is shown a concrete building module 20 according to the invention. The module 20 can be pre-manufactured in a factory to desired specification and include all building facilities, such as bathrooms, closets, hallways, interior wall furnishings, and lighting fixtures, for example, and ready for use after placement and installation at the construction site. Alternatively, if practical, the module can be cast onsite. The module 20 is a single story building having a generally rectangular floor plan and is formed from steel reinforced concrete floor member 22 , wall members 24 and roof member 26 . Other floor plan dimensions are contemplated to meet individual building requirements. The floor, wall, and roof member 22 , 24 , 26 can be formed from reinforced concrete slab having a thickness of six inches. In one embodiment, the roof member 26 extends beyond an exterior wall member 24 in one direction to form an overhang 28 . The concrete roof member 26 can be coated with a waterproof layer or membrane, such as a thoroseal material, for example. The roof member 26 can also be flat or pitched along the lateral dimension of the module 20 at a suitable pitch, such as ¼-inch per foot for improved drainage.
[0029] The module 20 can also include preinstalled windows 30 and doors 32 . Cutouts 34 in wall members 24 adjacent the roof members 26 form conduits for continuous piping 36 from one module 20 to another adjacent module, comparable to module 20 , or to a preexisting building. The floor, wall, and roof members 22 , 24 , 26 are cast individually in appropriately sized forms and then joined together as described below. The interior surfaces of the wall members 24 can be covered with drywall or painted plywood. Optional facings 38 can be attached to the exterior surfaces of the wall members 24 , such as brick, stone, stucco, or lapboard for example, to conform the building module 20 to the preexisting building to which it can be attached.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 2 , the modules 20 can be stacked to form the two-story structure 40 as shown. Up to the three modules can be stacked vertically. The modules can also be attached horizontally (not shown), to form a larger, single-story structure. Junctions (discussed below) disposed between adjacent members of the modules 20 connect the first and second modules together. The structure 40 is supported by concrete pilings 42 or concrete footings spaced along the underside of the floor member 22 of the first-story module. Along the mating surfaces between the modules, filler strips 44 consisting of elongate decorative metal or plastic panels, can be attached.
[0031] The structure 40 can serve as a standalone classroom, with interior facilities including blackboards/whiteboards, clocks, closets and cabinetry and desks, for example. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the structure 40 can function as an addition to an existing school building. Preferably, the structure 40 is attached to the existing school building and integrated into the design of the school. FIG. 3 depicts an aggregation of structures 40 to form a wing 41 extending from an existing building 43 . In this example, the wing 41 includes two sets of two structures 40 a, 40 b, 40 c and 40 d, connected by a hallway section 45 spanning the adjacent units. The wing 41 is attached to the building 43 by vestibules 47 extending therebetween. As shown in FIG. 4 , floor member 49 extends from a first structure 40 a to a second structure 40 c, 40 d. One end of the member 49 bears on notch unit 51 . A roof extension member 53 spans the roof members of structures 40 a and 40 c. In one example, the roof is arcuate and includes a skylight (shown in phantom). Alternatively, the structure 40 is located proximate to the school for ready accessibility. In the classroom application, the structure 40 can also be assembled and installed on site to meet the needs of increased enrollment at a particular school and later, if enrollment drops, detached and reinstalled for use in a different school district. The structure 40 can also serve individually or collectively, as apartment units, office space, or commercial retail space.
[0032] A representative floor plan shown in FIG. 5 , shows exterior dimensions of about 20 by 30 feet. Although the floor plan shown is rectangular, other dimensions, as dictated by the site, the specifications, and the existing structure (if an expansion), are contemplated. The floor member 22 is formed from one or more slabs of reinforced concrete, similar to roof member 26 , with a thickness of six inches. Flat beams 46 extend beneath the floor member 26 to support the module 20 on pilings and/or footings 42 ( FIG. 2 ). Interior spaces such as closets 50 are formed with internal, non-load bearing walls 52 , framed with metal or wood studs, having a thickness of six inches.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 6 , steel rods 52 extend vertically between upper and lower horizontal steel beams 52 , 54 , respectively, for reinforcing the wall member 24 . The module 20 is supported by pilings 42 positioned along the span of floor member 22 and corresponding to the flat beams 46 ( FIG. 5 ). The ceiling height is nominally 9 feet.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 7 , the floor, wall, and ceiling members 22 , 24 , 26 are joined together along wall-to-roof member junctions 60 , wall-to-single floor member junctions 62 , wall-to-two floor member junctions 64 , a and floor-to-floor junctions 66 . The wall and roof members in junction 60 , the wall and floor members in junction 62 , and the wall and floor members in junction 64 are separated a vertical gap or distance D 1 . This distance is filled by a compliant pad 70 disposed between the concrete members. The pad 70 can be formed from a commercial available synthetic rubber compound, such as neoprene. A sealant 72 is applied along the peripheral edges of the pad 70 to substantially seal the connection against infiltration of weather and debris. Adjacent floor members 22 at junctions 64 and 66 are separated by a horizontal gap of distance D 2 filled with sealant 72 to bridge the gap. The vertical and horizontal gaps defined by D 1 and D 2 , respectively, in junctions 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 , spanned by pad 70 or filled with sealant 72 , permit relative movement between wall, floor, and roof members during transport and after installed at the site to accommodate building settling, while also mitigated cracking and other damage to concrete members 22 , 24 , and 26 of the structure 40 ( FIG. 2 ).
[0035] FIGS. 8, 9 , and 10 show the junctions 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 in greater detail. Generally the detailed view of a typical joint, depicted in FIG. 11 , shows the ends of adjacent floor members 22 positioned proximate one another and separated by a horizontal gap of distance D 2 filled with sealant 72 . A compliant pad 70 is interposed between the wall member 24 and the two floor members 22 , spanning the vertical distance D 1 . A layer of sealant 72 also extends along the periphery of the compliant pad 70 to substantially seal the connection against infiltration of weather and debris. Reinforcing steel rebar 52 extends vertically through the wall members 24 to strengthen the wall members in tension, as is commonly known in the art. For those areas of steel rebar 52 which are exposed, a layer of anticorrosive paint can be applied to resist oxidation of the rebar. A channeled layer 78 is attached to the lower surface of the floor members 22 . The channeled layer 78 can include metal decking for supporting ceiling fixtures, containing insulation or concealing pipes and ventilation components, for example. A second complaint pad 80 , spanning a vertical distance D 3 , is disposed between the channeled layer 78 and the flat beam 24 .
[0036] The compliant pads 70 , 80 can be made from commercially available synthetic rubbers, such as neoprene, for example. Collectively, pad 70 , extending along the distance D 1 , second pad 80 extending between the layer 78 and the flat beam 24 , and horizontal gap of distance D 2 , filled with sealant 72 , prevent direct contact between the wall and floor members 22 , 24 , which accommodates relative moment therebetween for transport and settling while still maintaining sufficient dimensional stability and rigidity of the structure. Referring to FIG. 10 , the wall section 24 is supported by piling 42 . The flat metal beam 46 is rigidly connected to the concrete pile 42 (or footing) beneath it, by a steel strap 82 , for example.
[0037] FIG. 12 shows a typical window section. A window 100 , bounded by a window frame 102 , is installed within corresponding open of wall member 24 , according to standard, accepted installation techniques. A concrete teat 104 or 1-inch pressure-treated wood beam is positioned along the top of the window 100 . About all sides, the window frame 102 is secured in place with screws fastened to lead shields 106 which are attached to the opening in the wall member 24 . Pressure treated wood trim 108 and window sealant 110 are attached along the outside perimeter of the opening in the wall section 24 along the window 100 . The decorative facade 38 , attached to the exterior surface of the wall member 34 can extend proximate the lowest edge of the window 100 to form a window sill 112 . The sill 112 can be pitched downward away from the window 100 to facilitate drainage of rain water. An interior wall 114 , attached to the inside surface of the wall member 24 , can be ⅝-inch drywall or painted plywood 112 , for example.
[0038] FIG. 13 shows a detailed view of the lower edge of door 32 . The door can be solid wood, fiber glass-composite heavy-gauge, galvanized steel over a core of rigid foam, for example. If the doors 32 open to the outside, an exterior door sill 118 extends from the floor member 22 to engage the lower edge of the door 32 and provide a tight seal. Folding stairs 120 can be attached to the inside of the door 32 for emergency egress from the structure 40 . The stairs 120 can include a rope 122 , attached to the stairs, for extending the stair 120 away from the door 32 .
[0039] A number of embodiments have been described herein. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
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A pre-manufactured building structure including at least one building module for providing a temporary or permanent dwelling space. The module includes wall, floor and ceiling members formed from precast concrete and configured for detachable engagement to one another to form an enclosed space. Adjacent wall, floor and ceiling members are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. A compliant pad spans this distance to couple adjacent members and accommodate relative movement between the members during transport and after installation of the structure.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/762,606, filed May 21, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,405 which is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/GB99/02708, filed Aug. 16, 1999, which claims benefit of Great Britain Patent Application No. GB9818360.1, filed Aug. 24, 1988. Each of the aforementioned related patent applications is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive and is more particularly, but not exclusively, intended for facilitating the connection of a section or stand of casing to a string of casing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the construction of oil or gas wells it is usually necessary to line the borehole with a string of tubulars known as a casing. Because of the length of the casing required, sections or stands of say two sections of casing are progressively added to the string as it is lowered into the well from a drilling platform. In particular, when it is desired to add a section or stand of casing the string is usually restrained from falling into the well by applying the slips of a spider located in the floor of the drilling platform. The new section or stand of casing is then moved from a rack to the well centre above the spider. The threaded pin of the section or stand of casing to be connected is then located over the threaded box of the casing in the well and the connection is made up by rotation there between. An elevator is then connected to the top of the new section or stand and the whole casing string lifted slightly to enable the slips of the spider to be released. The whole casing string is then lowered until the top of the section is adjacent the spider whereupon the slips of the spider are re-applied, the elevator disconnected and the process repeated.
It is common practice to use a power tong to torque the connection up to a predetermined torque in order to make the connection. The power tong is located on a platform, either on rails, or hung from a derrick on a chain. However, it has recently been proposed to use a top drive for making such connection. The normal use of such a top drive maybe the driving of a drill string.
A problem associated with using a top drive for rotating tubulars in order to obtain a connection between tubulars is that some top drives are not specifically designed for rotating tubulars are not able to rotate at the correct speed or have non standard rotors.
According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive, said apparatus comprising a motor for rotating a tool for drivingly engaging a tubular, and means for connecting said motor to said top drive, the apparatus being such that, in use, said motor can rotate one tubular with respect to another to connect said tubulars.
Other features of the invention are set out in claims 2 et seq.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention and in order to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an apparatus which is generally identified by reference numeral 1 .
The apparatus 1 comprises a connecting tubular 2 , a suspension unit 3 and a hydraulic motor 4 and 4 ′. The hydraulic motor 4 , 4 ′ has a stator 5 and a rotor 6 and is driven by a supply of pressurised hydraulic fluid (the fluid supply lines are not illustrated in the Figures). The suspension unit 3 suspends the hydraulic motor 4 , 4 ′ from the connecting tubular 2 .
The suspension unit 3 comprises a plate 7 which is fixed to the connecting tubular 2 by a collar 8 . The plate 7 has two projections 9 and 10 which have holes 11 and 12 for accommodating axles 13 and 14 , which arc rotationally disposed therein. The axles 13 and 14 are integral with a rigid body 15 . A slider 16 is arranged on runners 17 and (not shown) on the rigid body 15 . Arms 18 and 19 are connected at one end to the slider 16 via spherical bearings 20 and at the other end to each side of the stator 5 via spherical bearings 21 and 21 ′. The arms 18 and 19 are provided with lugs 22 and 22 ′ to which one end of a piston and cylinder 23 , 24 is attached and are movable thereabout. The other end of each piston and cylinder 23 , 24 is attached to lugs 25 , 26 respectively and is movable thereabout. A mud pipe 27 is provided between the plate 7 and the stator 5 for carrying mud to the inside of a tubular therebelow. The mud pipe 27 comprises curved outer surfaces at both ends (not shown) which are located in corresponding recesses in cylindrical sections 28 , 29 , thus allowing a ball and socket type movement between the plate 7 and the stator 5 .
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the apparatus 1 is suspended from a top drive 110 via connecting shaft 2 . A tool 30 for engaging with a tubular is suspended from beneath the rotor 6 of the hydraulic motor 4 . Such a tool may be arranged to be inserted into the upper end of the tubular, with gripping elements of the tool being radially displaceable for engagement with the inner wall of the tubular so as to secure the tubular to the tool.
In use, a tubular (not shown) to be connected to a tubular string held in a spider (not shown) is located over the tool 30 . The tool 30 grips the tubular. The apparatus 1 and the tubular are lowered by moving the top drive so that the tubular is in close proximity with the tubular string held in the spider. However, due to amongst other things manufacturing tolerances in the tubulars, the tubular often does not align perfectly with the tubular held in the spider. The suspension unit 3 allows minor vertical and horizontal movements to be made by using alignment pistons 31 and 32 for horizontal movements, and piston and cylinders 23 and 24 for vertical movements. The alignment piston 31 acts between the rigid body 15 and the plate 7 . The alignment piston 32 acts between the slider 16 and the arm 19 . The alignment pistons 31 and 32 and pistons and cylinders 23 , 25 are actuated by hydraulic or pneumatic means and controlled from a remote control device.
The piston and cylinders 23 , 24 are hydraulically operable. It is envisaged however, that the piston and cylinders 23 , 24 may be of the pneumatic compensating type, i.e. their internal pressure may be adjusted to compensate for the weight of the tubular so that movement of the tubular may be conducted with minimal force. This can conveniently be achieved by introducing pneumatic fluid into the piston and cylinder 23 , 24 and adjusting the pressure therein.
Once the tubulars are aligned, the hydraulic motor 4 and 4 ′ rotate the tubular via 15 gearing in the stator 5 thereby making up the severed connection. During connection the compensating piston and cylinders 23 , 24 expand to accommodate the movement of the upper tubular. The alignment pistons 31 and 32 can then be used to move the top of the tubular into alignment with the top drive. If necessary, final torquing can be conducted by the top drive at this stage, via rotation of the pipe 27 , and the main elevator can also be swung onto and connected to the tubular prior to releasing the slips in the spider and lowering the casing string. It will be appreciated that the suspension unit 3 effectively provides an adapter for connecting a top drive to the tubular engaging tool 30 .
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An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive, said apparatus comprising a motor ( 4, 4 ′) for rotating a tool ( 30 ) for drivingly engaging a tubular, and means ( 3 ) for connecting said motor ( 4, 4 ′) to said top drive, the apparatus being such that, in use, said motor ( 4, 4 ′) can rotate one tubular with respect to another to connect said tubular.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for introducing and removing through-the-flowline (TFL) tools from a subsea wellhead assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for introducing and removing at least one TFL tool using a remotely installed lubricator adapted to transport TFL tools to and from the subsea wellhead assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the production of subsea wells, such as oil and gas wells, it is a common practice to use a subsea wellhead assembly. When using such an assembly subsea oil well servicing and completion operations are often performed with TFL tools. TFL operations are preferred because the amount of support facilities necessary to conduct the operation is minimal. That is, an immediately adjacent platform or support structure is not necessary. However, TFL operations do require a particular configuration of seafloor equipment. The subsea wellhead must be designed to guide any TFL tool smoothly through the flowline or tubing into the well's tubing string. Furthermore, TFL operations usually require flowline communication between a surface location, such as an operating station, and the subsea wellhead assembly. Frequently, this connection is made with a dual completion flowline which provides a circulation path between the operating station and the well. Typical TFL operations using TFL tools include paraffin scraping, bottomhole pressure and temperature measurements, workover operations, and replacement of standing valves and sub-surface safety valves.
Notwithstanding the added advantages of TFL operations, the additional expense associated with the initial investment to provide TFL capability is high. This added expense is due primarily to increased costs for the dual flowline, the dual completion hardware, and operational costs related to drilling and completing the well for TFL operation. Additionally, a TFL wellhead is a relatively complex piece of equipment and generally requires special fabrication considerations.
Accordingly, the need exists for an improved method and apparatus which would permit the use of TFL tools and the performance of TFL operations without the added expense and hardware associated with providing dual completion lines and associated equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for introducing and removing at least one TFL tool using a remotely installed lubricator adapted to transport the TFL tool to and from the subsea wellhead assembly.
The apparatus includes a lubricator or a hollow elongate member which is adapted to support at least one TFL tool. One end of the elongate member is sealed while the other end is open or temporarily closed and, in any event, adapted to engage the receiving end of the subsea wellhead assembly. The apparatus includes an aligning mechanism to position the open end of the elongate member near the receiving end of the wellhead assembly. Means are provided for engaging the open end of the elongate member with the receiving end of the wellhead assembly. This engaging mechanism is capable of providing a pressure-tight seal. The apparatus also includes means for circulating fluid within the elongate member and the wellhead assembly once the elongate member and the wellhead assembly are engaged. Such a circulation permits the transfer of the TFL tool either from the elongate member to the wellhead assembly or from the wellhead assembly to the elongate member.
The method comprises the steps of lowering an elongate member which has been adapted to contain at least one TFL tool to the wellhead assembly, positioning the open end of the elongate member adjacent the receiving end of the wellhead, engaging the elongate member to the wellhead thereby providing fluid communication between the wellhead assembly and the interior of the elongate member, and circulating fluid within the member and the wellhead to transfer the TFL tool between the member and wellhead assembly.
Examples of the more important features of this invention have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description which follows may be better understood. There are, of course, additional features of the invention which will be described hereinafter and which will also form the subject of the claims appended hereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to more fully understand the drawings used and the detailed description of the present invention, a brief description of each figure is provided.
FIG. 1A is an elevation view of the apparatus of the present invention with a single elongate member.
FIG. 1B is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the subsea wellhead assembly shown in a configuration adapted to receive the apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a simplified illustration of the subsea wellhead assembly shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4A is an elevation view of the apparatus of the present invention with two elongate members.
FIG. 4B is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4A.
FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the apparatus of the present invention being maneuvered by a remotely operated vehicle.
FIG. 6 is a simplified illustration showing the engagement of the apparatus with the subsea wellhead assembly.
FIG. 7 is an illustration of the circulation path established for the removal of a TFL tool, in this case a sub-surface safety valve located in the wellbore.
FIG. 8 is an illustration of the circulation path shown in an open mode ready to transfer a TFL pulling tool to the wellbore.
FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8 except that the pulling tool has engaged the sub-surface safety valve and is ready to transfer the valve from the wellbore to the apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIGS. 1A-9, and with particular reference to FIGS. 1A-3, the apparatus "A" of the present invention is shown comprising an elongate member 10 attached to a clamping mechanism 12. The clamping mechanism 12 may be a clamp connector as generally described in John E. Ortloff's U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,160. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure that a bolted or hydraulically actuated clamping mechanism may be used, such as a bolted-flange connection. The elongate member 10 is shown sealed at one end 13 with a cap 14 but is open at the other end 16. The elongate member 10 and the clamping mechanism 12 are supported by a frame assembly 18. The apparatus includes docking prongs 20 which may be an integral part of the frame assembly 18 or, alternatively, attached to the frame assembly 18 for added rigidity.
The elongate member 10 is also known as a lubricator to those skilled in the art which is understood to mean that the inner diameter of the member 10 is generally larger than the inner diameter of the production tubing string 22 of the well 32 (see FIG. 3). This permits the easy manual installation of TFL tools at a support station, such as a surface vessel 19. Since TFL tools are advanced by pressurized fluid using tight-fitting locomotion pistons which require several hundred pounds of force, the manual installation of TFL tools by field personnel into a hollow member of the same diameter of the tubing string is difficult. Consequently, a larger diameter tube is used initially. The larger diameter is usually only 1/2" or so larger than the diameter of the production tubing string. But this is usually enough to permit easy installation and yet still provide enough seal around the pistons to advance the tool into the tubing string without problems. Lubricators are available commercially with single or dual elongate members, see for example Model No. FN1820 manufactured by Otis Engineering Corporation of Dallas, Tex. and shown at page 45 of Otis' 1981 Catalogue No. 5113B. Henceforth, however, the term "elongate member" shall be used instead of lubricator.
Referring back to FIG. 1A, an umbilical cord 24 extends from the support station 19, which would typically be a platform or a surface vessel, to the elongate member 10. The umbilical cord 24 as shown shrouds dual pressure conduits 26 and 28. The conduit 26 extends from the support station, through a valve 27 to the elongate member 10 and is in fluid communication with the interior of the elongate member 10 when valve 27 is open. The conduit 28 extends from the support station through a valve 29 which is closed at the time of installation and terminates proximate the clamping mechanism 12.
FIG. 1A is an elevation view of the apparatus of the present invention shown with a single elongate member 10. FIG. 1B is a plan view of the same apparatus shown in FIG. 1A. In FIGS. 1A and 1B the elongate member 10 is shown in a horizontal mode; however, it will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art based on this disclosure that for the performance of certain TFL operations, such as pigging operations, gravity assistance can be beneficial and in that event the elongate member may be positioned in a vertical mode.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a subsea wellhead assembly 30 is shown which has been modified for use with the apparatus of the present invention. The wellhead assembly is occasionally referred to by those skilled in the art as a "christmas tree". The wellhead assembly is typically located above a well 32 from which oil and/or gas is to be produced. FIG. 3 is a simplified illustration of the subsea wellhead assembly shown in FIG. 2. The well 32 is shown with a TFL tool 34 located below the wellhead assembly 30 but within the tubing string 22. The tubing string 22 extends to the top of the christmas tree where a well cap or tree cap 36 is located. A production pipeline 38 extends from the tubing string 22 to shore or an offshore storage facility (not shown). The wellhead assembly 30 includes a receiving conduit 40 which is capable of providing open fluid communication with the well 32 when the valves 42 and 44 are open. The wellhead assembly 30 also includes docking receptacles 50 which are designed to mate with the docking prongs 20. Collectively, the receptacles 50 and the prongs 20 are referred to hereinafter as the docking hubs. Once fully engaged, the clamping mechanism 12 is in a proper position for sealably engaging the elongate member 10 with the receiving end 41. Hereafter, the clamping mechanism may be referred to as such a means for sealable engagement.
It may be preferable to use a looped receiving conduit 40A as shown in FIG. 2 as opposed to a 90° elbow conduit 40 as shown in FIG. 3. During TFL operations there is a possibility that a TFL tool may get stuck as it straddles valves 42 and 44. By using a looped receiving conduit 40A and placing the valve 42 near the docking receptacles 50, it is possible to get sufficient length of conduit 40A between valve 42 and valve 44 to locate an entire TFL tool without straddling both valves. The wellhead assembly also includes a conduit 52 in open communication at one end 54 with the interior of the well 52 and terminating at its other end 56 proximate the receiving end 41 of the conduit 40. The receiving end 41 as shown in FIG. 2 would usually include mating flange 43 which the clamping mechanism 12 would engage. For details of an example, please see John E. Ortloff's U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,160, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference. Referring back to FIG. 3, a valve 58 is located on pipeline 38 to close off the pipeline when a TFL tool is to be run as described below.
With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown. The principal modification of this embodiment is the provision of dual elongate members 110 and 111 which simplifies the operation of the present invention as will be apparent based on the following disclosure. This alternate embodiment also includes a diverter 60 which is used to alternate fluid communication between each elongate member 110 and 111 and the receiving end 41 of the receiving conduit 40. The diverter 60 as shown is well known to those skilled in the art, see for example B. Van Bilderbeck's U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,418 and Otis diverter Model No. FN1810 shown at page 45 of Otis' 1981 Catalogue No. 5113B. The alternate embodiment includes an umbilical cord 124, conduits 126 and 128, clamping mechanism 112, and docking prongs 120 identical to corresponding items described earlier with respect to the single elongate member embodiment.
With reference to FIG. 5, a remotely operated vehicle 62 is shown transporting the apparatus of the present invention from a support station to the subsea wellhead assembly. Such vehicles are commercially available, for example the "Gemini" model manufactured by Ametek Straza Corporation of San Diego, Calif. or the "Trident" model manufactured by Perry Offshore, Inc. of Riviera Beach, Fla. Alternatively, the apparatus may be lowered by a hard wireline 25 as shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6 the umbilical cord 24 described earlier with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B and the wireline 25 are the same. Once the apparatus is properly aligned and docked via the docking hub, the clamping mechanism may be engaged.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 7 through 9 wherein the operation of the apparatus of the present invention and the wellhead assembly will be described. Collectively, the apparatus and the wellhead assembly will be referred to as the system. The operation of the present invention will be described with respect to the replacement of a sub-surface safety valve located in the wellbore, typically near the wellhead assembly. The use of such sub-surface safety valves is quite common. Their purpose is obvious based on the descriptive title. They are used to automatically seal off the well tubing in the event of an emergency. However, the use of the present invention is not limited to the replacement of sub-surface safety valves. It will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art based on this disclosure that the present invention may be used for the performance of any number of TFL operations such as the replacement of standing valves, the positioning of pressure and temperature survey tools, the installation of gas lift valves, etc.
Once the apparatus has engaged the wellhead assembly as shown and described above with respect to FIG. 6, the clamping mechanism 12 is actuated and establishes fluid communication between the elongate member 10 and the interior of the conduit 40 and the well 32. It will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art based on this disclosure that the clamping mechanism will be providing a pressure-tight or leak-proof connection between the elongate member 10 and the receiving end 41 of the conduit 40. Previous reference to John E. Ortloff's U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,160 as an example of a type of clamping mechanism provides for such. Furthermore, when such a connection is made, another simultaneous connection should be made connecting the end of conduit 28 with the end of conduit 52. Such a connection would be made probably in the flange area of the clamping mechanism. Techniques which could be used to effect such a pressure-tight connection between conduits 28 and 52 are well known to those skilled in the art.
Thus, a circulation path is established as shown in FIG. 7 which extends from the surface support vessel (19 in FIG. 1A) through the conduit 26 of umbilical cord 24, the elongate member 10, the conduit 40, the well 32, and conduits 52 and 28. This path is shown in FIG. 7 by the arrows 70. With reference to FIG. 8, the permit the introduction of a tool string (which includes locomotion pistons 74 and a pulling tool 72), valves 27, 29, 42 and 44 are opened and valve 58 is closed. Pressure is then introduced into conduit 26 at the surface via a pump 77 (see FIG. 1A) which permits the locomotion of the pulling tool 72 through the elongate member 10, the receiving conduit 40 and down to the TFL safety valve 34A. Such pulling tools 72 are well known to those skilled in the art such as Otis' type G pulling tool, Model MS-2034. Once the pulling tool 72 has arrived at the safety valve 34, it engages the top of the safety valve 34 for retrieval using state-of-art TFL equipment.
Referring to FIG. 9, circulation is then reversed. That is, pressure is introduced through conduit 28 as opposed to conduit 26. This establishes a pressure build-up below the locomotion pistons 74 which advances the tool string 74/72 upwardly. This results in the advancement of the tool string 74/72 with attached valve 34A into the elongate member 10. Valves 27, 29, 42 and 44 are then closed and the clamping mechanism 12 disengaged. The apparatus along with the tool string 74/72 and the old sub-surface safety valve 34A is then retrieved. At the surface a new sub-surface safety valve is installed in the elongate member 10 and the apparatus is returned to the wellhead assembly 30 and reconnected as described above. The new sub-surface safety valve is then installed within the well 32 in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the advancement of the tool string 74/72 into the well 32.
In the event the alternate embodiment as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is used, the tool spring 74/72 and retrieved safety valve 34A are returned to the first elongate member 110 in a manner similar to the single elongate member embodiment except that the apparatus is not disconnected. The diverter 60 is then activated which permits fluid communication between the second elongate member 111 and interior of the wellhead assembly 30 and the well 32. Circulation is established within the second elongate member, the wellhead, and the well tubing. A new sub-surface safety valve with a second tool string previously attached to it is then advanced through the diverter, the receiving conduit 40 and down to the location of the old sub-surface safety valve. At that time, the new sub-surface safety valve is disconnected and the tool string retrieved into the second elongate member. The valves 127, 129 and 42 are then closed and the clamping mechanism is disengaged. The apparatus is then retrieved.
The locomotion, connection, disconnection, and retrieval of TFL tools are well known to those skilled in the art and are described in detail in various oil industry equipment catalogues, such as Otis Engineering Corporation Bulletin No. 5113B, 1981 ed.
The operation of the valves 27 (127), 29 (129), 42, 44 and 58 during the performance of the TFL operation may be performed by a remotely operated vehicle well known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, the valves may be operated hydraulically within a subsea production system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,812, or manually by a diver.
The present invention has been described in terms of various embodiments. Obviously, many modifications and alterations based on the above disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, intended to cover all such equivalent modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.
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An apparatus and method is described for introducing and removing TFL tools from a subsea wellhead assembly. The apparatus includes an elongate member adapted to hold at least one TFL tool, docking hubs for aligning the elongate member with the wellhead, a clamping mechanism or the like for engaging the elongate member with the wellhead and a circulation for circulating fluid within the elongate member and the wellhead to transport the TFL tool between the elongate member and the wellhead. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes at least two elongate members and a diverter located between the elongate members and the clamping mechanism. The diverter permits alternate fluid communication between each elongate member and the wellhead assembly. The method comprises the steps of lowering the elongate member containing a TFL tool to the subsea wellhead assembly, positioning the elongate member adjacent the wellhead assembly, engaging the elongate member to the wellhead assembly, the then circulating fluid within the elongate member and the wellhead assembly to transport the TFL tool between the elongate member and the wellhead assembly.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
Domestic animals, particularly in the warmer climates, like to have access to both the interior of their owners' residences as well as to the outside. While it might be possible to leave a door open for the animals to move freely between the interior and exterior of the house, it is impractical and inefficient to do so in those warmer climates. Leaving a door open to allow for the freedom allows the air-conditioned air to leave and insects, other pests, and hot, humid air to enter. Yet, the owners of the domestic animals may not be willing or available to open and close the door at the pet's whim.
Thus, there is a need to have a door that can allow the pet to leave whenever the pet so desires without the owner having to be physically present to open and close the door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to pet door to be used with a sliding glass door that includes a first panel, the first panel being flexible, and having a first edge portion and a second edge portion, the first edge portion opposite from the second edge portion, an attachment member attached to each of the first first edge portion and the second edge portion, the attachment members connectable to one of a sliding glass door and a door frame associated with the sliding glass door, an opening in a bottom portion of the first panel, the opening sized to allow a pet to pass therethrough, and the first panel being attached to the sliding glass door and the door frame in both a first and a second position, the first position the sliding door being open and the second position the sliding door being closed.
In some embodiments, the first panel has a central portion, the central portion being comprised of a clear material to allow a user to see through the first panel.
In some embodiments, the first panel comprises at least two panels, an upper panel and a lower panel, the upper panel having a see-through portion and the lower panel having the opening for the pet.
In yet other embodiments, the the opening includes at least two intersecting slits, the intersecting slits forming at least two corners in the first panel, the first panel having magnetic elements disposed therein to attract the at least two corners to one another.
In yet other embodiments, the pet door also includes hooking members and a pet container, the hooking members attached to the first panel and extending outwardly from the pet door and into a dwelling to which the sliding glass door is connected to engage the pet container and maintain the pet container in a fixed relation to the pet door.
In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a pet door to be used with a sliding glass door that includes a first panel, the first panel being flexible, and having a first edge portion and a second edge portion, the first edge portion opposite from the second edge portion, an attachment member attached to each of the first first edge portion and the second edge portion, the attachment members connectable to one of a sliding glass door and a door frame associated with the sliding glass door, an opening in a bottom portion of the first panel, the opening sized to allow a pet to pass therethrough, and an extension disposed on each of a top edge and a bottom edge of the first panel to engage a portion of a frame of the sliding glass door when in the first position, the first panel being attached to the sliding glass door and the door frame in both a first and a second position, the first position the sliding door being open and the second position the sliding door being closed.
In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a pet door to be used with a sliding glass door that includes a first panel, the first panel being flexible, and having a first edge portion and a second edge portion, the first edge portion opposite from the second edge portion, an attachment member attached to each of the first first edge portion and the second edge portion, the attachment members connectable to one of a sliding glass door and a door frame associated with the sliding glass door, and the attachment member attached to the first edge portion includes a rotatable portion to wind up the first panel during the closing of sliding glass door, an opening in a bottom portion of the first panel, the opening sized to allow a pet to pass therethrough, and the first panel being attached to the sliding glass door and the door frame in both a first and a second position, the first position the sliding door being open and the second position the sliding door being closed.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of a pet door in an open position according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the pet door of FIG. 1 with the door in a partially open position;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the pet door of FIG. 1 with the door is the closed position;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the pet door illustrating the extension on the panel;
FIG. 5 is another embodiment of a pet door according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a front view of another embodiment of a pet door according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a top view of another embodiment of a pet door according to the present invention with the door in a closed position;
FIG. 8 is a top view of a pet door with hooking members attached thereto;
FIG. 9 is a top view of another embodiment of a pet door according to the present invention with the door in a closed position; and
FIG. 10 is a top view of the pet door in FIG. 9 with the door in an open position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , a pet door 100 is illustrated. The pet door 100 has a first panel 102 , the first panel having a first edge portion 104 and a second edge portion 106 , the first edge portion 104 being on an opposite side of the first panel 102 from the second edge portion 106 . By opposite sides, the inventor means in a left versus right edges and not in a front versus back sides. Each of the edge portions 104 , 106 have an attachment member 108 , 110 , respectively, attached thereto. Each of the attachment members 108 , 110 are preferably one portion of a hook-and-loop fastener. For example, the attachment members 108 , 110 could each be the hook portion of the hook-and-loop fastener, the loop portion of the hook-and-loop fastener, or even one could be the hook portion while the other is the loop portion. The corresponding portion of the hook-and-loop fastener is then attached to a door frame 112 and a door 114 . See, e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3 . The attachment members 108 , 110 are preferably attached to the same side (for clarity purposes, this means the inside facing side 116 and outside facing side 118 of the panel rather than opposite edges 108 , 110 ) of the first panel 102 , but could be attached to opposite sides 116 , 118 as well. Alternatively, the attachment members 108 , 100 could also be snap fasteners as well. Again, the male and female portions of the snap fasteners could be attached to the pet door 100 and the door/door frame 112 / 114 in the same manner as described above for the hook-and-loop fasteners. Other types of fasteners (e.g., zippers, buttons, magnets, etc.) could also be used and still fall within the scope of the present invention.
The pet door 100 is preferably made from a pliable material such as PVC, plastic, or other materials suitable for the intended purpose. The pet door 100 may also have rigid portions as described in more detail below. The pet door 100 may have a clear portion 130 in a central portion 132 of the first panel 102 to allow the owner to see through the pet door 100 . The clear portion 130 may be transparent plastic (hard or soft/flexible) or, given the appropriate dimensions to allow for movement of the pet door 100 when the door 114 is moved, glass or glass based materials. The clear portion 130 may also be larger or smaller relative to the size of the pet door 100 than that illustrated in figures.
The pet door 100 has an opening 140 in a lower portion 142 of the first panel 102 . The opening 140 is illustrated as being comprised of four slits 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 in the lower portion 142 . The opening 140 may be made of any number of appropriate slits and still fall within the scope of the present invention. The first slit 144 is vertical in orientation and intersects the second slit 146 , which is horizontal in orientation, and the first slit 144 preferably intersects the second slit 146 at about the midpoint thereof. At either end of the second slit 146 are two vertically oriented slits 148 , 150 , which complete the opening 140 . Each of the slits 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 penetrate through the first panel 102 so as to allow movement of the flaps 152 , 154 created by slits 144 , 146 , and 148 and 144 , 146 , and 150 , respectively. The pet can enter and exit the house by pushing on the flaps 152 , 154 . The flaps 152 , 154 may also each have a magnet 156 , 158 attached to the inner corners thereof, which are attracted to one another, thereby keeping the flaps 152 , 154 together and the opening 140 closed. This keeps the cool air inside and the warm air and insects outside. It should be noted that the slits 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 are far enough away from the edges of the pet door 100 so as not to affect the integrity of the pet door 100 , but close enough to allow even smaller pets to be able to use the door.
The pet door 100 may also have stitching 160 that provides a natural folding point for the pet door 100 , for when the door 114 is in the closed position. See FIG. 3 . The stitching 160 is known to be supportive and prevent the pliable material from breaking, cracking, or otherwise becoming brittle and deteriorating. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , when the door 114 is closed, the pet door 100 can remain attached to the door frame 112 and to the door 114 . The door 114 can be opened without having to attach the pet door 100 since it remains attached even when closed. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the pet door 100 may also have an extension 170 that is disposed at the top and/or bottom there of. The extension is preferably a resilient foam strip that engages the top and/or bottom of the door frame, thereby providing an additional way to seal the door opening when the door 114 is open. As the pet door 100 is stretched with the door 114 open, the extension 170 can resiliently engage the top and/or bottom of the door frame, much in the same way as weather stripping does. Naturally, the extension 170 is oriented on the appropriate side 116 , 118 of the pet door.
Another embodiment of a pet door 200 is illustrated in FIG. 5 . The pet door 200 is similar to the first embodiment, but the first panel 202 of pet door 200 has two independent panels 202 a and 202 b . The features of the two panels 202 a and 202 b are the same as the first embodiment, but the two panel pet door 200 allows the owner/user to modify the height of the pet door 200 to accommodate different sizes of doors and openings. The panels 202 a and 202 b have a first edge portion 204 a and 204 b , respectively, and a second edge portion 206 a and 206 b , respectively. Each of the edge portions 204 a , 204 b , 206 a , 206 b have an attachment member 208 , 210 , respectively, attached thereto. The attachment members 208 , 210 are preferably one portion of a hook-and-loop fastener. For example, the attachment members 208 , 210 could each be the hook portion of the hook-and-loop fastener, the loop portion of the hook-and-loop fastener, or even one could be the hook portion, while the other is the loop portion. The corresponding portion of the hook-and-loop fastener is then attached to a door frame 112 and a door 114 . While the attachment members attached to the panels 202 a and 202 b are separate from one another (i.e., pieces of the hook-and-loop fasteners), the attachment members attached to the door frame 112 and the door 114 may be one continuous piece.
The pet door 200 is also preferably made from a pliable material such as PVC, plastic, or other materials suitable for the intended purpose. The pet door 200 may also have rigid portions as described in more detail below. The pet door 200 may have a clear portion 230 in a central portion 232 of the panel 202 a to allow the owner to see through the pet door 200 . The clear portion 230 may be transparent plastic (hard or soft/flexible) or, given the appropriate dimensions to allow for movement of the pet door 200 when the door 114 is moved, glass or glass based materials. The clear portion 230 may also be larger or smaller relative to the size of the pet door 200 than that illustrated in figures.
The bottom panel 202 b has an opening 240 in a lower portion 242 of the panel 202 b . The opening 240 is illustrated as being comprised of four slits in the lower portion 242 . The first slit 244 is vertical in orientation and intersects the second slit 246 , which is horizontal in orientation and the first slit 244 preferably intersects the second slit 246 at about the midpoint thereof. At either end of the second slit 246 are two vertically oriented slits 248 , 250 , which complete the opening 240 . Each of the slits 244 , 246 , 248 , 250 penetrate through the panel 202 b so as to allow movement of the flaps 252 , 254 created by slits 244 , 246 , and 248 and 244 , 246 , and 250 , respectively. The pet can enter and exit the house by pushing on the flaps 252 , 254 . The flaps 252 , 254 may also each have a magnet 256 , 258 attached to the inner corners thereof, which are attracted to one another, thereby keeping the flaps 252 , 254 together and the opening 240 closed. This keeps the cool air in and the warm air and insects out of the house. It should be noted that the slits 244 , 246 , 248 , 250 are far enough away from the edges of the pet door 200 so as not to affect the integrity of the pet door 200 , but close enough to allow even smaller pets to be able to use the door.
The pet door 200 also has similar attachments members at the bottom of the panel 202 a and the top of panel 202 b . For example, the panel 202 a has two larger attachment members 260 at the bottom 262 . These may be one of the hook-and-loop fasteners while the top 264 of panel 202 b has attachment members 266 which would the other of the hook-and-loop fasteners. The attachment members 260 and 266 cooperate to attach panels 202 a and 202 b to one another. Given the sizes of attachment members 260 and 266 , the overall height of the pet door 200 can be altered to accommodate any variability in the height of the door 114 or door frame 112 . Alternatively, the pet door 100 , 200 could also be made of more sections of panels that allow for further adjustment of the overall height of the pet door.
Another embodiment of a pet door 300 is illustrated in FIG. 6 . The pet door 300 is similar to the other pet doors, but does not have a clear portion in the center of the pet door 300 . Rather, the pet door 300 has a re-closable opening 330 . The re-closable opening 330 is illustrated as being a zipper-type closure, but could also be a hook-and-loop fastener, snaps, etc. The opening 340 and flaps 352 , 354 also have more magnets 350 to keep the flaps closed on pet door 300 .
FIG. 7 is a top view of another embodiment of the pet door 400 . In this embodiment, the panel 402 is completely pliable and does not have a preferred bending location. The pet door 400 is illustrated with the door in the closed position. Otherwise, the pet door 400 may have some or all of the other features of the pet doors noted above.
Another embodiment of a pet door 500 is illustrated in FIG. 8 . Pet door 500 can be any of the pet doors discussed and described above. Pet door 500 has hooking members 520 that are attached to the pet door 500 at an appropriate height and to a pet container 522 . The pet can enter the house through the pet door 500 but, given the proximity of the pet container 522 to the pet door 500 , must enter into the pet container 522 . In this way, the owner can prevent the pet from entering areas of the house where the pet is not allowed. The length of the hooking members 522 may depend on the type of pet container 522 and the type and size of the pet. The pet container 522 may also have a second door opposite the pet door 500 to allow for access to the house, if desired, and access to the pet by the owner without having to unhook the pet container from the pet door 500 .
Another embodiment of a pet door 600 is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 . The pet door 600 is preferably all pliable, with or without the clear panel. The pet door 600 has attachment members 606 and 608 . Attachment member 606 is attached to one edge of the pet door 600 and is attached to the door 114 . The attachment member 606 may be one portion of the hook-and-loop fastener or may be an elongated member that attaches directly to the door 114 . The attachment member 608 is attached to the other side of the pet door 600 and also to the door frame 112 . The attachment member 608 has a rotatable portion 626 that, when the door 114 is being closed, winds up the pet door 600 . Similarly, when the door 114 is being opened, the rotatable portion 626 allows the pet door to unwind to a predetermined length. The attachment member 608 has features that allow the door 114 , when in the closed position, to be sealed tightly against the attachment member 608 , as if it were closed against the door frame.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A pet door connects to the door and to the door frame in both a closed and open position with an opening therein to allow the pet to leave and enter the residence at any time. The pet door also prevents the air-conditioned air from leaving the residence and insects and pests from entering while the door is in the open position.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus in which a window-opening switch and a submergence-time window-opening switch are provided on a car, and when the car submerges, the submergence-time window-opening switch is actuated to open a window.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a power-window apparatus of a car comprises a window-opening-and-closing motor, a relay-driving unit for selectively driving the window-opening-and-closing motor into a rotation in a direction to open or close the window, a window-opening control switch and a window-closing control switch. In addition, the power-window apparatus also includes a switch control unit, a window-opening switch, a window-closing switch and a control unit. The switch control unit applies a control voltage to the relay-driving unit through the window-opening control switch or the window-closing control switch. The control unit turns the window-opening control switch on when the window-opening switch is operated. Similarly, the control unit turns the window-closing control switch on when the window-closing switch is operated.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a typical configuration of main components composing the conventional power-window apparatus. To be more specific, the figure shows the configuration of a window-operating unit 30 on the driver-seat side.
As shown in FIG. 3, the window-operating unit 30 of the power-window apparatus on the driver-seat side comprises a window-opening-and-closing motor 31 , a window-closing-direction relay 32 U, a window-opening-direction relay 32 D, a switch control unit 33 , a control unit (CPU) 34 , a window-closing switch 35 U, a window-opening switch 35 D, a front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A, a right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 R, a left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 L, a window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 , a pinch-detecting circuit 38 , an interface circuit (I/F) 39 , a power-supply terminal 40 and an external connection terminal 41 .
The window-closing-direction relay 32 U and the window-opening-direction relay 32 D each comprise a relay winding and contacts. The switch control unit 33 comprises a first window-closing control transistor 33 U 1 , a second window-closing control transistor 33 U 2 , a first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 , a second window-opening control transistor 33 D 2 and a plurality of resistors each not denoted by a reference numeral. The window-closing switch 35 U and the window-opening switch 35 D are each a single-pole double-contact switch. Likewise, the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A, the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 R and the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 L are each a single-pole double-contact switch. On the other hand, the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 is a single-pole single-contact circuit.
One terminal of the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 is connected to the movable contact of the window-closing-direction relay 32 U while the other terminal of the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 is connected to the movable contact of the window-opening-direction relay 32 D. One end of the relay winding employed in the window-closing-direction relay 32 U is connected to the collector of the first window-closing control transistor 33 U, employed in the switch control unit 33 while the other end of the relay winding is connected to the ground. One of the fixed contacts employed in the window-closing-direction relay 32 U is connected to the power-supply terminal 40 while the other fixed contact is connected to the ground. In the same way, one end of the relay winding employed in the window-opening-direction relay 32 D is connected to the collector of the first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 employed in the switch control unit 33 while the other end of the relay is connected to the ground. One of the fixed contacts employed in the window-opening-direction relay 32 D is also connected to the power-supply terminal 40 while the other fixed contact is connected to the ground as well.
In the switch control unit 33 , the base of the first window-closing control transistor 33 U 1 is connected to the collector of the second window-closing control transistor 33 U 2 by a resistor whereas the emitter thereof is connected to the power-supply terminal 40 . The base of the second window-closing control transistor 33 U 2 is connected to the control unit 34 by a resistor and the emitter thereof is connected to the ground. Similarly, the base of the first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 is connected to the collector of the second window-opening control transistor 33 D 2 by a resistor whereas the emitter thereof is connected to the power-supply terminal 40 . The base of the second window-opening control transistor 33 D 2 is connected to the control unit 34 by a resistor and the emitter thereof is connected to the ground. The movable contact of the window-closing switch 35 U is connected to the control unit 34 . One of the fixed contacts of the window-closing switch 35 U is connected to the power-supply terminal 40 while the other contact is open. In the same way, the movable contact of the window-opening switch 35 D is connected to the control unit 34 . One of the fixed contacts of the window-opening switch 35 D is connected to the power-supply terminal 40 while the other contact is open.
The movable contact of the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A is connected to the ground while the fixed contacts thereof are both connected to the control unit 34 . The left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 L and the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 R are each wired in the same way of the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A. The movable contact of the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 is connected to the ground while the fixed contact thereof is connected to the control unit 34 . The pinch-detecting circuit 38 is connected to the control unit 34 . One end of the interface circuit 39 is connected to the control unit 34 while the other end is connected to the external connection terminal 41 .
In addition, besides the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 30 , the conventional power-window apparatus also includes a front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, a right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and a left-rear-seat-window-operating unit, which are not shown in FIG. 3 . The configurations of the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit are each the same as that of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 30 except for the following differences. In the first place, in the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit, the window-closing switch 35 U and the window-opening switch 35 D are switches for respectively closing and opening a window of a seat for which the window-operating unit is provided. In the second place, the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit are each provided with neither the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A, the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 L, the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 R and the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 . The driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 30 , the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit are connected to each other by connection lines connecting their external connection terminals 41 to each other.
The driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 30 having the configuration described above operates as follows.
With the window-closing switch 35 U not operated, the movable contact of the window-closing switch 35 U is connected to the open fixed contact as shown in FIG. 3 . In this case, the control unit 34 does not supply a control signal to the second window-closing control transistor 33 U 2 , putting the first window-closing control transistor 33 U 1 in an off state. Thus, the window-closing-direction relay 32 U is not energized, connecting the movable contact thereof to the fixed contact connected to the ground as shown in FIG. 3 . Similarly, with the window-opening switch 35 D not operated, the movable contact of the window-opening switch 35 D is connected to the open fixed contact as shown in FIG. 3 . In this case, the control unit 34 does not supply a control signal to the second window-opening control transistor 33 D 2 , putting the first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 in an off state. Thus, the window-opening-direction relay 32 D is not energized, connecting the movable contact thereof to the fixed contact connected to the ground as shown in FIG. 3 . As a result, the ground electric potential is applied to both terminals of the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 , preventing the motor 31 from rotating. Thus, the window is not slid in either direction.
Assume that the window-closing switch 35 U is operated to connect the movable contact of the window-closing switch 35 U to the fixed contact connected to the power-supply terminal 40 . In this case, a power-supply voltage is applied to the control unit 34 through the movable contact, causing the control unit 34 to supply a control signal to the second window-closing control transistor 33 U 2 . Therefore, the first window-closing control transistor 33 U 1 is in an on state at the same time. With the first window-closing control transistor 33 U 1 turned on, the window-closing-direction relay 32 U is energized by the power-supply voltage supplied through the first window-closing control transistor 33 U 1 , switching the movable contact of the window-closing-direction relay 32 U to the fixed contact connected to the power-supply terminal 40 . In this state, in the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 , the power supply voltage is applied to one end and the ground voltage is applied to the other end. As a result, the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 rotates in a direction, sliding the window in the closing direction.
On the other hand, assume that, while the window-closing switch 35 U is not operated, the window-opening switch 35 D is operated to connect the movable contact to the fixed contact. In this case, a power-supply voltage is applied to the control unit 34 through the window-opening switch 35 D, causing the control unit 34 to supply a control signal to the second window-opening control transistor 33 D 2 . The control signal puts the second window-opening control transistor 33 D 2 and, hence, the first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 in an on state at the same time. With the first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 turned on, the window-opening-direction relay 32 D is energized by the power-supply voltage supplied through the first window-opening control transistor 33 D 1 , switching the movable contact of the window-opening-direction relay 32 D to the fixed contact connected to the power-supply terminal 40 . In this state, in the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 , the ground voltage is applied to one end and the power supply voltage is applied to the other end. As a result, the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 rotates in a direction, sliding the window in the opening direction.
Next, assume that, right after an operation of the window-closing switch 35 U, the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 is operated. In this case, the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 rotates in a direction, sliding the window in the closing direction for the same reason described above. At that time, however, the control unit 34 executes control to continue the sliding of the window in the closing direction even if the operation of the window-closing switch 35 U and/or the operation of the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 are terminated. In addition, the sliding of the window in the closing direction is continued till the window is closed completely.
If the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 is operated right after an operation of the window-opening switch 35 D, likewise, the control unit 34 executes control to continue the sliding of the window in the opening direction till the window is opened completely even if the operation of the window-opening switch 35 D and/or the operation of the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 37 are terminated.
When the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A is operated to set the movable contact at a position to open the window on the front-passenger-seat side, the control unit 34 detects the operation and outputs a signal to open the window to the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit not shown in the figure. The signal to open the window is supplied to the external connection terminal 41 by way of the interface circuit 39 . From the external connection terminal 41 , the signal to open the window propagates to the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit through the connection line, sliding the window in the opening direction. When the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 A is operated to set the movable contact at a position to close the window of the front-passenger-seat side, on the other hand, the window is slid in the closing direction.
In exactly the same way, when the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 R is operated to set the movable contact at a position to open or close the window on the right-rear-seat side, the window is slid in the opening or closing direction respectively. Similarly, when the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 36 L is operated to set the movable contact at a position to open or close the window on the left-rear-seat side, the window is slid in the opening or closing direction respectively.
In addition, when the pinch-detecting circuit 38 detects a pinch of a thing by a window while the window is being slid in the closing direction, the pinch-detecting circuit 38 outputs a pinch detection signal to the control unit 34 . At that time, the control unit 34 controls the switch control unit 33 , the window-closing-direction relay 32 U and the window-opening-direction relay 32 D to halt the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 or to rotate the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 in the reversed direction.
It should be noted that, already generally known, the actual configuration and the operation of the pinch-detecting circuit 38 employed in the power-window apparatus are not described.
Since the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 30 employed in the conventional power-window apparatus is installed inside a car or, in particular, inside the door on the driver-seat side, the size of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 30 must be made small. For this reason, the window-closing switch 35 U and the window-opening switch 35 D must each also have as a small size as possible. If the car falls into water, submerging the body thereof for some reason, however, water flows into the window-closing switch 35 U and the window-opening switch 35 D, damaging insulators between contacts. As a result, the contacts are put in a conductive state without regard to the position of the movable contact. In this condition, the window-opening-and-closing motor 31 does not rotate normally even if the window-opening switch 35 D is operated so that the window cannot be opened. In consequence, the driver and passengers are not capable of escaping from the submerged car.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus that is reliably capable of opening a window when the user operates a submergence-time window-opening switch separately provided along with a submergence-detecting circuit.
In order to achieve the object described above, the present invention provides a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus comprising: a window-opening-and-closing motor for opening or closing a window; a motor-driving unit for selectively driving the window-opening-and-closing motor; a switch control unit provided with control switches and used for supplying a control voltage to the motor-driving unit; a window-opening-and-closing switch; a control unit for turning on one of the control switches corresponding to an operation carried out on the window-opening-and-closing switch; a submergence-detecting circuit including a submergence-detecting sensor; and a submergence-time window-opening switch, wherein: when an operation is carried out on the window-opening-and-closing switch with the submergence-detecting circuit put in an inoperative state, the control unit turns on one of the control switches corresponding to the operation carried out on the window-opening-and-closing switch, the switch control unit applies a control voltage to the motor-driving unit through the turned-on control switch to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor in order to open or close the window; and with the submergence-detecting circuit put in an operative state by the car's submergence detected by the submergence-detecting sensor, a turned-on state of any one of the control switches is made ineffective and an operation carried out on the submergence-time window-opening switch causes a control voltage to be supplied to the motor-driving unit to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor in order to open the window.
In the configuration described above, by providing the submergence-detecting circuit and the submergence-time window-opening switch on the unit for operating the window on the driver-seat side, in the event of submergence of the car, the submergence-detecting circuit detects the submergence, outputting a submergence detection signal for stopping an operation to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor and allowing the submergence-time window-opening switch to be operated to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor in order to slide the window in the opening direction. Thus, by operating the submergence-time window-opening switch, the window can be reliably opened even if portions of the unit for operating the window on the driver-seat side are affected by the submergence.
In the configuration described above, by directly connecting the submergence-time window-opening switch to the window-opening-and-closing motor-driving unit, it is possible to provide a structure in which, when the submergence-time window-opening switch is operated, a control voltage can be supplied to the window-opening-and-closing motor-driving unit by way of the submergence-time window-opening switch.
In the structure described above, by operating the submergence-time window-opening switch with all the control switches turned off, a control voltage is supplied to the window-opening-and-closing motor-driving unit to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor into a rotation allowing the window to be slid in the opening direction. In this way, a configuration portion comprising the submergence-detecting circuit and the submergence-time window-opening switch can be separated from the rest of the configuration, making it possible to enhance the degree of freedom in designing the circuits.
In addition, in the configuration described above, by connecting the submergence-time window-opening switch to one of the control switches that serves as a window-opening control switch, it is possible to provide another structure wherein, when the submergence-time window-opening switch is operated, a control voltage is supplied to the window-opening-and-closing motor-driving unit by way of the submergence-time window-opening switch and the window-opening control switch.
In the other structure described above, by operating the submergence-time window-opening switch, the window-opening control switch once turned off is turned on again to supply a control voltage to the window-opening-and-closing motor-driving unit to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor into a rotation allowing the window to be slid in the opening direction. Thus, by utilizing the window-opening control switch in this way, a configuration portion comprising the submergence-detecting circuit and the submergence-time window-opening switch can be made simpler by virtue of the use of the window-opening control switch.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of main components composing a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus implemented by a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of main components composing a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus implemented by a second embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a typical configuration of main components composing the conventional power-window apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Some preferred embodiments of the present invention are described by referring to diagrams as follows.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a first embodiment implementing a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus provided by the present invention. To be more specific, the figure shows the configuration of a driver-seat-side-window-operating unit employed in the submergence-detecting power-window apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the first embodiment comprises a window-opening-and-closing motor 1 , a window-closing-direction relay 2 U (motor-driving unit), a window-opening-direction relay 2 D (motor-driving unit), a switch control unit 3 , a control unit (CPU) 4 , a submergence-detecting circuit 5 , a driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D, a front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 A, a right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 R, a left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 L, a window-opening-and-closing auto switch 7 , a submergence-time window-opening switch 8 , a submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 , a pinch-detecting circuit 10 , an interface circuit (I/F) 11 , a power-supply terminal 12 and an external connection terminal 13 .
The window-closing-direction relay 2 U and the window-opening-direction relay 2 D each comprise a relay winding and contacts. The switch control unit 3 comprises a first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 , a second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 , a first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 , a second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 and a plurality of resistors each not denoted by a reference numeral. The submergence-detecting circuit 5 comprises a submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 , a switching transistor 5 2 , a collector resistor 5 3 , a base bias resistor 5 4 and a base series resistor 5 5 . The submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 comprises a switching transistor 9 1 , a base bias resistor 9 2 , a base series resistor 9 3 and a buffer diode 9 4 . The driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D, the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 A, the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 R, the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 L and the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 are each a single-pole double contact switch. On the other hand, the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 7 is a single-pole single-contact circuit. The submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 comprises a pair of conductors provided at close locations facing each other.
One terminal of the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 is connected to the movable contact of the window-closing-direction relay 2 U while the other terminal thereof is connected to the movable contact of the window-opening-direction relay 2 D. One end of the relay winding employed in the window-closing-direction relay 2 U is connected to the collector of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 employed in the switch control unit 3 while the other end of the relay winding is connected to the ground. One of the fixed contacts employed in the window-closing-direction relay 2 U is connected to the terminal 12 while the other fixed contact is connected to the ground. In the same way, one end of the relay winding employed in the window-opening-direction relay 2 D is connected to the collector of the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 employed in the switch control unit 3 while the other end of the relay is connected to the ground. One of the fixed contacts is also connected to the terminal 12 while the other fixed contact is connected to the ground as well.
In the switch control unit 3 , the base of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 is connected to the collector of the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 by a resistor whereas the emitter of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 is connected to the collector of the switching transistor 5 2 . The base of the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 is connected to the control unit 4 by a resistor and the emitter thereof is connected to the ground. Similarly, the base of the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 is connected to the collector of the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 by a resistor whereas the emitter thereof is connected to the collector of the switching transistor 5 2 . The base of the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 is connected to the control unit 4 by a resistor and the emitter thereof is connected to the ground.
In the submergence-detecting circuit 5 one of the ends of the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 is connected to the power-supply terminal 12 and the other end is connected to the base of the switching transistor 5 2 by the base-series resistor 5 5 . The base of the switching transistor 5 2 is connected to the ground by the base-bias resistor 5 4 and the collector of the switching transistor 5 2 is connected to the power-supply terminal 12 by the collector resistor 5 3 . The emitter of the switching transistor 5 2 is connected to the ground. In the submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 , the base of the switching transistor 9 1 is connected to the collector of the switching transistor 5 2 by the base-series resistor 9 3 and connected to the power-supply terminal 12 by the base-bias resistor 9 2 . The collector of the switching transistor 9 1 is connected to one of fixed contacts of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 whereas the emitter of the switching transistor 9 is connected to the power-supply terminal 12 . The anode of the buffer diode 9 4 is connected to the movable contact of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 and the cathode of the buffer diode 9 4 is connected to one of the ends of a relay winding employed in the window-opening-direction relay 2 D.
The movable contacts of the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D, the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 A, the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 L and the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 R are connected to the ground while the fixed contacts thereof are both connected to the control unit 4 . The movable contact of the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 7 is connected to the ground while the fixed contact thereof is connected to the control unit 4 . The other fixed contact of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is connected to the ground. The pinch-detecting circuit 10 is connected to the control unit 4 . One end of the interface circuit 11 is connected to the control unit 4 while the other end is connected to the external connection terminal 13 .
In addition, besides the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 , the conventional power-window apparatus also includes a front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, a right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and a left-rear-seat-window-operating unit, which are not shown in FIG. 1, as is the case with the conventional power-window apparatus. The configurations of the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit are each the same as that of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 except for the following differences. In the first place, in the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit, the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D is a switch for closing and opening a window of a seat for which the window-operating unit is provided. In the second place, the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit are each provided with neither the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 A, the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 L, the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 R and the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 7 . The driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 , the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit are connected to each other by connection lines connecting their external connection terminals 13 to each other.
Instead of adopting the configuration described above, any ones of the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit, the right-rear-seat-window-operating unit and the left-rear-seat-window-operating unit may adopt the configuration of the conventional power-window apparatus excluding the submergence-detecting circuit 5 , the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 and the submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 .
The driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 having the configuration described above operates as follows.
First of all, the operation in the normal state of the car is explained.
With the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D not operated, the movable contact of the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D is connected to neither of the fixed contacts thereof as shown in FIG. 1 . In this case, the control unit 4 does not supply a control signal to the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 , putting the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 in an off state. Thus, the window-closing-direction relay 2 U is not energized. In this state, the movable contact of the window-closing-direction relay 2 U is connected to the fixed contact connected to the ground as shown in FIG. 1 . Similarly, the control unit 4 does not supply a control signal to the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 , putting the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 in an off state. Thus, the window-opening-direction relay 2 D is not energized. In this state, the movable contact of the window-opening-direction relay 2 D is connected to the fixed contact connected to the ground as shown in FIG. 1 . Since the ground potential is applied to both the terminals of the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 , the window does not slide in either direction.
At that time, the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 employed in the submergence-detecting circuit 5 does not detect any submergence. With no submergence detected, the impedance of the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 has a very large value, turning off the switching transistor 5 2 . With the switching transistor 5 2 turned off, a power-supply voltage appearing at the power-supply terminal 12 is supplied to the emitters of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 through the collector resistor 5 3 . In the submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 , the base voltage of the switching transistor 9 1 is raised to a level close to the power-supply voltage, turning off the switching transistor 9 1 . With the switching transistor 9 1 turned off, the power-supply voltage is not supplied to the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 so that the power-supply voltage is also not supplied to the window-opening-direction relay 2 D by way of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 as a driving voltage even if the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is operated inadvertently.
Assume that the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D is operated to close the window by connecting the movable contact to a particular fixed contact. In this case, the ground voltage is applied to the control unit 4 through the movable contact. In response to this ground voltage, the control unit 4 outputs a control signal to the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 . The control signal puts the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 and, hence, the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 in an on state at the same time. With the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 turned on, the window-closing-direction relay 2 U is energized by the power-supply voltage through the collector resistor 5 3 and the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 , switching the movable contact of the window-closing-direction relay 2 U to the fixed contact connected to the power-supply terminal 12 . In this state, in the motor 1 , the power supply voltage is applied to one end, and the ground voltage is applied to the other end. As a result, the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 rotates in a direction, sliding the window in the closing direction.
On the other hand, when that the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D is operated to open the window, the movable contact is switched to the other fixed contact. In this case, the ground voltage is supplied to the control unit 4 through the movable contact. In response to the supply of this ground voltage, the control unit 4 outputs a control signal to the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 . The control signal puts the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 in an on state and, hence, the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 in an on state at the same time. With the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 turned on, the window-opening-direction relay 2 D is energized by the power-supply voltage through the collector resistor 5 3 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 , switching the movable contact of the window-opening-direction relay 2 D to the fixed contact connected to the power-supply terminal 12 . In this state, in the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 , the ground voltage is applied to one end, and the power supply voltage is applied to the other end. As a result, the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 rotates in the other direction, sliding the window in the opening direction.
When the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 7 is operated right after the operation to any of the direction of the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D, the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 rotates in either of the directions, sliding the window in the closing or opening direction for the same reason described above. At that time, however, the control unit 4 executes control to continue the sliding of the window in the closing or opening direction even if the operation of the driver-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 D and/or the operation of the window-opening-and-closing auto switch 7 are terminated. In addition, the sliding of the window in the closing or opening direction is continued until the window is completely closed or opened respectively.
When the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 A is operated to set the movable contact at a position to close the window on the front-passenger-seat-side, the control unit 4 detects the operation and outputs a signal to close the window to the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit not shown in the figure. The signal to close the window is supplied to the external connection terminal 13 by way of the interface circuit 11 . From the external connection terminal 13 , the signal to close the window propagates to the front-passenger-seat-window-operating unit through the connection line, sliding the window in the closing direction. When the front-passenger-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 A is operated to set the movable contact at a position to open the window on the front-passenger-seat-side, on the other hand, the window is slid in the opening direction.
In exactly the same way, when the right-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 R is operated to set the movable contact at a position to open or close the window on the right-rear-seat side, the control unit 4 generates a signal to open or close the window, sliding the window in the opening or closing direction respectively. Similarly, when the left-rear-seat-window-opening-and-closing switch 6 L is operated to set the movable contact at a position to open or close the window on the left-rear-seat side, the control unit 4 generates a signal to open or close the window, sliding the window in the opening or closing direction respectively.
The next description explains the operation of the submergence-detecting power-window apparatus in an abnormal state of the car.
As a first abnormal condition, assume that a thing such as a finger is pinched while the window is being slid in the closing direction. In this case, the pinch-detecting circuit 10 detects the pinch by the window, outputting a pinch detection signal to the control unit 4 . The control unit 4 immediately outputs a control signal for turning the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 off and, at the same time, outputs a control signal for turning the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 on. With the second window-closing control transistor 3 U 2 turned off, the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 is also turned off as well, halting the driving of the window-closing-direction relay 2 U. With the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 turned on, on the other hand, the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 is also turned on as well, starting to drive the window-opening-direction relay 2 D. As a result, the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 abruptly switches its rotation from the closing direction to the opening direction, sliding the window, which has been moving in the closing direction so far, to the opening direction. In addition, the control unit 4 can also be designed so that, when the control unit 4 receives a pinch detection signal from the pinch-detecting circuit 10 , the control unit 4 immediately stops the rotation of the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 instead of switching the rotation of the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 from one direction to another as described above.
As a second abnormal condition, assume that the car submerges for some reasons, causing water to flow to the inside of the car. In this case, the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 employed in the submergence-detecting circuit 5 may become wet so that its impedance is reduced substantially. With the impedance reduced substantially, the switching transistor 5 2 is turned on, lowering the collector voltage thereof from a level close to the power-supply voltage to the ground-voltage level. This ground voltage is outputted as the submergence detection signal. This submergence detection signal is supplied to the emitters of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 , the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 are turned off without regard to whether the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 are in an on or off state. At the same time, the submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 as a submergence detection signal is supplied to the base of the switching transistor 9 1 . The submergence detection signal turns on the switching transistor 9 1 , which was in an off state so far. With the switching transistor 9 1 turned on, the power-supply voltage is applied to the one of the fixed contacts of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 .
At that time, when the driver operates the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 , the movable contact of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is switched from the other fixed contact connected to the ground to the fixed contact receiving the power-supply voltage. Thus, the power-supply voltage is supplied to the window-opening-direction relay 2 D through the buffer diode 9 4 . The power-supply voltage energizes the window-opening-direction relay 2 D. The contact of the window-opening-direction relay 2 D is switched and the power-supply voltage is supplied to the other end of the motor 1 . The window-opening-and-closing motor 1 is rotated in a direction to slide the window in the opening direction. In this way, the driver is capable of escaping from the car quickly.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of main components composing a second embodiment implementing a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus provided by the present invention. To be more specific, the figure shows the configuration of a driver-seat-side-window-operating unit employed in the submergence-detecting power-window apparatus.
Configuration components of FIG. 2 identical with those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as the latter.
As shown in FIG. 2, the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the second embodiment is identical with the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the first embodiment except for a difference in how the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is connected to other components and minor differences in configurations of the submergence-detecting circuit 5 and the submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 .
To put it in detail, in the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the second embodiment, the submergence-detecting circuit 5 also includes two buffer diodes 5 6 and 5 7 in addition to the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 , the switching transistor 5 2 , the collector resistor 5 3 , the base bias resistor 5 4 and the base series resistor 5 5 . The submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 comprises two buffer diodes 9 5 and 9 6 .
In the submergence-detecting circuit 5 , one of the terminals of the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 is connected to the power-supply terminal 12 and the other terminal is connected to the anodes of the buffer diodes 5 6 and 5 7 . The base of the switching transistor 5 2 is connected to the cathode of the buffer diode 5 6 by the base-series resistor 5 5 and connected to the ground by the base-bias resistor 5 4 . The collector of the switching transistor 5 2 is connected to the power-supply terminal 12 by the collector resistor 5 3 and connected to the emitter of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 . The emitter of the switching transistor 5 2 is connected to the ground. The cathode of the buffer diode 5 7 is connected to the base of the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 . The movable contact of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is connected to the anode of the buffer diode 9 6 . One of the fixed contacts of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is connected to the power-supply terminal 12 whereas the other fixed contact of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is connected to the ground. In the submergence-time-window-opening-switch-driving circuit 9 , the anode of the buffer diode 9 5 is connected to the collector of the switching transistor 5 2 . The cathode of the buffer diode 9 5 is connected to the cathode of the buffer diode 9 6 and the emitter of the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 .
The driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the second embodiment with the configuration described above operates as follows.
Since the operation in the normal condition of the car is all but the same as the above described operation of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the first embodiment, the operation of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the second embodiment in the normal condition of the car is not explained.
A first operation in the abnormal condition of the car is an operation, which is carried out when a thing such as a finger is pinched while the window is being slid in the closing direction. This first operation is almost the same as the operation of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by first embodiment in the first abnormal condition described earlier. Thus, the first operation carried out by the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the second embodiment in the abnormal condition is not explained either.
A second operation in the abnormal condition of the car is an operation, which is carried out when the car submerges for some reasons, causing water to flow to the inside of the car. This second operation is different from the operation of the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by first embodiment in the second abnormal condition described earlier. Thus, the second operation carried out by the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 implemented by the second embodiment in the abnormal condition needs to be explained.
When water flows to the inside of the car, the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 employed in circuit 5 may become wet so that its impedance is reduced substantially. With the impedance reduced substantially, a bias is applied to the base of the switching transistor 5 2 through the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 , the buffer diode 5 6 and the base-series resistor 5 5 , turning the switching transistor 5 2 on. The switching transistor 5 2 in the turned-on state lowers the collector voltage thereof from a level close to the power-supply voltage to the ground-voltage level, and the ground voltage is outputted as the submergence detection signal. The submergence detection signal is supplied to the emitter of the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 directly, and supplied to the emitter of the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 through the buffer diode 9 5 . The first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 are turned off without regard to whether the first window-closing control transistor 3 U 1 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 are in an on or off state. At the same time, the power-supply voltage is applied to the base of the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 through the submergence-detecting sensor 5 1 and the buffer diode 5 7 to turn on the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 .
When the driver operates the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 in this state, the movable contact of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 is connected to the fixed contact, passing on the power-supply voltage to the emitter of the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 through the buffer diode 9 6 . Since the second window-opening control transistor 3 D 2 has already been turned on, the power-supply voltage also turns on the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 . In this stage, the power-supply voltage is supplied to the window-opening-direction relay 2 D by way of the submergence-time window-opening switch 8 and the first window-opening control transistor 3 D 1 , driving the window-opening-direction relay 2 D to switch the movable contact of the window-opening-direction relay 2 D to the fixed contact. As a result, the power-supply voltage is applied to one end of the window-opening-and-closing motor 1 through the window-opening-direction relay 2 D. The window-opening-and-closing motor 1 thereby rotates in a direction sliding the window in the opening direction. In this way, the driver is capable of escaping from the car quickly.
It should be noted that, while the first and second embodiments exemplify the driver-seat-side-window-operating unit 14 incorporating the pinch-detecting circuit 10 , the pinch-detecting circuit 10 is not necessarily required in the power-window apparatus provided by the present invention. That is, the pinch-detecting circuit 10 can also be omitted.
The unit for operating the window on the driver-seat side is provided with a submergence-detecting circuit and a submergence-time window-opening switch in accordance with the present invention as described above. In such a unit for operating the window on the driver-seat side, the submergence-detecting circuit detects the submergence when the car submerges, outputting a submergence detection signal for immediately halting the operation to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor into a rotation and allowing the submergence-time window-opening switch to be operated to rotate the motor in a direction to open the window. Thus, the present invention demonstrates an effect that, by operating the submergence-time window-opening switch, the window can be surely opened even if portions of the unit for operating the window on the driver-seat side are affected by water flowing to the inside of the submerging car.
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In a submergence-detecting power-window apparatus, with a submergence-detecting circuit put in an inoperative state, a control unit turns on one of multiple control switches corresponding to the operation carried out on the window-opening-and-closing switch, a switch control unit applies a control voltage to a motor-driving unit through the turned-on control switch to drive the window-opening-and-closing motor in order to open or close the window; and with the submergence-detecting circuit put in an operative state by the car's submergence, a turned-on state of any one of the control switches is made ineffective and an operation carried out on the submergence-time window-opening switch causes a control voltage to be supplied to the motor-driving unit in order to open the window.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to structure accommodating the collection and removal of debris from the upper surfaces of a screen enclosure and adjacent structure such as roof gutters, with access by which the debris is removed being from within the screened enclosure.
BACKGROUNG OF THE INVENTION
It is well recognized among persons who install screened enclosures, persons who have them, and persons who write about maintenance in newspapers and other publications that debris such as falling leaves, needles, and twigs from nearby trees, plus debris deposited by wind and rain, all accumulate on overhead screening. This is true whether the screening is of the typical metallic or plastic-strand woven or other open matrix type which is used to limit the entry insects while permitting air flow therethrough, or is a solid sheet screening intended to prevent entry of air or rain, for example, as well as insects. Screening of the latter type is often used to form temporary greenhouses, for example.
The accumulated debris not only produces weight and strain, but when allowed to remain for long periods induces the rotting of fiberglass screening and rusting of metallic screening. Pine needles accumulate very quickly and are particularly difficult to remove, as they tend to pierce through the woven or other open matrix screen openings and stubbornly stay put. Leaves and needles also become wedged under gutters where the screening is beneath and close to or even engaging the bottom sides of the gutters. If the overhead screening does not cover all areas of a patio or deck, each rain or even high winds washes or blows some of the debris onto the patio or deck. Without side screening, some of this debris is often washed or blown into swimming pools, spas and the like, increasing the cleaning and maintenance required.
Large accumulations of debris on the upper surface of the overhead screening and in adjacent gutters require hand removal for the worst of it. This typically means climbing up to the upper side of the overhead screening, placing boards across the supporting framework, and laboriously moving the debris from one screen panel or section to the other until the debris is removed. Even if the debris on the overhead screening near the building eave, and debris in the rain gutters, is to be removed, it involves climbing up on the building roof, walking near the edge, bending over and manually removing the debris, placing it in an appropriate container, and then bringing the filled container and oneself safely back to ground. Even if this is successfully and safely accomplished, some types of roofs are easily damaged by walking on them. Such roofs include tile roofs, which are also common in areas where screen enclosures are popular. Some roof shapes defy efforts to reach the debris. Also, climbing on such boards and roofs is not only difficult but dangerous to most homeowners.
One typical solution advocated and used by homeowners and by writers on the subject has been to turn on a water hose, set the nozzle for a strong stream, stand beneath the screening and wash the debris off of the overhead screening. Advice columns in newspapers and magazines have suggested that this is best accomplished by starting at one side of the screening where it is attached to the building, then progress systematically from one screen panel to the next. This sends decaying vegetation flying and tumbling around. The person controlling the hose has to try to drive the debris from screen panel to screen panel toward the far end of the enclosure and away from the building roof and gutters. This procedure is not only time consuming, but wastes water, one of our more precious natural resources. In the process it wets debris which is not removed, increasing the potential damage to the screening and other structure supporting the soaked debris, provides a haven for some insects, and often becomes moldy. Mold will stain, create bad odors, and increase the nuisance generally.
Another solution has been to use a portable leaf blower. directing the air stream at the debris through the screening. This entrains the debris in the air flow, scatters it all over, and with much labor eventually blows most of the debris off of the screening. In so doing, as with the water hose, some of the debris will simply be relocated from the screening, and will often land on the building roof and in its rain gutters. The gutters become plugged up with this additional debris, and the water backs up in them, causing water damage to the lower ends of the building eaves as well as encouraging oxidation of the gutters.
Homeowners have been interviewed about the problem, and they universally use one of the above noted methods of removal. Many just consider it to be too difficult a job, and hire someone to climb on top of the roof and the screening so as to remove the debris. All have said that they would like a simpler and easier solution if one were available. Manufactures and installers of screen enclosures would also like to have such a solution that they could incorporate into their products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention herein disclosed and claimed relates to screened enclosures such as those commonly covering lanais, swimming pools, decks, and similar structures. Such screened enclosures are particularly popular in warmer climates where there is no winter snow, but numerous insects. Many municipalities require such screen enclosures for swimming pools. The invention also relates to solid-sheet screened enclosures or overhead screening such as temporary greenhouses and other screen structures employing imprevious screening to prevent air or rain entry, and the like. Such overhead screening is more fully discussed above.
The invention more particularly relates to an arrangement which supports debris collected on some of the upper surfaces of the overhead screening and areas immediately adjacent to that screening, with portions of the screening being partially or totally removable from the underneath side of the overhead screening. When any one of such portions is so removed, the debris collected on it is removed through the opening created by the removal, and debris on adjacent structures such as fixed overhead screening areas, roofs and gutters is accessible for removal through the opening.
In the preferred embodiments, there are fixed overhead screen sections which are usually pitched so that debris such as leaves, twigs, and trash blown on the screening will slide or be blown to other overhead screen sections which are at the lower edges of the pitched sections. These other screen sections are preferably in horizontal planes or have a relatively slight pitch so that the debris does not tend to slide onto other parts of the enclosure screening. Also, these other screen sections are preferably located at low areas, usually next to gutters or roof edges or relatively narrow sections of fixed overhead screening, so that the debris tends to be trapped. Such debris will therefore collect on these other overhead screen sections as well as the other adjacent structures, due to wind currents and rain. Some or all of these other overhead screen sections are removably attached to underside surfaces so that these sections may be individually removed to create access openings for removal of the debris, and they may be reattached so that they again collect and hold debris until they are again removed.
Attachment is preferably accomplished by hook-and-loop tapes on the other periphery of each removal screen section and the mating surfaces to which the screen section is attached. One or more handles may be provided on the lower side of the removable screen section. Such handles are easily pulled to separate the hook-and-loop fasteners, even while standing on a ladder or stool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the underside of a portion of a screened enclosure embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in section. It is taken in the direction of arrows 1--1 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the structure of FIG. 1, taken in the direction of arrows 2--2 of that figure and having parts broken away.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of a part of FIG. 2 as identified by the circle 3 on that figure.
FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the structure of FIG. 1, taken in the direction of arrows 4--4 of that figure, with parts broken away.
FIG. 5 is a cross section view like that of FIG. 4, showing another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The invention is illustrated as being applied to a screened enclosure having overhead portions on which debris commonly collects. It is to be understood that it may also be applied to other articles of manufacture having a problem of debris collection in areas where the debris is not readily accessible from the debris-collecting side, but is or can be made accessible from the underside of the overhead screen sections on which the debris has collected.
The screening enclosure overhead portion 10 shown in the various drawing figures is typical of a portion of a screened pool enclosure found in the warmer climates such as the southern United States. Such installations use woven screening, usually woven with plastic strands. It is shown as having been installed immediately adjacent to a gutter 12 which is attached to the eave 14 of a building roof 16. The screening enclosure overhead portion 10 includes transverse screen support beams or roof arches 18 and 20 which are spaced apart much like roof trusses are in building roof support systems. These beams or arches are shown as having horizontal sections 22 and 24 and upwardly angled sections 26 and 28 respectively connecting with the horizontal sections at 30 and 32. Beams 18 and 20 are illustrated as being hollow box sections respectively having upper surfaces 34 and 36, side surfaces 38, 40 and 42, 44, and bottom surfaces 46 and 48.
Beams or arches 18 and 20 have cross beams 50 and 52 secured to them which hold the transverse beams in properly spaced relation and add rigidity, strength and support. Of course, in the complete screening enclosure framework, there are more transverse arches and cross beams than those shown in the drawing. Cross beams 54 and 56, parts of which are shown, are two of such additional beams. Cross beams 50 and 52 will be described further, but it is to be understood that cross beams 54 and 56, and other such cross beams, have similar features. Cross beams 50 and 52 are also illustrated as having box cross sections, and they respectively have upper surfaces 58 and 60, side surfaces 62, 64 and 66, 68, and bottom surfaces 70, 72. In the particular construction shown, cross beam 50 has the same cross section size and shape as do beams or arches 18 and 20, while cross beam 52 is smaller in cross section. Beam surfaces 34 and 36 are in planar alignment with the upper surfaces 58 and 60 of the of the support beam horizontal portions 22 and 24. However, because the beams 50 and 52 are smaller, their bottom surfaces 70 and 72 do not extend to the plane of the bottom surfaces 46 and 48 of beams 18 and 20. Of course, beams 50 and 52 may be made the same size as beams 18 and 20, and their bottom surfaces would then be in the same plane as the bottom surfaces of beams 18 and 20.
Structural elements such as beams 18, 20, 50 and 52 cooperate to define perimeter sections, one such complete perimeter section 74 being shown in FIG. 1, as well as portions of other perimeter sections 76, 78, and 80. All of these perimeter sections are illustrated as being rectangles, and that configuration is the most common. However, they may hve other geometric configurations, or even combinations of parts of a plurality of geometric configurations. Large fixed screen sections such as screen section 82 usually cover several of the first group of perimeter sections such as perimeter sections 78 and 80. These fixed screen sections are suitably secured to the upper surfaces of the transverse and cross beams in a well-known manner not illustrated.
A second group of perimeter sections are those which have the removable screen sections. These include the illustrated perimeter sections 74 and 76. The removable screen sections 84 and 86 respectively cover these two perimeter sections and are secured to support surfaces on the beam structures. The removable screen sections may form a substantially continuous line of such sections, or the removable sections may be separated by fixed sections. It so separated, they should be sufficiently close together so that any debris on them can be reached and removed in accordance with the invention, as needed.
For the sake of brevity and simplicity, further description is directed to perimeter section 74 and removable screen section 84. It is to be understood, however, that this description also applies to other removable screen sections and their associated perimeter sections.
In FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the embodiment of the invention is specifically shown wherein the removable screen section 84 lies substantially in the plane of the adjacent part of the fixed screen section 82. In FIG. 5, the embodiment of the invention is specifically shown wherein the removalbe screen section 84 is substantially in or just above the plane of the bottom surfaces 46 and 48 of beams 18 and 20. The bottom surfaces 70 and 72 of beams 50 and 52 also are in the plane of surfaces 46 and 48. For this arrangement, cross beam 52 is also the same cross-section size as beams 18 and 20.
While it is within the scope of the invention for the removable screen section 84 to be mounted on the bottom surfaces of the beams in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, both embodiments are illustrated as having separate support members within the perimeter section 74 to which removable screen section 84 is mounted. These support members are preferably made of "angle iron" sections, recognizing that they are not usually made of iron, but more commonly of anodized aluminum, as are most of the beams in use in recent installations. For such support members 88, 90, 92 and 94 are shown in perimeter section 74. They are arranged as shown in greater detail in FIG. 3, where portions of the two support members 88 and 92 are visible. They have their upper outer surfaces flush with the upper surfaces of the beams defining perimeter section 74, and their outer side surfaces in secured mounting contact with the inner side surfaces 64, 40, 68, and 42 of those beams. Thus support member 88 has its upper outer surface 96 flush with upper surface 58 of cross beam 50, and outer side surface 98 in secured mounting contact with inner side surface 64 of beam 50. The support members preferably have their ends abutting their adjacent side members so that they form a surface mounting platform within the perimeter section 74 for securing removable screen 84 in place. Support members 88, 90, 92, and 94 also have upper inner surfaces, with the upper inner surface 100 of support member 88 being best seen in FIG. 3. A fastener arrangement 102, shown in these preferred embodiments as a hook-and-loop arrangement known by such trademark names as Velcro and Scotchmate, is used to attach screen 84 to the support surfaces defined by the upper inner surfaces of the support members such as surface 100. In the particular embodiments shown, fastener arrangement 102 is formed of four sets of strips of the hook-and-loop material, with each set having a hoop strip and a loop strip. The strips of each set of strips are sufficiently close together, end-to-end fashion, they they form a substantially continuous rectangular loop. In quantity production, the loop so formed may be a continuous, uninterrupted strip set or a lesser number of strip sets, preshaped to extend over larger portions of the loop.
One set of strips 104 of hook-and-loop material is seen in cross section in FIG. 3. It has a hook strip 106 and a loop strip 108, with one of them (in this case the hook strip 106) secured to support member upper inner surface 100 by suitable means such as gluing, and the other one secured to the upper outher peripheral edge of removable screen section 84 by suitable means such as gluing or stitching, or both. Strips 106 and 108 are in substantially full mating relation so that the screen section 84 can be placed in position, and full interengaging action of the hook and loop strips can be obtained by simply applying hand pressure to the underside of the screen section 84 under the strip 108, as is well known.
In this manner, screen section 84 is secured to the framework from underneath, and can be removed from underneath as well. To assist in removal, one or more suitable handles or other attachemnts 110 may be attached to the underside of screen section 84, preferably under one of the strips 108, so that by manually exerted downward pulling force on one or more of the handles, the hook and loop strips are separated and the screen section, or only part of it if desired, is removed from the perimeter section 74. This provides an access opening where the removed screen section or part of it had been secured, through which one may readily remove the debris 112, shown somewhat schematically as leaves and twigs, may be removed. One may desire to hold a container underneath the area being opened so that the debris lying on screen section 84 simply falls into the container. Any debris in the area of the opening which on the adjacent fixed screen section 82, or, as shown, is within the gutter 12, can be readily removed by way of the access opening. After the debris has been removed, the screen section 84 is returned to its secured mounting position within perimeter section 74. It is then able to once again collect debris and hold it until the next removal.
In the embodiment of FIG. 5, removable screen section 84 is mounted on lower co-planar surfaces of the support members. As illustrated, these co-planar surfaces are the upper inner surfaces of the support members 88, 90, 92 and 94, as in FIG. 4. When desired, the support members may be inverted in relation to the installation in the other Figures. In such an inversion, the formerly upper outer surface 96 of support member 88 becomes the lower outer surface, and the fastening arrangment strip 106 is fastened to it instead of to an inner surface of the support member. In that instance, the surface 96 of the support member may either be flush with the bottom surfaces of the beams, or may be recessed slightly into the perimeter section 74 so that the removable screen section 84, when installed in its secured position, is substantially contained within the perimeter section. Whether the support members are secured as shown in FIG. 5 or inverted, the removable screen section 84 is adjacent to or substantially flush with the bottom surfaces of the beams.
This slightly recessed arragement has certain advantages. For example, it moves the adjacent outer edge surfaces of the hook-and-loop strips into areas protected from the direct blast of heavy winds, lessening the tendency of the strips to have forces exerted thereon by high winds, which forces might cause the removable screen section 84 to become detached.
In the FIG. 5 embodiment, the screen section 84 and the beam side surfaces 40, 42, 64, and 68 cooperate to provide a recessed space which provides better entrapment and containment of any debris which falls into the recessed space than does the upper flush arrangment of the other figures. In both embodiments, the debris is accessed and removed entirely from underneath the overhead screening, with the result that removal and replacement of the removable screen sections is quickly and easily accomplished, also from underneath the overhead screening.
It has been found that one-inch wide strips of Scotchmate brand hook-and-loop fastening material, a product of 3M Corporation of Minneapolis, Minn., perform quite satisfactorily. One side or strip portion is precoated with adhesive which will hold the strip sections to the support surfaces, and the other side or strip is readily sewn to the outer periphery of the removable screen section. It may also be fastened with adhesive, preferably together with being sewn.
The same type of woven open matrix screening that is typically used on such screened enclosures may be used for the removable screen sections. However, it has been found that a somewhat stronger open matrix screen material is better able to withstand the load of the debris under various conditions. such a screen material is manufactured by Phifer Wire Products of Tuscaloosa, Ala., under the trademark SheerWeave. It has about 14% openness, is composed of 500 denier fiberglass, PVC coated in the warp, and 1000 denier polyester, PVC coated in the fill. It is flame retardant and comes in a variety of decorator colors. Unlike some bulky metal grids used to keep leaves and other debris out of gutters, these products are very light in weight and do not add heavy weights which have to be supported by the gutters. These products have been found to adequately resist the wheather conditions usually encountered where such open weave screened enclosures are commonly used, at least to the same extent that the usual fixed screening enclosures maintain their integrity and remain functional under heavy rain and wind conditions. They have been found to have sufficient retention power to hold the kinds of debris typically encountered, as earlier mentioned.
The invention solves the long-exisiting problem of how to remove debris from the upper side of overhead screen enclosures by arranging for its removal from underneath the overhead scrrening through temporary access openings in the screening rather than trying to blow or rinse it off, or climbing on top manually remove it.
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A screened enclosure such as that commonly used to cover lanais, swimming pools, outdoor dining areas and the like has supports for overhead screening. Typically the supports are a series of roof arches joined by cross beams, and fixed screening is secured to the upper surfaces of these supports. The enclosure includes removable screen sections which are removably secured to under surfaces of these supports or the under surfaces of specially provided screen support members. These under surfaces to which the removable screen sections are removably secured define several perimeter sections which are usually but not always rectangular, with a separate removable screen section for each of those perimeter sections. When a removable screen section is removed, partially or completely, it is removed from underneath the screened enclosure so that no one has to climb above the screened enclosure to reach and remove debris. The removed screen section provides an access opening through which the debris collected thereon is removed, as well as debris on or in adjacent structure such as the fixed screen sections and a roof gutter. Hook-and-loop fastening strips are the preferred means for fastening the removable screen sections to the support structures.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application Ser. No. 471,440 filed May 20, 1974.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to portable earth boring machines and more particularly to a machine adapted for horizontal boring of shafts for the insertion of pipelines at installations where excavation from the surface is undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the machine of the present invention comprises a base means that includes spaced track members which are disposed in a trench adjacent to the hill to be bored. The machine further includes a frame means mounted for movement along the track means and such carriage supports a power train for rotating connected sections of auger shafts which comprise a progressively extendable boring auger. The frame means further supports a pusher ring for driving sections of casings into the bored hole and an associated pushing cylindrer means is provided for advancing and retracting the frame means and pusher ring along the track means.
In accordance with the present invention the earth boring machine is provided with a novel adjustable steering head provided with automatic control apparatus for varying the angle of inclination of such steering head so as to directionally control the path of the pipeline as the boring operation progresses.
As another aspect of the present invention the adjustable steering head is easily fabricated by modifying a standard casing section so as to include a simple flush type pivot hinge.
As still another aspect of the present invention the boring machine is provided with a remote grade indicator which includes a casing position sensing means mounted on the above mentioned steering head as well as a read-out gauge positioned at the operator's location with such remote grade indicator serving to continuously read-out the position of the earth boring head above or below the desired pipeline path.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide novel steering head means for automatically controlling the establishment of grade in the boring of a pipeline hole.
It is another object of the present invention to provide in an apparatus of the type described a remote grade indicator which provides indicia to the operator with respect to the grade position of the boring head during the drilling operation.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boring machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial top elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view, partially in section, of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view showing a modified steering head and control apparatus for the machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a partial front elevational view of the modification of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a partial top elevational view corresponding to FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial side view of the modification of FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a front elevational viw showing the remote grade indicating gauge and automatic control panel for the boring maching of the preceding figures; and
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a circuit for the automatic control system of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the complete horizontal earth boring machine of the present invention which comprises a base means indicated generally at 20. Such base means includes spaced longitudinally extending track means 22 which support a carriage means indicated generally at 24.
The carriage means 24 is advanced and retracted along track 22 by a hydraulic pushing cylinder seen at 132 in FIG. 1, with such pushing cylinder being operatively connected between a power cylinder base 36 and the carriage means 24.
Details of typical pushing cylinders such as 132 and power cylinder base 36 are disclosed and described in detail in the application of Albert R. Richmond, Ser. No. 867,816, filed Oct. 20, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,195 issued Nov. 12, 1971.
It will be further seen that pressurized fluid for actuating pushing cylinder 132 is provided by a fluid power system including a pump 39 driven by an engine 40. The fluid power circuit further includes control valve mechanisms 44 and 46 which are actuated when the pushing cylinders are extended or retracted so as to move carriage 24 forwardly or rearwardly along the track means 22.
Referring again to FIG. 1, the boring machine further includes a pusher ring 50 including a front annular surface 53 for engaging the sections of pipe casing for pushing such sections into the bored hole. Such pusher ring 50 includes a thrust plate means 60 mounted on the carriage means for absorbing the pushing thrust and the boring thrust of the auger assembly indicated generally at 64. A hydraulic drive assembly 61 is interposed between engine 40 and auger assembly 64, such hydraulic drive arrangement being described in co-pending application Ser. No. 337,211 filed Mar., 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,110.
A typical auger construction for connection with the machine of the present invention is disclosed and described in detail in the application of Albert R. Richmond, Ser. No. 85,614 filed Oct. 30, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,734 issued Sept. 26, 1972.
Reference is next made to the remote grade indicating apparatus of the present invention which is shown in assembled relationship with the boring machine in FIG. 1 and which comprises a sensing means indicated generally at 70 which is mounted on the foremost casing portion 72. The apparatus further includes includes a gauge means indicated generally at 45, which gauge means is located at the operator's station of the boring machine, as seen in FIG. 1, and serves to continuously provide read-out information with respect to deviation in the inclination or declination of the bored hole as the drilling operation progresses.
Details of the remote grade indicating apparatus are described and disclosed in detail in the co-pending application of Thomas W. Barnes, Ser. No. 354,998 filed Apr. 27, 1973 now Pat. No. 3,851,716.
In the present application of the remote grade indicating apparatus the fluid conduit connection between the sensing means 70 and gauge 45 is provided by a hollow passage through rod 74 and flexible lines 75 and 77. Such rod 74 serves the additional function of a push rod for actuating the steering head 72 of the present invention in a manner later to be described.
In general, the remote grade indicating apparatus 45-70 functions in accordance with the principle that liquid in a conduit system will seek a common level and since water is present in the sensing means and also in the visual gauge tube 78 of gauge 45 the level of the liquid in the gauge tube will always be the same as the level of the liquid in the sensing means 70. Hence it will be understood that by reading the level in the liquid tube 78, provided with grade indicia above and below a zero datum, the operator can at any time determine the height of the boring auger and steering head with respect to a predetermined datum line.
Reference is next made to the steering head apparatus. One of the modifications which is hydraulically actuated is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 4-7 and includes a pivoted head indicated generally at 72 formed from a length of standard casing section 80 which is pivotally connected to a second casing section 82 at a pivot joint comprising right and left male pivot members 84. Each pivot member includes a male protrusion 86 positioned in recesses 88 formed in female pivot portions 90. It should be pointed out that the male and female pivot portions 84 and 90 are each respectively mounted in cut-outs 92 and 94 which cut-outs can easily be made at the boring site by means of a cutting torch with the pivot portions 84 and 90 being welded in the cut-outs at the welded junctions 96.
With this arrangement the pivot portions 84 and 90 are relatively flush with the outer surface of the casing sections with back-up plates 103 being lapped against the inner surfaces of the second casing section 82 so as to retain the male members 86 in position.
Steering head 72 is actuated by a push rod 74 having its forward end pivotally connected to a bracket 100 at a pivot 102. Push rod 74 is made up of threaded sections so that its length can be continuously increased as the boring of the hole progresses and additional casing sections are inserted into the hole.
Rod 74 is extended and retracted, in one embodiment, by an actuating means indicated generally at 110 in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, and 7. Such assembly includes a saddle 112 which is removably attached to the base casing section 114 by a chain 116 which can be provided with a quick disconnect clamp not illustrated.
Saddle 112 mounts two single acting power cylinders 120 and 122 which are secured to saddle 112 at the welds 124. The power cylinders 120 and 122 include extendable and retractable rods 126 which actuate a slide 128 provided with laterally extending shoulders 130 engaged by the ends of cylinder rods 126. Power cylinders 120 and 122 are of the single acting type and receive pressurized fluid from a conventional pump and valve circuit not illustrated.
Slide 128 is mounted in guides 134 and the ends of actuating rod 74 are connected to the slide at the threaded junction 136.
Reference is next made to FIG. 4 which illustrates a modified control apparatus that includes the same pivot members 84-90 as well as the push rod 74 and bracket 100 previously described.
The modification of FIG. 4 differs, however, in that it includes a screw type actuating means 110-A that consists of a female threaded member 140 provided with a threaded bore 142. A male threaded member 146 is mounted for extension and retraction upon rotation of a head 150 with the forward end of male member 146 being connected to actuating rod 74 at a swivel connector 152.
Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, a boring head indicated generally at 150 is normally partially extended outwardly of the steering head 72 such that the base plate 162 turns just inside the forward end of steering head 72, and whereas the exposed cutters engage the earth.
A plurality of individual auger sections 164 are in driving connection with the rear end of boring head 150 and are in turn joined end to end at disconnectable junctions in the conventional manner such that auger sections can be added as the boring progresses.
In operation, when it is desired to increase the inclination of steering head 72 the operator pressurizes the previously mentioned hydraulic system so as to extend ram 126 of power cylinder 122. When this occurs the other ram 126 of power cylinder 120 will retract shifting slide 128 rearwardly thereby causing tension on push rod 74 which tilts steering head 72 upwardly about the pivotal center of the pivot portions 86-90. The auger head 150 is driven by engine 40 causing the upper portion 170 of auger head 150 to bite upwardly into the earth fill 172. The drilling action will cause the drillings to drop downwardly and cause wedging action on the under surface 174 of steering head 72. Hence, when the casing sections are advanced by the pressurization of pushing cylinders 36, the upwardly tilted steering head 72 is moved forwardly and over the previously mentioned earth drillings which drillings exert an upward force casuing the boring head 150 to drill in an upward direction.
When it is desired to decrease the grade angle, then the previously mentioned power cylinders 120-122 are actuated in the opposite direction causing the steering head 72 to decline whereby the boring auger 150 will work downwardly.
Referring next to FIG. 8, the apparatus further comprises an automatic control panel indicated generally at 240 which includes electronic control circuits which are diagrammatically illustrated in the circuit of FIG. 9. This automatic system can be used to operate the previously described hydraulic cylinders 120-122 for the purpose of automatically maintaining the predetermined grade of drilling operation. In this instance, the automatic control is applied to a "down power cylinder 120" and an "up power cylinder 122" as previously described.
Referring particularly to the control panel 240, the apparatus includes a control tube 242 which communicates with the previously described water gauge tube 78 of the gauge means 45 via a connecting tube 256 such that the water level in the control water tube 242 will at all times be equal to the water level in gauge tube 78, as well as equal to the water level at the sensing means 70.
Referring agin to FIG. 8, the existing water level is sensed by a level control sensor rod 244 mounted in control tube 242 with such rod 244 including three axially spaced metal sensors diagrammatically represented at S-1, S-2, S-3. The lower sensor S-1 functions to sense a low water level which indicates that steering head 72 is working downwardly, whereas the middle sensor S-2 senses the high level of the water which in turn indicates that steering head 72 is working upwardly. The top sensor S-3 functions to sense when the water in control tube 242 is at a high enough level for the supply to be turned off so that the system can settle out for a reading.
Sensors S-1, S-2, and S-3, diagrammatically iilustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, are small wires or metal elements the electrical resistance of which changes upon emersion in water when the level in control tube 242 changes to cause such emersion. Such changes in electrical resistance function as input signals to comparers in input conditioning circuits 268.
The above mentioned sensors are connected to input conditioning circuit 268 by a loom of wires indicated diagrammatically at 246, FIG. 9, and when the water level reaches the metal sensors S-1, S-2, and S-3, the comparers in the input conditioning circuits 268 change state.
The system of FIG. 9 further includes an automatic control circuit 270 and an electronic controller 272 which effect a memory function and also control an output signal to a control motor and drive mechanism 276 with such output signal being selectively actuated by programming circuits 284.
Programming circuits 284 at the outset of operation serve to connect the system with a water supply via line 238 upon actuation of a solenoid 251 of a water inlet valve 260. This allows water to flow up into the water level control tube 242. Subsequently, after a time delay to permit the system to stabilize the sensing circuits function to determine the water level in water level control tube 242 with the information being electronically stored in the memory circuits. At this time one of the signal lights 254 comes on to indicate to the operator that the boring machine should be started. After the machine is operating a signal is sent from the memory circuits to the programming circuits which institute operation of the control motor 276 to effect the necessary movement of the steering head as indicated by the memory signals.
Referring again to FIG. 9, the circuit further includes an output conditioner 274 which consists of a group of power output circuits which drive control motor 276.
As seen in FIG. 9, the operation of the control system is activated by control button 286.
Another feature of the control circuit comprises a machine turning limit switch 290 which is connected to the programming circuits 284 for the purpose of limiting the movement of the steering head beyond a predetermined maximum angle.
Still another feature of the automatic control circuit of FIG. 9 consists of an optional manual control circuit 278 which is shown provided with an "up" manual control button 280 and a "down" manual control buttom 282 with respective lights 250 and 252.
As seen in FIG. 9, previously described cylinders 120-122, FIGS. 1-7, are selectively pressurized responsive to the appropriate control signal when control motor 276, FIG. 9, operates to shift an actuator 302 of a control valve 300.
When control motor 276 extends to shift actuator 302 to the right, then the "down" motor 120 is pressurized with the "up" motor 122 being connected to tank 307. Pressurization of "down" motor 120 is effected by pressurized fluid from a pump 304 which may be driven by the boring machine. This causes steering head 72 to be pivoted downwardly which in turn causes the boring operation to decrease the grade being established.
Similarly, when control motor 276 shifts valve actuator 302 to the left, then the other head actuating motor or "up" motor 122 is connected to pump 304 via valve 300 and at the same time "down" motor 120 is connected to tank 307. This causes the boring head 72 to pivot upwardly thereby increasing the angle of grade being established.
After a correction has been made, when the sensors detect that the steering head 72 is back on grade then the circuits function to center valve 300 and the head angle is maintained until the sensors detect that another correction of head angle is required.
When it is desired to bleed the circuit, valve 262 is actuated via a solenoid 294 with such bleeding function being automatically controlled by the programming circuits 284.
Referring in detail to FIGS. 1 and 8, the remote sensing apparatus further includes a gauge means indicated generally at 45 that includes a transparent tube 78 mounted on a frame 220 in overlying relationship with an indicia scale 222 which includes the zero base and the related indicia marks which divides the scale into units, for example one-hundredths of a foot.
Gauge means 45 communicates with a water supply via a tube 238 which enters a valve 230 leading to fitting 224.
The apparatus further includes a valve 236 communicating with tube 75 that in turn is connected to the previously described sensing means 70.
The system is charged from supply tank via gravity through open valves 230, 236, 232, and 260. Valve 230 is closed when lines 238 and 256 are full and free of air. Vavle 236 is next closed and the valve 232 is closed when transparent tube 78 is full and valve 260 is closed when transparent tube 242 is full.
Valves 236, 232 and 260 are next opened and the water will seek its level in transparent tube 78 and 242 as dictated by the vertical location of sensing means 70.
In the event the boring is being conducted at a declined angle the water level will be established at the top of a right reference pin since water can bleed out of a sensor outlet until such level is established.
When the boring operation is being conducted at an inclined angle then the water level in gauge tube 78 and 242 will correspond with the top of the other reference pin.
At the outset of the boring operation, before steering head 72, and the gauge 70 mounted thereon, are buried in the earth fill, the apparatus is zeroed merely by placing a conventional surveyor stake, not illustrated, on top of one of the reference. The zero indicia mark on gauge 45 is then established at the same horizontal level as one of the reference pins by sighting along an indicia mark on indicia scale 222 and a corresponding mark on the surveyors stake. The surveyors stake is then removed from zeroing the apparatus and the drilling and pushing operations are next commenced.
It should be mentioned that the outlet of the sensing means 70 is superimposed over a drain hole through the wall of steering head 72 to provide means for releasing water from the outlet.
It will now be understood that after sensing means 70 disappears into the earth fill, as seen in FIG. 1, the zero grade position of the steering head 72 will be present when the water level is at the zero mark on the indicia scale of gauge 45. Moreover, as the steering head 72 inclines or declines the exact amount of such angular change will be reflected by the water level in the transparent tube 78 and 242 of the gauge.
It should further be mentioned that in instances where the boring apparatus and associated grade indicating apparatus are to be temporarily removed from the earth fill and it is desired to come back to the job and re-operate the apparatus at the same reference, then in such instances a reference means bench mark can be driven into the earth fill adjacent to the gauge and the location of the zero reference on the gauge can be noted on the bench mark using a surveyors transit as a sighting means with such bench mark being left in the boring bed when the apparatus is temporarily removed therefrom. When the apparatus is returned, the operator merely needs to line up the zero on the gauge 45 with the mark location on the bench mark using the transit and the boring operation can be resumed with the same zero reference with respect to grade deviations.
While the forms of embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.
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A portable earth boring machine for the horizontal boring of shafts and the insertion of pipeline casing sections in installations where excavation from the surface is undesirable. The machine is characterized by a steering head positioned at the front of the casings which steering head is automatically controlled so as to directionally control the direction of extension of the pipeline as the drilling operation progresses.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for leveling ladders disposed on inclined or irregular surfaces and more particularly to a ladder leveling apparatus readily attachable to ladders having side rails of various configurations without requiring modification to the ladder.
Although it is desirable when erecting a ladder to rest the bottom of the side rails on a substantially flat horizontal surface, it is not uncommon for ladders to be used at locations that do not provide a level surface. Obviously the use of a ladder at such a location can be quite dangerous. Various expedients have been used such as placing blocks or shims under the feet of the side rail to level the ladder, but such temporary devices are quite unsafe.
Ladder levelers attachable to the side rails of ladders have been proposed in the prior art. Such levelers include an extendible leg moveable relative to the rail of the ladder to which it is attached. Examples of such levelers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,849; 3,484,814; 3,861,500; 3,948,352; 3,998,293; and 4,209,078.
The ladder levelers of the known prior art have been deficient in the manner of attachment thereof to the side rail of a ladder. In certain of the prior art, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,484,814 and 4,209,078, the leveler can only be clamped to a rectangular leg of a wooden ladder. Modern ladders, however, are usually formed from extruded aluminum having rails of various shaped channel configurations. In certain of the other prior art such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,936,8487; 3,861,500 and 3,948,352, holes must be bored into the ladder rails for bolting or otherwise attaching tubular or channel mounting members to the rail, the mounting members carrying the adjustable leveling leg. Such holes and other modifications required to the rails weaken the ladder and reduce its structural integrity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consquently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a ladder leveling leg readily secured to various shaped ladder rails without requiring alteration of the ladder.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ladder leveling leg having means for securely clamping the leg to variously shaped ladder rails.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ladder leveling leg having universal clamping means for fastening the leg to ladder rails of various sizes and configurations, the leg being adjustably carried by the clamping means so as to be adjustable relative to the ladder rail without altering the construction of the rail.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a ladder leveling leg having universal clamping means adapted for fastening to ladder rails of various cross sectional configurations, the leg being adjustably mounted within a guide channel secured to brackets to which a clamping member is adjustably secured to lock the guide channel to the rail of the ladder.
The leveling leg is slidably mounted within the guide channel and secured thereto in selective positions by means of a latching pin resiliently urged to the latching position with cooperating holes in the leg and the channel. The channel is secured to a pair of brackets which in turn are adjustably fastened to a clamping member having means for positively gripping the front and rear walls of substantially any ladder rails when the clamping member is drawn toward the brackets.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lower portion of a ladder incorporating a leveling leg clamped to each rail and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view as seen from the right side of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, a portion of a typical ladder 10 is illustrated having side rails 12 connected together by supporting rungs 14. The ladder, as is conventional, may be formed from aluminum, or other such material, extruded into a channel shaped form. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the extruded shape of the rails may include a web 16 extending front to back and a spaced pair of side flanges 18, 20 of any conventional form for providing rigidity to the rails. The precise cross sectional configuration of the rails is not critical to the invention providing the rails have substantially planar front and rear surfaces.
Disposed on the lower portion of at least one of the rails is a leveling leg 22 having a substantially hollow rectangular cross sectional configuration. The leg 22 is slidably mounted within a guide channel 24. The guide channel 24 preferably is an elongated extruded member having a substantially rectangular configuration defined by three walls, 26, 28, 30 and a pair of lips 32, 34 respectively at the end of the walls 28, 30 spaced from the wall 26 and overlying a portion of a respective wall 36 of the leg 22. Formed in the central portion of the wall 36 in a strengthening rib 38 is an internally threaded boss 40. Threadedly disposed in the boss 40 is a plunger guide insert 42 having a central bore 44 for receiving a plunger pin 46. The bore 44 opens into an enlarged counterbore 48 formed in the portion of the insert within the hollow of the leg 22. A compression coil spring 50 is disposed about the pin 46 internally of the wall 36 and seats at one end within the counterbore 48 against the adjacent wall of the insert. A detent member 52 is secured on the interior end of the pin and has a flange 54 which abuts the other end of the spring 50, the detent having a substantially square configuration on the end 56 remote from the spring for receipt within a similar square shaped hole 58 in the wall 60 of the leveling leg 22 opposite the wall 36. A plurality of similar square shaped holes 62 are substantially equally spaced along the wall 26 of the guide channel 24 for receiving the end 56 of the detent member 52 for locking the leveling leg 22 to the channel in any of a number of selected positions as determined by the alignment of the hole 58 with a selected hole 62. The end of the pin 46 remote from the detent 52 is threaded for receiving an operator knob 64. Thus, by pulling on the knob 64 against the force of the spring 50 the end of the detent 52 may be removed from one of the holes 62 and the leg 2 slidably positioned until the end 56 of the detent member is repositioned into another selected hole 62. To mount the leveling leg 22 securely to the rail 12 of the ladder 10, the present invention provides a pair of spaced clamping systems each of which includes a pair of brackets 66, 68 and a clamping member 70, the brackets being secured to the guide channel 24 and adjustably fastened by means of the clamping member to the ladder rail at two spaced locations.
The bracket 66 comprises a substantially L-shaped cross sectional configuration member preferably extruded from aluminum alloy, one of the legs, preferably the longer leg 72, being disposed parallel to and spaced from the rail web 16 and being secured to the wall 26 of the guide channel 24. The leg 72 is secured by means of a rivet 74, or the like, having its head counter-sunk into the wall 26 at a location spaced from one end, e.g., toward the front as illustrated, of the holes 62. The other leg 76 of the bracket 66 has a boss 78 including a tapped hole for receiving a bolt 80 for reasons hereinafter described.
The bracket 68 also comprises a substantially L-shaped extruded member of similar material to the bracket 66. Here, preferably the shorter leg 82, is secured to the wall 26 of the guide channel 24 spaced from the holes 62 remote from the leg 72 also by means of a rivet 74 having a counter-sunk head. The longer leg 84 extends parallel to and spaced slightly from the flange 20 for a substantial portion and has a slight step 86 inwardly substantially parallel to the web 16 from which it continues away from the leg 82, the portion of the leg beyond the step 86 having a boss 88 tapped for receiving a bolt 90. In the portion of the leg 84 adjacent the flange 20 there are mounted at least a pair of non-ferrous metal exploding type rivets 92 which are adapted to bite into and frictionally grip the flange 20 when the leg 84 is drawn tightly toward the flange 20 of the ladder rails as hereinafter described. Of course rubber or synthetic elastomeric grippers may be used in lieu of the exploding type rivets 92, but the exploding rivets are preferred since they have longer lasting qualities.
The clamping member 70 is adjustably secured to the brackets 66 and 68 by means of the bolts 80 and 90. As illustrated, the clamping member 70 comprises an extruded member which complements the shape of the brackets 66, 68 to enclose and grasp about the rail 12. Thus, the clamping member 70 includes a first leg 94 spaced from the ends of the flanges 18 and 20 remote from the web 16, this leg terminating adjacent the bracket 68 in a smaller leg 96 having a bore (not illustrated) adapted to align with the center of the boss 88 for receiving the bolt 90. The other end of the leg 94 extends beyond the flange 80 and a leg 98 extends substantially normal to the leg 94 spaced slightly from and overlying the flange 18, the leg 98 having a small inwardly extending step at 100 and terminating in an extension 102 overlying the leg 76 of the bracket 66. A bore (not illustrated) in the extension 102 is adapted to receive the bolt 80 and be aligned with the tapped hole in the leg 76. A pair of exploding type rivets 104 similar to the rivets 92 are disposed in the leg 98 for frictionally engaging the flange 18 as the leg 98 is drawn toward that flange.
To attach the leveling leg 22 to the rail 12 of the ladder 10, two clamping systems each comprising the brackets 66, 68 and the clamp 70 are utilized. The clamps 70 and bolts 80, 90 are first disassembled from the respective brackets 66, 68 and the brackets are disposed adjacent the web 16 and flange 20 at the desired locations. Each clamp 70 is then disposed so that the bolts 80 and 90 may be inserted through the clamp and secured to the respective bracket 66, 68. As the bolts 80, 90 are threaded into the brackets 66, 68 and the clamp is drawn into assembled relationship therewith, the rivets 92 and 104 are drawn tightly against the respective flange 20 and 18 to lock the clamping system and thus the channel 24 against the rail 12. The leveling leg 22 may thereafter be adjusted relative to the channel 24 by withdrawal of the end 56 of the detent 52 from a first hole 62 and slidably disposing the leg 22 to the desired disposition, whereupon the detent is inserted into another hole 62 at the desired location. A rubber soled safety shoe 106 pivotably mounted at the bottom end of the leveling leg 22 may be provided for fine adjustments of the leg 22.
Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
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A ladder leveling leg has a universal clamping arrangement adapted for fastening to the rail of a ladder of various cross sectional configurations. The leg is adjustably mounted within a guide channel secured to brackets to which a clamping member is adjustably fastened to lock the guide channel to the rail of the ladder. The leveling leg is slidably mounted within the channel and may be secured thereto in selected positions by means of a detent resiliently urged toward cooperating holes in the leveling leg and the channel. Gripping members on the clamping member and one bracket frictionally engage the front and rear walls of the rail as the clamping member is secured to the brackets.
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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/517,659, filed Nov. 6, 2003. The entire teachings of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
Workers on elevated construction projects, such as roofs, should have protection from falling, for example, while installing roof panels, insulation, fastenings, or other component parts of the roofing system. These workers are at risk of falling in the region extending in front of the installed roof panels. When insulation is spread over structural members ahead of the workers' position, and ahead of the installed roof panels, the layer of insulation can give workers a false sense of security, since the insulation covers the structural members. However, the insulation is not strong enough to prevent a worker from falling through the insulation. One method of providing protection for workers against such falls is to apply netting over the entire roof structure, which is then covered by the insulation and roof panels. This method is not only expensive but the installation of the netting can also be dangerous. Another method of providing protection against falls is to secure safety lines to the workers. This method becomes unwieldy when multiple workers are moving back and forth over the roof, and often the workers end up disconnecting the lines.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a movable safety barrier system which can be extended over structural members on elevated projects along the leading edge of construction, and can be advanced as the work progresses.
The barrier system can include a flexible barrier member having a barrier member length with first and second ends, and a width. The barrier member can have a construction that is flexible in both directions along the length and width of the barrier member. First and second end supports are provided which are capable of supporting respective first and second ends of the length of the barrier member when the barrier member is extended between the end supports. The end supports can allow the extended barrier member to move in a direction transverse to the width of the barrier member when desired.
In particular embodiments, the flexible barrier member can be extended across support members of a structure. The flexible barrier member can be made of netting material which can be a slippery plastic mesh-type material. The width of the flexible barrier member has a leading edge which can be reinforced to allow the barrier member to slide more evenly across the support members of the structure. The leading edge can be reinforced with a thin plastic member. The flexible barrier member can extend from at least one end from a roll. When at least one end of the flexible barrier member extends from a roll, the roll can be connected to a windup/unwind mechanism that is capable of locking in selected positions for selecting the tension of the barrier member.
First and second movable carriages can be employed for maintaining a fixed distance between the first and second ends of the length of the flexible barrier member when extended. The first and second carriages can move along selected support members of the structure. Each carriage can include a roller system for engaging and traveling along at least one selected support member of the structure. The roller system can include a series of side rollers and top rollers. Selected rollers are adjustable for adjusting to different sizes and spacings of the support members of the structure. The roller system can include at least one roller assembly for capturing and traveling along a selected support member of the structure. The at least one roller assembly can include opposed side rollers, and top rollers. The position of the at least one roller assembly can be adjustable relative to the carriage.
In one embodiment, first and second cables can be included to which the first and second ends of the length of the flexible barrier member are slidably secured, respectively. The barrier member is capable of sliding along the first and second cables in the direction transverse to the width of the barrier member. The first and second cables are retained by the carriages in the general region of the barrier member for maintaining the fixed distance between the first and second ends of the length of the barrier member when extended.
In another embodiment, the first and second ends of the length of the barrier member can be fixed to the first and second carriages, respectively. Each carriage can be generally triangular in shape. The flexible barrier member can extend over two sides of the triangle. The two sides can have recessed top surfaces to allow the barrier member to extend closer to the supports of the structure.
The present invention also provides a movable safety barrier system including a flexible barrier member having a barrier member length with first and second ends, and a width. The barrier member can extend from at least one end, from a roll. First and second end supports are provided which are capable of supporting respective first and second ends of the length of the barrier member when the barrier member is extended between the end supports. The end supports can allow the extended barrier member to move in a direction transverse to the width of the barrier member when desired. A windup/unwind mechanism can be connected to the roll and is capable of locking in selected positions for selecting the tension of the barrier member.
The present invention further provides a method of providing protection against falls with a movable safety barrier system when installing construction components over support members of a structure. A flexible barrier member can be positioned over the support members of the structure. The flexible barrier member has a barrier member length with first and second ends, and a width. The barrier member can have a construction that is flexible in both directions along the length and width of the barrier member. The width of the barrier member can be extended forward of a leading edge of construction. Respective first and second ends of the length of the barrier member can be supported while the barrier member is extended between first and second end supports. The end supports can allow the extended barrier member to move in a direction transverse to the width of the barrier member when desired. The construction components can be positioned over the support members of the structure with portions extending over part of the barrier member. The position of the barrier member can be moved forward by an amount that allows additional construction components to be positioned over the support members of the structure with portions extending over a part of the barrier member, while the width of the barrier member still extends forward of the construction components.
Embodiments of the movable safety barrier system can be easily and quickly set up and placed into position on a construction project, and can be quickly dismantled for reuse, thereby being economical. Once in place, the safety barrier system can be easily moved by the workers as the construction progresses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a worker securing a roof panel in place with a barrier member of an embodiment of a movable safety barrier system in the present invention being in position under the leading edge of insulation and roofing.
FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of the worker advancing the barrier member forward to a new position.
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the worker placing a roof panel over insulation covering the new position of the barrier member.
FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of the worker securing the new roof panel in place.
FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of the worker again advancing the barrier member forward to a new position.
FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of the worker placing insulation over the barrier member in its new position.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a roof being installed on a building with the movable safety barrier system in position at the leading edge of construction.
FIG. 8 is a top view of a roof being installed on a building with the movable safety barrier system in position at the leading edge of construction.
FIG. 9 is a side schematic view of the movable safety barrier system showing an embodiment of a cable arrangement.
FIG. 10 is a top view of one end of the movable safety barrier system showing a portion of a movable carriage and the end of the barrier member slidably secured to a cable.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a roller assembly of a movable carriage.
FIG. 12 is a perspective leading end view of a portion of the movable carriage showing an outboard top roller and a cable retention roller assembly.
FIG. 13 is a leading end view of the carriage traveling on roof beams, with an end of the barrier member extending from a roll.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one configuration for joining metal roof beams together.
FIG. 15 is a side view of the leading edge of an embodiment of the barrier member.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a roof being installed on a building with another embodiment of the present invention movable safety barrier system, in position at the leading edge of construction.
FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of a portion of one end of the embodiment of the movable safety barrier system of FIG. 16 showing the barrier member secured to a movable carriage traveling on roof beams.
FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of the carriage of FIG. 17 traveling on roof beams, with the barrier member omitted.
FIG. 19 is a leading end view of the carriage of FIG. 17 traveling on roof beams, with an end of the barrier member extending from a roll fixed to the carriage.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of one roller assembly on the trailing end of the carriage of FIG. 17 .
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another roller assembly on the trailing end of the carriage of FIG. 17 .
FIG. 22 is a top perspective view of a portion of the carriage of FIG. 17 showing an optional roller assembly.
FIG. 23 is an end schematic view of a roof with the movable carriages of the movable safety barrier system of FIG. 16 being positioned on one half of the roof.
FIG. 24 is an end schematic view of a roof with the movable carriages of the movable safety barrier system of FIG. 16 being positioned on opposite sides of the roof.
FIG. 25 is a schematic drawing of the safety barrier system of FIG. 16 showing the safety barrier member extending from rolls of two carriages and including extension segments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1 , movable safety barrier system 10 is an embodiment in the present invention which can be extended over elevated structures undergoing construction for catching and preventing a worker 20 from falling to the ground. In the application shown in FIG. 1 , the elevated structure is the roof 15 on a building 24 , but it is understood that the elevated structure can be other structures, for example, elevated platforms, elevated roads, bridges, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , a flexible safety barrier sheet member 12 of the barrier system 10 extends over the roof support members or beams 14 of the building 24 along the leading edge of construction. In this example, the roof 15 includes a layer of insulation 18 and a series of roof panels 16 which are secured to the support beams 14 . The barrier member 12 extends under the leading edge of the insulation 18 and roof panels 16 . The worker 20 is shown securing a row of roof panels 16 and insulation 18 to the support beams 14 with fasteners 22 . Since the barrier member 12 is incrementally moved forward, the fasteners 22 are inserted at a location short of the barrier member 12 so as not to fasten the barrier member 12 to the support beam 14 . The barrier member 12 extends under a region covered solely by the insulation 18 to a position ahead of the insulation 18 . As a result, if the worker 20 happens to step through or beyond this region of insulation 18 , the barrier member 12 will catch the worker 20 and prevent the worker 20 from falling.
Referring to FIG. 2 , as work progresses, the worker 20 then advances the position of the barrier member 12 so that the trailing edge at position “A” is moved, for example, by a pole 26 , to the edge of the insulation 18 at position “B”, and the leading edge at position “C” is moved forward to the new position “C”. This slides the barrier member 12 forward under the insulation 18 and positions the barrier member 12 in the proper location for continued installation of insulation 18 and roof panels 16 . The pole 26 can have structures at the distal end for gripping or catching the barrier member 12 , such as a hook or other suitable gripping protrusions. In addition, the pole 26 can have a marker 26 a located at a position on the pole 26 corresponding to the distance that the barrier member 12 should be advanced relative to the roof panels 16 , to act as a guide for the worker 20 .
Referring to FIG. 3 , another row of insulation 18 and roof panels 16 are placed over the barrier member 12 and the support beams 14 . As seen, the trailing edge of the barrier member 12 has moved from the former position “A” to the former position “B”, now becoming the new position “A”. The leading edge of the barrier member 12 has moved to a new position “C” ahead of the insulation 18 and roof panels 16 so as to provide protection for the worker 20 against falling. Referring to FIG. 4 , the worker 20 then fastens the new roof panels 16 and insulation 18 to the support beams 14 just short of the barrier member 12 .
Referring to FIG. 5 , the worker 20 again advances the barrier member 12 forward, which moves the trailing edge of the barrier member 12 to a new position “A” near the edge of the insulation 18 and roof panel 16 . Almost all of the width “W” of the barrier member 12 extends forward relative to the edge of the construction. Referring to FIG. 6 , the worker 20 then places another row of insulation 18 in position, which extends over a portion of the barrier member 12 , and the process continues. Once the roof 15 is near completion, the safety barrier system can be removed from the roof 15 for reuse on another project.
In the building 24 depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the support beams 14 typically extend across the tops of a series of main frame members 32 . The building 24 is covered with corrugated siding 25 a and the eaves on the sides 23 include closure pieces 25 b which are shaped to mate with and seal any corrugations in the roof panels 16 . The length of the barrier member 12 of the movable safety barrier system 10 can be extended across substantially the width of the roof 15 of the building 24 over the peak with the width “W” extending forward from the leading edge of the construction to provide protection against falls for the workers 20 . The ends 28 of the barrier member 12 can be positioned near the sides 23 of building 24 . The ends 28 are slidably secured to a pair of cables 34 ( FIGS. 8-10 ) which in turn are secured to opposite sides 23 of the building 24 . Referring to FIG. 9 , each cable 34 can be secured at an anchor point 38 a on one end wall 21 and extend around a pulley assembly 38 b on the opposite end wall 21 before extending down to a winch assembly 19 . The winch assembly 19 allows tightening of the cable 34 . For long buildings 24 , the cables 34 can be extended only along part of the length of the building at one time, and if the building 24 is wide, some cables 34 can be positioned at inward locations. The distance between the ends 28 of the barrier member 12 can be maintained at a fixed distance by two opposed or parallel carriages 30 which travel on support beams 14 located near the cables 34 ( FIGS. 10-13 ).
Each carriage 30 can have a cable retaining roller assembly 66 which is mounted to a carriage arm 60 of the carriage 30 by a bracket 68 , and which engages a cable 34 with a grooved wheel 66 a such as a pulley, to prevent lateral movement of the cable 34 inwardly in the direction of arrow 69 ( FIG. 12 ). This also keeps the ends 28 of the barrier member 12 generally parallel to each other. The carriages 30 can be connected to the barrier member 12 by a connector 36 ( FIGS. 8 and 10 ). Each carriage 30 also includes a roller system having a roller assembly 50 mounted to the carriage arm 60 for capturing and rolling along one support beam 14 , and an outboard roller 62 extending from an end of the carriage arm 60 for engaging and rolling along the top of another support beam 14 . The roller assembly 50 can have a cross piece 50 b with two fixed lateral side rollers 52 spaced apart on one side and one adjustable lateral side roller 54 intermediately spaced on the opposite side for laterally engaging and capturing opposite sides of a support beam 14 in a rolling fashion, and two top rollers 56 spaced apart for engaging and riding on the top of the support beam 14 in a rolling fashion ( FIGS. 10 , 11 and 13 ). The roller assembly 50 is adjustably mounted to the carriage arm 60 by an adjustment sleeve 50 a having a series of locking cams 64 ( FIG. 11 ). The carriage arm 60 can be formed of square tubing, as shown. Rollers 52 and 56 can be positioned on opposite sides of carriage arm 60 by cross piece 50 b . Although FIGS. 2 and 5 depicted the barrier member 12 as being advanced by a pole 26 , alternatively, carriages 30 can be powered by motors, and be remotely controlled for advancing the barrier member 12 .
The position of the roller assembly 50 can be adjusted along the carriage arm 60 to adjust for varying distances between support beams 14 from one building 24 or structure to the next. Loosening the locking cams 64 on the adjustment sleeve 50 a allows the roller assembly 50 to be slid along the carriage arm 60 , and tightening the locking cams 64 locks the roller assembly 50 in the desired position. The adjustment mechanism 58 for the adjustable lateral roller 54 provides adjustment towards and away from rollers 52 which allows the roller assembly 50 to be adjusted to accommodate support beams 14 of varying widths. When properly adjusted, the roller assembly 50 can move along a support beam 14 without significant twisting.
By having the outboard roller 62 of carriage 30 roll on the top of the support beam 14 , the carriage 30 can travel over the support beams 14 without having to extend around or ride on the sides 23 of the building 24 . This allows the siding 25 a and closure pieces 25 b to be installed before the roof panels 16 on the roof 15 , without risk of damage by any lateral rollers riding on the sides 23 . In the figures, the support members or beams 14 are shown as metal joists or purlins, but can be a variety of types of support beams such as I-beams, trusses, wood beams, etc.
One or both of the ends 28 of barrier member 12 can extend from rolls 40 ( FIGS. 10 and 13 ). The rolls 40 are slidably mounted to the cables 34 by connecting members 44 extending from the ends of the rolls 40 and slide members 46 . The slide members 46 can be pulleys. The connectors 36 extending between the carriage arms 60 and the connecting members 44 connect the carriages 30 to the barrier member 12 . The connectors 36 can be flexible, for example, being made from a chain or a cable, or can be rigid. The carriages 30 can also be pushed for advancing the barrier member 12 forward.
A windup/unwind mechanism 42 can be connected to the rolls 40 for winding or unwinding the length of the barrier member 12 , as well as for tightening the length of the barrier member 12 to the desired tension. The windup/unwind mechanism 42 can be a hand-operated device, such as a ratchet, or can be motorized. In some embodiments, the barrier member 12 can be extended from both rolls 40 on two sides and secured together. In other embodiments the barrier member 12 can be extended only from one roll 40 and secured to the opposite roll 40 or other suitable structure. As seen in FIG. 13 , the barrier member 12 can extend over the top of the roll 40 so that if a worker 20 falls into or on top of the barrier member 12 , the resultant tension is better resisted by the carriages 30 .
Referring to FIG. 14 , the support beams 14 , when metal purlins or joists, can be formed of overlapping lengths, for example, 14 a and 14 b , which are overlapped at a region 13 . The length 14 a can be overlapped over length 14 b so that there is a step down, moving in the direction of construction. With such an overlap configuration, the barrier member 12 can be moved in the direction of construction without catching or getting hung up at region 13 . If the lengths 14 a and 14 b are overlapped the opposite way, stepping up in the direction of construction, the overlapped region 13 can be treated, for example, with a piece of adhesive tape, to provide smooth sliding of the barrier member 12 over the step up.
Referring to FIG. 15 , the barrier member 12 can be formed of netting material, such as a slippery plastic mesh which allows wind to easily pass through, to prevent billowing. This plastic mesh can be reinforced with a reinforcing member such as a thin plastic strip 11 to promote smoother or more even sliding of the leading edge 12 b over the support beams 14 . This can reduce the number of push points needed for advancing the barrier member 12 . The reinforcing plastic strip 11 can be captured by folding over a portion 12 a of the barrier member 12 material and stitching or sealing in place. The plastic strip 11 can be formed of suitable materials such as nylon, delrin, polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), etc. Alternatively, the leading edge 12 b can be reinforced integrally during the manufacturing of the barrier member 12 . The trailing edge of the barrier member 12 can also be reinforced if desired. The barrier member 12 is typically flexible in both directions along the length and the width. Runners extending across the width “W” in the same direction and spacing as the support beams 14 are not required for promoting sliding on the support beams 14 . However, if desired, stiffeners can be added across the width “W” of the barrier member 12 . Such stiffeners can be flexible. In some applications, the width “W” of the barrier member 12 can be seven feet, such as when the roof panels 16 are three feet wide, the insulation is six feet wide, and where the barrier member 12 is meant to be positioned to be about one foot ahead of the insulation 18 without leaving a void between the roof panels 16 and the barrier member 12 . It is understood that both the width “W” and the length of the barrier member 12 can vary depending upon the application at hand.
Although the barrier member 12 has been described to be made of a plastic mesh-type netting, it is understood that the barrier member 12 can be formed of other suitable materials such as maritime-type netting, woven and unwoven textiles, fabric sheets, plastic, laminates or composite sheets, tarp-type sheets, metallic screen materials, etc. For barrier members 12 of generally solid sheet construction, openings can be provided to allow the passage of wind. The barrier member 12 is typically formed of material that can satisfy OSHA regulations, for example, 400 lbs. being dropped into the barrier member 12 . The material is also typically thin to allow the barrier member 12 to be rolled up on roll 40 without taking up a lot of space and to allow the barrier member 12 to slide easily when sandwiched between the roof panels 16 , insulation 18 and support beams 14 . In some embodiments, each roll 40 can hold about twenty to thirty feet of barrier member 12 . Other embodiments can contain lesser or greater amounts. A thin material also allows the barrier member 12 to be light weight and carried easily by workers 20 .
Referring to FIGS. 16-19 , movable safety barrier system 70 is another embodiment in the present invention which differs form barrier system 10 in that the barrier system 70 includes two opposed or parallel carriages 72 having a construction where the cables 34 can be omitted and the ends 28 of the barrier member 12 can be mounted to the carriages 72 instead of to the cables 34 . Referring to FIGS. 17-19 , a roll 40 from which the barrier member 12 is extended, can be mounted to a carriage arm 76 of a carriage 72 by brackets 78 . In the embodiment shown, carriage 72 has a generally triangular shape with carriage arm 76 being connected to carriage arms 74 and 79 . Carriage arm 76 is positioned to be parallel to the support beams 14 and sides 23 of the building 24 . The carriage arm 74 can be perpendicular to carriage arm 76 and is on the leading edge end of the carriage 72 . The carriage arm 74 can have two roller assemblies 50 mounted along the length which are similar to those in safety barrier system 10 for capturing and riding or rolling along separate support beams 14 . The roller assemblies 50 can resist twisting forces on the carriage 72 . The roller assemblies 50 are slidably adjustable relative to carriage arm 74 to adjust for varying positions and distances between the support beams 14 . The outboard top roller 62 can have an adjustable stem 62 a extending from the end of carriage arm 74 for further adjustment purposes. A locking knob 62 b can be included for locking the stem 62 in the desired position. Carriage arms 76 and 79 are on the trailing end of the carriage 72 with arm 79 forming the hypotenuse of the triangle.
As can be seen in FIG. 17 , the barrier member 12 can extend over carriage arms 76 and 79 . In order to allow the barrier member 12 to extend across the carriage 72 and be as close as possible to the support members 14 , carriage arm 76 has a low profile or recessed distal portion 76 b which steps down from a proximal portion 76 a , and carriage arm 79 is positioned in a low profile or recessed manner by connecting brackets 84 a and 84 b . The low profile of carriage arms 76 and 79 is also desirable because the insulation 18 and roof panels 16 can extend over a portion of these carriage arms 76 and 79 , and a low profile brings these portions of carriage arms 76 and 79 close to the level of the support beams 14 and allows the carriage arms 76 and 79 to slide easily out from under the insulation 18 and roof panels 16 . The roll 40 can be mounted to the recessed distal portion 76 b of the carriage arm 76 , as seen in FIG. 19 . While carriage arms 74 and 76 can be made of square tubing as shown, carriage arm 79 can be a thin bar or rod to aid in providing the low or recessed profile. Alternatively, selected carriage arms can be made of round tubing, as well as angle, channel or bar stock, etc. Typically, the structural components of both carriages 30 and 72 are made of aluminum for purposes of light weight, but can be made of any suitable material.
The carriage arm 79 can include roller assemblies 80 and 82 for rollably engaging the sides of separate support beams 14 and further resisting lateral twisting of carriage 72 . Referring to FIG. 20 , roller assembly 80 can have a lateral side roller 98 which is mounted to carriage arm 79 by bracket 92 and clamping fingers 96 . Roller 98 can be mounted to extend adjacent to and below carriage arm 79 . The carriage arm 79 can have steps 94 formed on opposite edges so that the bracket 92 and clamping fingers 96 can be mounted to the carriage arm 79 in a low profile manner. The position of the roller assembly 80 can be adjusted relative to the carriage arm 79 to adjust for different spacings and sizes of the support beams 14 .
Referring to FIG. 21 , roller assembly 82 can have a lateral side roller 100 which is mounted to carriage arm 79 by bracket 104 and clamping fingers 96 . Roller 100 can be mounted below carriage arm 79 . Adjustment knobs 102 can be used to loosen and tighten the clamping fingers 96 on the steps 94 for providing adjustment of the position of roller assembly 82 relative to carriage arm 79 to allow for different spacings and sizes of the support beams 14 . The adjustment knobs 102 can also be employed with roller assembly 80 . The use of roller assemblies 80 and 82 can depend upon the type and configuration of the support beams 14 . Some configurations of the support beams 14 may allow more than one roller assembly 80 or more than one roller assembly 82 , in a variety of combinations. In addition, the roller assemblies 80 and 82 can be of other suitable configuration than those shown, and can have vertical adjustment capabilities and vertical rollers. As with carriages 30 , carriages 72 can be powered by motors and remotely operated.
Referring to FIGS. 18 and 22 , the carriage 72 can optionally include an auxiliary outboard roller assembly 84 having a top outboard roller 90 which rides over the top of the same support beam 14 as outboard roller 62 , but is spaced apart from roller 62 . The auxiliary roller assembly 84 can provide further stability for the carriage 72 and further support the trailing end of the carriage 72 . The auxiliary roller assembly 84 can be secured to the carriage arm 76 , for example, at the proximal portion 76 a , where a protrusion 86 a locks within a mating socket 86 b . The auxiliary roller assembly 84 has a longitudinal spacing arm 86 and a cross arm 88 which positions the outboard roller 90 spaced apart from, and generally in line with roller 62 . The outboard roller 90 can have an adjustment stem 90 a for adjusting the position of the outboard roller 90 and a locking knob 90 b for locking the stem 90 a in the desired position.
FIG. 23 depicts the use of movable safety barrier system 70 on one side of the roof 15 or peak of a building 24 . This can be a construction style decision, or based on the length of the barrier member 12 . The construction of the carriages 72 allows the barrier member 12 to be positioned near the sides 23 of the building 24 without engaging surfaces of the sides 23 , so that the siding 25 a and closure pieces 25 b do not become damaged.
FIG. 24 , depicts the movable safety barrier system 70 being positioned across the width of the roof 15 such as seen in FIG. 16 . In cases where the width across the roof 15 is greater than the length of the barrier member 12 stored on the carriages 72 , one or more extension segments 107 can be used for increasing the length of the barrier member 12 ( FIG. 25 ). The segments 107 can be connected by a series of fasteners such as rings 106 to each other, and the portions of the barrier member 12 which extend from the rolls 40 . The rings 106 can have spring loaded entrance portions. In example, if the rolls 40 each hold thirty feet of barrier member material, the total length of the barrier member 12 can be sixty feet plus the length of the extension segments 107 used.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
For example, although the present invention has been mostly described for use when installing insulation and corrugated roof panels on a shallow sloped roof, it is understood that the present invention can be used on a variety of elevated structures for the installation of a number of different components. The surfaces can be flat as well as sloped. In addition, carriages 30 and 70 can have other shapes and configurations than those shown, depending upon the situation at hand. A variety of different roller systems and roller assemblies are possible. Furthermore, various features of the embodiments discussed above can be omitted or combined.
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A movable safety barrier system includes a flexible barrier member having a barrier member length with first and second ends, and a width. The barrier member can have a construction that is flexible in both directions along the length and width of the barrier member. First and second end supports are provided which are capable of supporting respective first and second ends of the length of the barrier member when the barrier member is extended between the end supports. The end supports can allow the extended barrier member to move in a direction transverse to the width of the barrier member when desired.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending parent application Ser. No. 127,995 filed Mar. 4, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,105 the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in transportation, and more particularly to improved railroad track beds.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
As a consequence of the high escalating cost of diesel fuel, the railroad industry has found it necessary to pull heavier and longer loads of rolling stock over its rail systems. These systems in most states have become somewhat deteriorated from lack of proper maintenance and sometimes are passable only at greatly reduced speed. Recently questions into the safety of transporting hazardous materials by rail have been raised as a result of the seemingly many accidents caused by these antiquated rail systems and the magnitude of a potential disaster when a hazardous cargo spills during its passage through highly populated areas.
Rail fastening devices have been available to the train industry almost from the time of its inception. One such rail-fastening system is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 874,535, Dec. 24, 1907, issued to Percival. In this system a rectangular cushion is fitted to tightly engage the rail and provide a recess in which the bottom portions of the lugs or spikes engage the rail to hold the same firmly in position. This cushion prevents the lug heads on the outside from leaving the flanges of the rail during heavy use. The material of the cushion is taught as being elastic in nature, such as wood.
A second U.S. Pat. No. 914,093, issued to Weston in 1909, discloses a tie plate system to prevent the "creeping" of the rail over the plate and substructure. Succinctly stated, this is accomplished by use of a tie plate with oppositely disposed shoulder formations adapted to grip the edges of the rail base when the rail is seated. Another 1909 U.S. Pat. No. 935,679, issued to McWethy, discloses a rail tie of concrete having adjustable rail chairs to confirm to the grade of the road bed. These rail chairs have a seat or chair cut out for the base flange of the rail. The yokes holding the rail chairs to the ties are adjustable to conform to the extent of torque exerted on the rail chairs in relation to the gage of the road. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 956,499 and 954,538, both issued to McKee, a rail is held in place by spikes situated on an incline and passing through a tie plate to allow the rail to have a fixed quantum of play. Other similar rail fastening assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,001,879 and 2,008,946.
A railroad tie block is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,577, issued to Hollis, which comprises a grooved wooden block channelled for reception of the bottom portion the rail to be held. The flanges of the screws provide a means to secure the rail and also provide easy repair or removal of the tie block portion. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,443,275, issued to Radelet in 1922, a system is disclosed for the fastening of a rail to a tie member. A bearing plate is provided to receive the conical head of a holding screw and thereby firmly secure the bottom flange of a rail pressed beneath the bearing plate. An angular holding clip is disclosed in Wesolik, U.S. Pat. No. 1,454,090 (1922) for securing the bottom flange of a rail. The latter is inserted in the angularly raised portion of the clip and likewise the tie transversing the underneath side of the clip. A 1935 patent to Boyce, U.S. Pat. No. 2,018,658, disclosed a tie plate having a recessed area for the seating of the bottom flange of a rail and underneath extending ribs for securing the tie plate to a wooden railroad tie.
A system utilizing a holding or fastening clip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,715 (1961). A special securing bolt having both horizontal and vertical serrations is provided to insure the bonding of the bolt to the railroad tie. The disclosed tie plate has a grooved portion for the reception of the bottom flange of the rail. A pad of rectangular configuration is available if desired to be situated between the tie plate and tie. This pad may be made of fiber or insulated material and can be used in signal track section where insulating qualities are important. An insulating and cushioning pad is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,170 (1966) which is mounted on a cross tie and supported on a concrete bed. The rail is held in place via a steel bearing plate having the resilent pad thereunder completely encompassing and thereby insulating the rail to be traversed by a subway train.
A patent issued to Campbell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,784 (1969), discloses that the prior art generally desired to contour the rails to the conical shape of the wheel slope. The problem of "shelling" the outer rail in a curved track was addressed by increasing the outer-curve rail to a 2 in 40 slope to thereby distribute the wheel load over a much greater top area of the rail. This increase in the cant is accomplished by a tapered insert which is anchored by spikes also passing through the rail plate and passing in a perpendicular manner into the rail tie. Another recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,500 (1979), issued to Gragnani, discloses a railway tie plate having at least one rib to locate the rail and two arches under which parts of rail chips are driven parallel to the rib.
The aforementioned prior art generally discloses problems and solutions to various problems concerning the longevity of a track system. The instant prior art does not show or suggest a system as herein disclosed and set forth in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The instant invention, which is an improvement over the embodiment disclosed in my above referred to parent application Ser. No. 127,995, provides a system whereby the railroad industry can easily and feasibly install and repair their rail systems with respect to both straight and curved track, and this is accomplished in an economical manner to provide a safer track bed.
It has been determined that a cant of approximately 3° is preferred for the placement or replacement of straight rails, and a greater cant is needed around curves. Until now, there has not been a convenient system for combining an uneven channelled base plate with an uneven shim to provide for easy repair of the rails possessing a predetermined cant, and provide a cushioned or "floating" rail. This invention meets that need and also provides a system to secure the rail in a much more economically feasible manner.
The instant disclosed system also provides a more economical means to attach the bottom flange of a rail to a base plate and railroad tie by means of eliminating one fastening means from the outside of the rail base plate. Thus, this invention provides an article of manufacture to enable the railroads to repair or situate new tracks into proper position in an economical manner to prevent "shelling" of the rails as a result of passage of the conical shaped steel wheels of the railroad.
This invention relates to an improvement in the use of canted railroad base plates in combination with a trapezoidal shim in order to provide the railroad industry with a more uniform article of manufacture to use for securing both flat and curved sections of railroad track.
An object of the invention is to overcome deficiencies in the prior art such as noted above; a further object is to improve rail beds; another object is to provide a "floating" or cushioned rail.
Another object of this invention is to provide a feasible rail fastening system for the railroad industry so that a proper rail cant may be obtained easily and economically on both flat and curved sections of track of a rail system.
Another object of this invention is to provide a system for fastening railroad tracks which can be handled by workmen in the field without need to resort to complicated measurements to ascertain the proper slope of a rail.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a feasible and economic system for fastening tracks in a subway system in order to maintain a uniform slope of both underground and elevated track sections.
It has been found in nearly all cases of securing a rail to allow passage of trains thereover, that four basic entities are necessary: (1) a railroad tie, (2) a railroad base plate, (3) a rail and (4) a fastening means to secure the bottom flange of the rail to the railroad tie. In situations where the track is curved, it has been found necessary to provide a shim intermediate the base plate and the rail road tie. It is of paramount importance that the bottom flange of the rail be held in a secure fashion to avoid the "backing out" of the fastening means which not only loosens the track but will allow water to penetrate to the railroad tie and cause premature rotting of the same. The instant invention provides such a means for a straight and curved rail system.
The invention herein constitutes an improvement over the embodiments disclosed in my parent copending application Ser. No. 127,995 in several important respects. The washers used in my improved constructions include a stepped thicker portion. Moreover, the bottom surface of the washer used on the side outside the vertical midportion of the rail almost contacts the top surface of the lower flange of the rail so that there is a small gap no larger than 1/8 inch between the bottom washer surface and the top surface of the lower flange outside of the rail. On the other hand, between the bottom surface of the washer used inside the vertical midportion of the rail and the top surface of the lower flange of the rail, a gap of at least approximately 1/4 inch exists. Finally, the base plate and the shim plate, each, provide and inclination or cant with respect to the vertical plane of about 3° so that, if both are used, the total inclination approximates 6°.
Conventionally, the distance between the outside edges of opposing rails is about 621/2 inches which is fully covered by the train wheels in my improved embodiments of rail track assembly. In the prior art rail track assembly constructions, only about 2/3 (2 inches of the 3 inch rail crown) was contacted by the train wheels.
On a straight track, where no shim is used the inclination of the rail approximates 3°, while on a curved trackway, where a shim is used under the outside rail, the inclination is about 6°.
Since my improved rail track assemblies provide almost total contact (95-100%) between the rail crown surface and the train wheels, the train load is more equally carried by and balanced between the opposing rails. This will cause less strain in the use of the rails and will increase the longevity of my rail track constructions. Moreover, the contacting surfaces of the train wheels will wear more evenly in use, and will be likewise characterized by increased longevity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side view of a recessed base plate used in my improved rail track assembly.
FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of a trapezoidal shim plate used particularly for curved outside or high rails in my rail track assembly.
FIGS. 3 to 5 each constitute other embodiments of trapezoidal shim plates, of varying height or lift, also used particularly for curved outside rails in my rail track assembly.
FIG. 6 shows a top or plan view of my improved washer construction.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show two embodiments of rail assemblies wherein a screw passes through concentric openings, in a washer and a recessed base plate closely confining a rockable rail flange.
FIG. 9 shows, in side view, a preferred embodiment of my rail track assembly including a recessed base plate and a trapezoidal shaped shim plate, particularly used for the outside rail of a curved track.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a base plate 1 provided with a central rectangular groove 2 in which the base or lower flange of the rail rests, the width of the channel 2 and its height being 1/8 inch greater than respectively, the width and height of the rail base. Screw holes 3 are provided in the base plate, on each side of the recess slot, accommodating screws which penetrate a wood tie 5.
It should be noted that said holes are elongated and are disposed at a towed-in-angle and the heads of the screws are spaced from the top surface of the base plate by means of an interposed washer 10 shown in FIG. 7.
The bottom surface of the base plate is provided with serrated edges 4 to engage the top surface of the wooden railroad tie 5 to prevent movement of the base plate when the wheels of heavy freight or passenger train cars move over the top flange of rails which are received in the channelled recess of the base plate.
FIG. 2 shows a trapezoidal shim plate 6 provided with screw holes 7 and serrated edges 8 to engage the top surface of a wooden railroad tie to prevent movement of the shim when heavy trains are moving over the top flange of rails as explained above. The top surface of the shim is provided with grooves 9 which receive the serrated projected edges 4 of the base plate for locking engagement therewith. The thin end of shim plate 6 is approximately 1/8 inch in thickness while the thicker end measures about 7/8 inch. The groove in the shim plate is 1/4 inch deep and mates with the serrations projecting from the bottom of the tie plate about 3/16 inch outwardly from the tie plate surface. This results in a smooth cushioned contact between the serrations in the tie plate and the corresponding grooves in the shim since a gap of 1/8 inch between the tie plate serrations and the shim plate grooves is tolerable. The slope of the shim plate from the two holed end to the one hole end is therefore about 3°. The shim plate is used in combination with the recessed base plate particularly for curved rails and provides an additional inclination of 3°.
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show similar shim plates 7, 8 and 9, which vary in height or lift. Shim 7 provides a one inch lift, shim 8 provides a two inch lift while shim 9 provides a three inch lift. Only one of the various shim plates 6-9 is used in combination with a recessed base plate for the longer outside or high rail of a curved track to provide a desired degree of lift for the trackway.
FIG. 6 shows the improved washer 10 of this invention provided with a screw accommodating opening 12 and showing, in cross section, the stepped thicker portion of the washer.
FIG. 7 shows a recessed base plate receiving the bottom flange 14 of a rail 15. A screw 13 passes through the concentric openings in a washer 10 and in a base plate 1 to rockably confine the rail flange within the recessed channel of the base plate. In this figure the thicker stepped portions of the washer closely approaches the top surface of the flange 14.
FIG. 8 shows an assembly similar to that shown in FIG. 7 except that the thinner portion of the stepped washer closely approaches the top surface of the lower flange 14. It should be noted that rail flanges are not made of uniform shape and vary in the slope or angle of inclination of the top surface thereof with respect to a horizontal plane. The heavy or thicker portion of the washer, due to the force of gravity, will automatically properly seat itself with respect to the sloping top surface of the lower flange 14 when the bottom portion of a train wheel contacts the top surface or crown of the upper flange of the rail 15 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Stepped washers 10 are disposed above the shoulder of the lower flange 14 of rail 15 to tightly hold base plate 1 in position and to prevent the rail from leaving channel 2 of the base plate.
The lowermost disposed member of the present rail securing system, namely the tie 5, may be a conventional railroad tie of 6 inch height and 8 inch width which is usually made of wood treated with organic chemicals, such as a heavy mineral oil or creosote, to prevent its rotting in place.
It is understood that conventionally cross-ties measure 9 inches across the top surface. However, where an 8 inch cross-tie is used, the width of the tie plate would correspondingly be one inch less than normal size. It is desirable to maintain about 3° cant or slope and 1° cushion of the rail when it is part of a straight track, i.e. a track disposed on flat land, to provide a 95% match between the crown of the rail and the bottom engaging portion of a train wheel (3° cushion for a curved track). It is for this reason that the rail, when held in place without the use of a shim, should be slightly canted or angled. In order to provide this particular cant, the base plate is provided with its channel 2 for reception of the lower flange 14 of the rail, so that the distance of the rail to the top surface of the tie 5, once the rail is secured within the channel or recess, is greater on the outside of the rail flange than on the inside of the rail. For example, the distance in a perpendicular line from the bottom of the outside rail flange 14 adjacent the corner of the channel to the top surface of the tie, will measure approximately 3/16ths of an inch greater than the distance measured between the bottom of the inside rail flange, adjacent the opposite corner of the channel, and the top surface of the tie. This will secure the rail over relatively flat land to provide the proper cant of the rail crowns which engage the conical treads of the steel railroad train wheels.
The trapezoidal shim plate is provided with one screw hole on the outside portion which is cooperatively secured beneath the outside or higher side of the base plate in contrast with the two screw holes disposed on the inside portion of same for the lower section of the base plate, the width of which roughly equals that of the tie. The bottom surface of the shim plate is provided with serrated grooves for receiving the serrated projecting portions present on the bottom surface of the base plate, which is similarly provided with one screw hole on its outside portion and two screws holes on the inside lower portion of said base plate. When a shim plate is used in the rail track assembly, the inside and outside screw holes are concentrically aligned with the corresponding inside and outside holes in the base plate for reception of the appropriate screws which penetrate into the top surface of the wooden ties, to which the assembly is secured. The holes in the shims are preferably about 11/4 inches in diameter and in the base plate, they are preferably 7/8 inch in diameter, for a 3/4 inch diameter screw, or 1 inch in diameter for a 7/8 inch diameter screw.
A complete rail track assembly composed of some of the elements shown in the previous figures, but which does not include a shim plate, such as shown in FIGS. 2-5 and 9, is used on straight trackways. This particular assembly is used to provide the usual rail cant of 3°, mentioned above, for straight track systems disposed on substantially flat land surfaces. Large headed securing screws 16 are driven into position through the appropriate concentric openings in the stepped washers and the base plate and into the tie 5. On both sides of the rail, these screws are angulated at the upper surface of the base plate, at a towed-in-angle, so that if those oppositely disposed screws were longer than they are, they would meet along a line in the ground therebeneath. Stated otherwise these fastening screws are toed-in towards the center of gravity of the rail. The stepped washers 10 are used in order that the bottom of the washer will hold the top shoulder of the lower rail flange in the groove or channel 2 of the base plate. When the rail flange 14 contacts the washer surface and expansion, due to the weather where ambient temperatures may vary from sub 0° to 130° F., occurs, the washer will freely turn while the fastening screw remains firmly fixed. The screws contemplated for this system will normally be 3/4 inch in diameter and 57/8 inches in length, the screw head being hexogonal and 11/2 inches in width and 3/8 of an inch thick. The washers used are preferably 23/4 inches in diameter, 1/4 inch thick and have a one inch diameter hole to receive the threaded body of the screw. The screw holes in the base plate are preferably 7/8 inch in diameter. After assembly, the bottom surface of the washer will engage the top shoulder of the lower rail flange.
The channel 2 has a width which is desirably 1/8 inch greater than the width of the base of the rail 15. Also, the channel has a height which is suitably 1/8 inch greater than the height of the base, at its corners so that about 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap normally exists between the bottom of the washer and the top of the flange 14. These gaps give the rail room to move slightly as the train wheels, which are spaced 8-60 feet apart, pass thereover. As each wheel passes from a unit assembly of the instant rail track system, the rail springs back to its original position. The overall effect is to provide a cushioned or "floating" rail which reduces wear and provides an automatic canter. It is noted in FIG. 11, that in a straight track assembly, the vertical portion of the rail in operation, inclines about 3° with respect to the vertical plane. These above described gaps also provide room to permit rail expansion during hot weather. Also, a 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap may be left between the bottom of the screw head and the top surface of the washer when screwing the fasteners into the wooden tie.
As previously stated, in the manufacture of the base plate, holes 3 are provided for passage of the fastening screws therethrough to engage the wooden railroad tie, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. It is also desirable that the bottom surface of the rail base plate and of the shims (particularly in the FIG. 12 embodiment) contain projecting serrated edges 4 and 8 respectively, to engage the top surface of the railroad tie to prevent movement of these members as the heavy freight or passenger train cars move over the top flange of the secured rail 15.
FIG. 9 shows a preferred embodiment of my rail track assembly which is particularly suitable for tracks disposed on a sloping or curved land or ground surface. In this embodiment, a trapezoidal shim plate 6-9, having one of the constructions shown in FIGS. 2-5 and 9, is placed in direct contact with the wooden tie. The top surface of the shim is provided with serrated grooves which receive the projecting serrated edges of the recessed base plate 1. Such assemblies are used in the case of tracks disposed in a configuration characterized by sharp curves. In this case, the angulation or cant of the shim is added to that of the base plate and results in an additional 3° vertical inclination of the rail 15; thus the total vertical slope or cant of the rail in this particular embodiment is approximately 6° as shown in FIG. 12. When the rail is in operative engagement with the tread portion of a train wheel, the rail 15 will incline to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12. In situations where tracks are disposed on a slope or curve, centrifugal force changes the angulation of the train wheels relative to the crown of the rail. When this occurs, it is important to raise the cant of the rail so that the crown of the rail will more accurately engage the conical tread of the train car's steel wheels. When such is desired, i.e. on curved trackways, shims of trapezoidal configuration, such as shown in FIGS. 2-5, are placed between the base plate and the railroad tie with the higher edge of the shim located at a point beneath the outside corner of the base plate. The smaller dimension of the trapezoidal shim will be directly underneath the inside corner of the base plate. Thus, using insertable shims of varying size (1/16", 1/8", 1", 2", or 3" lift) with a single sized base plate provides a railroad with the ability to maintain relatively constant surface contact between the trail wheel tread portion and the crown of the rail even around curves, i.e. the additional angulation provided by the shim compensates for the inevitable shift of the train wheels when the train traverses the curve so as to restore the desired horizontal cant of 3°. The trapezoidal shim possess the same two aligned holes for the screw securing means on the inside portion of the rails and the one hole on the outside portion of the rails, all of which will be congruent and concentrically align with the corresponding holes of the standard sized base plate. The thicker heavy portion of the washer will automatically seat, by gravity, on the low side of the tie plate 15 both for the inside and outside flanges of the rails.
The shim shown in FIG. 2 is to be used on curved tracks under the outside rails, sometimes called the high rail; it is the long rail that is on the outside circle or curve of the track assembly. Using such track construction, about a 3 inch tread width of each wheel is in rolling contact with about a 3 inch portion of the crown of each rail. Thus each cushioned rail is carrying about the same train weight and maintains the rail webs in improved vertical alignment. This results in longer life for the rails and provides a stronger, more safe supporting structure for the moving train. It is important to note that the washers disclosed herein are not used at rail joints; only the penetraing screws are used in this case.
It should be further noted that the purpose of the 3° cant for the trackway is to improve surface contact between the crown of the rail and the head of the train wheel. At 3° cant the weight of the train is more evently spread over the crown of the rail and provides surface contact with about 95% of the crown surface. As a result the wheels and track wear more evenly and the train is better balanced.
Shelling of the rails and cupping of the wheels are reduced thus resulting in reduced train wheel breakage and fewer train wrecks.
By means of the use of the present base plate, trapezoidal shims, fastening screws and stepped washers, the railroad industry is able to economically provide itself with a fast track which is safer, longer lasting, and will require considerably less maintenance over the life of the track. Conversely, older tracks may be more conveniently repaired utilizing the combination of this article of manufacture without the necessity to replace the solid ties lying beneath and perpendicular to the existing rails.
Besides the advantages noted above, the shim and base plate with the 1/8" clearance between the rail base and the walls of the groove 2, together with a second clearance between the rail base and the washer 10, provide a cushion for the rails which, in turn, improves safety and speed. The common 8" wide tie is retained and the rail is held to it using only three screws. On a straight track, the side friction is minimized as the wheels push the track outwardly, the springing of the rail outwardly about 1/8" in the channel 2 serving to simultaneously cushion the ride and automatically correct the canter. On curves, the weight of the train is better distributed over the crown of the rail.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification. For example, the system may be used for electrified rail systems in conjunction with a layer of insulating material placed beneath the plate or the shim.
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A railroad plate and connectable shim are disclosed for fastening railroad tracks over ground having a flat or raised topography in an economically feasible manner. The instant system provides a base plate with a sloping grooved channel for reception of the lower flange of a rail to be held in place in combination with a trapezoidal shim to insure the proper cant of the rail over the various topographical areas of the country. The instant base plate, trapezoidal shim, rail and railroad tie are all fastened via a set of screws which are angled or toed-in towards the center of gravity of the rail. Stepped washers, each possessing a thickened portion, are provided between the bottom of the screw head and the upper shoulder surface of the lower flanges, both inside and outside the central vertical portion of the rail. The washers are omitted in securing back assemblies to the ties where joints are formed between the ends of adjacent rails. When a train wheel engages the crown portion of a straight or flat trackway, where trapezoidal shims are not used, the rail angulates vertically about 3°. On curved trackways however, the trapezoidal shims are included in the rail assembly and the total vertical inclination of the rail is 6°. Thus the train load is substantially balanced between the opposing track rails which prevents shelling and uneven wear of the train wheels and the crown surfaces of the rails contributing to increased longevity for both rails and wheels.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to devices for inhibiting the penetration of water into the interior of buildings at the bottom of window and door openings. More specifically, the present invention relates to flexible, variable width sill protection units which, because of their design, can be readily installed in window and door openings of varying width with minimal on-site adjustment or fabrication.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Permeation of water into buildings at the base or sill of window and door openings has long been a problem for both new and retrofit construction. Innumerable systems have been designed to solve this problem, but the most common remains the on-site fabrication, generally from metal, of a suitably shaped pan that fits over the sill and directs the flow of impinging water off of the sill. It is necessary that such fabrication be done on-site because of the large number of different widths in which windows and doors are supplied. Such on-site fabrication is both expensive and time consuming.
There has consequently been a long standing need for a readily adjustable door and window sill device which performs the function of inhibiting water permeation while being readily installable in the field with a minimum of on-site fabrication.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,882 to Moffitt et al issued Dec. 3, 1985 describes one such moisture guard which is designed to fit under the sill of a door or window. In one embodiment, right- and left-handed moisture guard sections, each having a vertical end wall which engages the frame of the window or door opening, are overlapped to provide a full width moisture guard for door and window openings of varying width. While this Patent describes a significant improvement over conventional on-site fabricated moisture guard systems, it has at least one significant constraint, namely, individual moisture guard sections that are overlapped must be made extremely long to accommodate wide as well as narrow openings. In the case of a narrow opening, it will be necessary to throw away significant useful material which has been fabricated to include end walls, if the sections are made long enough to accommodate very wide openings in the overlap configuration.
The moisture guard or sill support of the present invention, on the other hand, provides a flexible system that yields maximum usage of prefabricated materials with a similar minimal need for on-site fabrication.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an improved sill support for new or retrofit construction comprising left and right end dam sections which engage a center connecting member of varying length depending upon the width of the door or window opening being treated. According to a preferred embodiment, the end dam sections include upright end flanges and a horizontal base which has longitudinal female grooves formed into its upper surface and the center connecting member has, on its lower or end dam engaging surface, longitudinal male ridges which engage and lock into the female grooves. According to another preferred embodiment, the horizontal surface of the end dam sections is slanted downward at an angle of about 20 degrees to insure that water impinging thereon drains off. Yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for end dam sections whose upright end portions include a female groove that engages directly the left and right extremities of the center connecting member. A further preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a flange extending downward from the front edge of the center connecting member at an angle greater than 90 degrees. A final preferred embodiment includes a drip edge extending outward at an angle of about 45 degrees from downward extending flange.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, are not intended to be limitative and wherein like numerals refer to like elements.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the left end dam of the sill support of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the center connecting section of the sill support of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the sill support of the present invention in its assembled configuration.
FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a left end dam of the sill support of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a center connecting member engaged with an end section of the sill support of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a front view of the sill support of the present invention installed in a very wide window or door opening.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further preferred embodiment of the present invention that includes a downward extending flange at the front edge of the center connecting member.
FIG. 8 is an end view of an alternative embodiment of the center connecting section of the will support of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a section view of the center connecting section of FIG. 8 engaged with an alternative embodiment of the right end dam section of the sill support of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIG. 3, the preferred sill support 10 of the present invention comprises a left end dam 12, a right end dam 14 and a center connecting member 16. End dams 12 and 14 are mirror images of each other and the elements thereof are common to both. According to a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each of end dams 12 and 14 comprises a generally wedge-shaped base 18, an upstanding end flange 20, and at the rearward edge of base 18, an integrally formed upstanding rear flange 22. End flange 20 and rear flange 22 may be of the same or different heights depending upon the particular application. According to a preferred embodiment, end flange 20 is about 3/4" high and rear flange 22 is about 1/2" high. Into upper surface 19 of base 18 are formed longitudinal female grooves 24. Because of the wedge shape of base 18, upper surface 19 is slanted from true horizontal to allow for adequate water drainage. Angle .o slashed. is preferably about 20 degrees.
As shown in FIG. 2, center connecting member 16 comprises a base 26 which has upper and lower surfaces 28 and 30 respectively. Extending from the rearward edge of upper surface 28 is upstanding flange 32 that is generally coextensive with or slightly shorter than upstanding flange 22 of end dams 12 and 14. Extending from lower surface 30 of center connecting member 16 are longitudinal male ridges 34 which are designed and sized to engage female grooves 24 in base 18 of end dams 12 and 14.
When end dams 12 and 14 are assembled to center connecting member 16, as shown in FIG. 5, male ridges 34 engage female grooves 24 to provide a secure fit and prevent any relative movement between the individual pieces of sill support 10.
Depending upon the particular design of the sill support of the present invention, it may be desirable that at the point 31 where upstanding flange 32 and upper surface 28 of center connecting member 16 meet, that upstanding flange 28 be scored or otherwise weakened so that when upon installation of center connector 16 to end dams 12 and 14 upstanding flanges 32 and 22 interfere, a portion of upstanding flange 28 may be simply removed by tearing or otherwise.
For very wide window or door sill installations, as shown in FIG. 6, shims or supports 36, having the same general configuration as base 18 of end dams 12 and 14, may be inserted under the extended center connecting member 16, required for such installations, to provide support therefor. Generally, insertion of shims 36 every 18-24 inches is adequate to provide the required support.
Since it is preferred, because of manufacturing costs and other economic reasons, that the sill support of the present invention be fabricated from vinyl or some similar polymeric material, it is possible to manufacture center connecting member 16 in very long or standard lengths or even to manufacture it in coil form from which any required length may be cut on site, thus minimizing greatly any wasted material resulting from variations in window or door width.
Another alternative embodiment of the sill support of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 4. As shown in this figure, base 18 of end dam 12 is eliminated, rear flange 22 shortened in length and a slot 38 integrally formed in the inside face 40 of end flange 20. In this embodiment, upon assembly, center connecting section 16 is inserted into slot 38 which is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with integrally formed indents 42 for receipt of ridges 34 of center connecting section 16. Slot 38 should be of the same general configuration as the cross section of center connecting section 16 to assure a close and secure fit of the two pieces.
In the yet further preferred embodiment of the present invention, depicted in FIG. 7, center connecting member 16 includes a flange 44 extending downward from its front edge at an angle greater than about 90 degrees from upper surface 28 of connecting member 16. To further insure that water impinging on upper surface 28 of center connecting member 16 is properly diverted away from the structure below the window or door, another flange 46 extends downward from the forward edge of flange 44 at an angle of about 45 degrees. The addition of flanges 44 and 46 is of course optional to the successful practice of the present invention.
A final preferred embodiment of the sill support of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9. According to this embodiment, rear dam 22 is eliminated from left and right end sections 12 and 14 and center connecting section 16 incorporates an additional downward extending flange 47 which forms an extension of upstanding flange 32 on center connecting member 16. When assembled as shown in FIG. 9, flange 47 falls behind the rearward edge of base 18 with the elimination of rear dam 22, upstanding flange 32 on center connecting section 16 serves as the rear dam for the entire assembly extending from upstanding end flange 20 of left end dam 12 to upstanding end flange 20 of right end dam 14. In installation, a small amount of caulking or other appropriate sealant is applied where upstanding flange 32 meets upstanding end flanges 20.
This configuration has several advantages. Among these are, upstanding flange 32 does not have to be fabricated to be easily removable so as to avoid interference with eliminated rear dam 22, and because downward extending flange 47 extends the entire length of center connecting section 16, the need for shims to support center section 16 in very wide installations is eliminated.
As the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Any and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
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A sill support for protecting the sill of a window or door in new or retrofit construction which minimizes the need for on-site fabrication and comprises left and right end dam sections that engage a center connecting member of variable length depending upon the width of the door or window opening being treated.
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