Coiled tubing bending limiter

Abstract

The utility model discloses a coiled tubing bending limiter which comprises an upper half sleeve, a lower half sleeve is arranged on one side of the upper half sleeve, a connecting mechanism is arranged between the upper half sleeve and the lower half sleeve, the connecting mechanism comprises an open groove, an open hole, a fixing rod, a fixing sleeve, a sliding rod, a clamping block, a pressing plate, a pressing sleeve, a transmission mechanism and a locking mechanism, the open groove is formed in the upper half sleeve, and the open hole is formed in the lower half sleeve. The fixing rod is installed on the lower half sleeve, the fixing sleeve is installed in the opening groove, the multiple sets of sliding rods are installed on the fixing sleeve in a sliding mode, the clamping blocks are installed at the bottom ends of the multiple sets of sliding rods, the multiple sets of pressing plates are rotatably installed on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve, and the pressing sleeve is installed on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve in a sliding mode. A plurality of sets of clamping grooves are formed in the outer wall of the fixing rod, rapid and accurate butt joint of the upper half sleeve and the lower half sleeve is achieved, and the automatic positioning and locking functions in the connecting process are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bend limiter technology, and more specifically, to a continuous tubing bend limiter. Background Technology

[0002] In the extreme environment of offshore oil exploration, workers face extremely severe operational challenges. The confined platform space, harsh marine climate, and complexity of deep-water operations place stringent requirements on the rapid installation and disassembly of equipment. Traditional connection methods require multiple operators to manually align and fix the equipment, which not only consumes a lot of time but also greatly increases the operational risks. Every equipment connection is a severe test of the skills and patience of the personnel. The slightest carelessness may lead to equipment damage or work interruption, causing not only economic losses but also potentially endangering the lives of the workers.

[0003] Onshore oil drilling sites face the challenge of frequently changing and adjusting bend limiters. Due to the complex and varied geological conditions, operators need to constantly adjust and replace bend limiters to adapt to different drilling angles and underground structures. However, the existing connection methods are cumbersome and inefficient, often requiring specialized tools and a large amount of manpower. A single replacement can take several hours. This inefficient operating mode not only significantly increases operating costs but also reduces overall operating efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0005] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model provides a continuous tubing bend limiter to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art, such as the cumbersome and inefficient connection method, which often requires professional tools and a lot of manpower.

[0006] (II) Technical Solution

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a continuous tubing bend limiter, comprising an upper half-sleeve, with a lower half-sleeve on one side of the upper half-sleeve. Both the upper and lower half-sleeves include a head, a neck, and a tail. The head is located at the bottom, the neck at the middle, and the tail at the top. The tail has a groove structure along its inner wall that can engage with the head structure. A connecting mechanism is provided between the upper and lower half-sleeves. The connecting mechanism includes a slot, an opening, a fixing rod, a fixing sleeve, a sliding rod, a locking block, a pressure plate, a pressure sleeve, a transmission mechanism, and a locking mechanism. The slot is located on the upper half-sleeve, and the opening is located within the slot. The fixing rod is installed on the lower half-sleeve, and the fixing sleeve is installed within the slot. Multiple sets of sliding rods are slidably installed on the fixing sleeve. Multiple locking blocks are installed at the bottom ends of the sliding rods. Multiple sets of pressure plates are rotatably installed on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve. The pressure sleeve is slidably installed on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve. Multiple sets of locking grooves are provided on the outer wall of the fixing rod.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that the transmission mechanism includes a transmission block, a screw, a gear, a rotating sleeve, and a gear ring. Multiple sets of transmission blocks are installed on the outer wall of the pressure sleeve. Multiple sets of screws are rotatably installed on the fixed sleeve and are threadedly connected to multiple sets of transmission blocks. The gears are installed at the top of multiple sets of screws. The rotating sleeve is rotatably installed on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve. The gear ring is installed at the bottom of the rotating sleeve and meshes with multiple sets of gears.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that reinforcing ribs are installed on both the upper and lower halves of the sleeve, which significantly improves the overall structural strength of the coiled tubing bend limiter, enhances the load-bearing capacity of the equipment under complex working conditions, extends the service life of the equipment, and improves its reliability.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that a positioning block is installed at the top of the fixing rod, and a positioning groove is opened at the top of the inner end of the fixing sleeve. Both the positioning block and the positioning groove are polygonal, which ensures the precise alignment of the upper and lower half of the sleeve during the installation process, reduces assembly errors, and improves the stability and reliability of the connection.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that a first push spring is connected between the top of each of the multiple sets of slide rods and the outer wall of the fixed sleeve, so as to realize the automatic reset of the slide rods, enhance the adaptability of the connection mechanism, reduce mechanical wear, and improve assembly accuracy and reliability.

[0012] The present invention is further provided in that a second push spring is connected between the inner side of the multiple sets of pressure plates and the outer wall of the fixing sleeve, which enhances the pressing function of the pressure plates, provides stable radial pressure, improves the sealing and stability of the connection, and absorbs vibration and impact during the installation process.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that the locking mechanism includes a locking groove, a locking block, a tension spring, and a locking sleeve. The locking groove is provided in multiple sets distributed on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve, and the locking block is provided in multiple sets, all of which are slidably mounted on the rotating sleeve. The tension spring is mounted on the top of the multiple sets of locking blocks and connected to the outer wall of the rotating sleeve. The locking sleeve is slidably mounted on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve. Through the ingenious combination of the locking groove, locking block, tension spring, and locking sleeve, the precise locking and quick unlocking of the rotating sleeve are achieved.

[0014] The present invention is further provided with a third push spring connecting the top of the locking sleeve and the fixed sleeve. Multiple sets of the third push spring are provided to ensure that the locking sleeve can be accurately positioned, thereby enhancing the locking stability of the locking mechanism, reducing the difficulty of operation, and improving the safety and reliability of the connection.

[0015] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0016] Compared with the prior art, this utility model provides a continuous tubing bend limiter, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The connecting mechanism achieves rapid and precise docking of the upper and lower halves through the precise cooperation of the fixed rod, the opening, and the fixed sleeve. The coordinated design of multiple sliding rods and locking blocks, combined with the elastic support of the first push spring, ensures automatic positioning and locking functions during the connection process. The ingenious arrangement of the pressure plate and pressure sleeve not only provides radial pressure but also enables multi-point synchronous pressure application, greatly improving the stability and reliability of the connection. This design greatly simplifies the installation process, shortens the operation time, and significantly enhances the adaptability and reliability of the coiled tubing bend limiter under complex working conditions.

[0018] 2. The transmission mechanism, through the precise coordination of transmission blocks, screws, gears, rotating sleeves, and gear rings, constructs a highly efficient force transmission system. The threaded connection between multiple sets of screws and transmission blocks achieves precise linear displacement conversion, and the meshing transmission between gears and gear rings ensures the synchronicity and uniformity of rotation. This design not only enhances the mechanical transmission efficiency during the connection process but also significantly improves adjustment accuracy and reliability. The design of the rotating sleeve makes the entire transmission process smoother, reduces mechanical wear, extends the service life of the equipment, and provides stable and reliable power support for quick installation and disassembly.

[0019] 3. The locking mechanism achieves precise locking and quick unlocking of the rotating sleeve through the ingenious combination of locking groove, locking block, tension spring and locking sleeve. Multiple sets of locking blocks can accurately engage with the locking groove under the action of the tension spring. The third push spring further enhances the stability of locking. The rounded corner design reduces the frictional resistance between the locking block and the locking groove, making the locking and unlocking process smoother. This innovative design not only greatly improves the safety of the connection, but also significantly reduces the difficulty of operation, enabling the equipment to be connected and disassembled quickly and reliably even in complex working environments, greatly improving the efficiency and reliability of the coiled tubing bend limiter. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a continuous tubing bend limiter according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the upper half of the structure in this utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the upper and lower halves of the present invention in their disassembled state;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the connecting mechanism in this utility model;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the transmission mechanism and locking mechanism in this utility model.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Upper half; 2. Lower half; 3. Head; 4. Neck; 5. Tail; 6. Slot; 7. Hole; 8. Fixing rod; 9. Fixing sleeve; 10. Slide rod; 11. Locking block; 12. Pressure plate; 13. Pressure sleeve; 14. Transmission block; 15. Screw; 16. Gear; 17. Rotating sleeve; 18. Gear ring; 19. Reinforcing rib; 20. Positioning block; 21. Positioning groove; 22. First push spring; 23. Second push spring; 24. Locking groove; 25. Locking block; 26. Tension spring; 27. Locking sleeve; 28. Third push spring; 29. ​​Locking groove. Detailed Implementation

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0028] In this utility model, unless otherwise stated, the orientations used, such as "up" and "down", usually refer to the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, or to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" usually refer to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not used to limit this utility model.

[0029] Please see Figures 1-5 A continuous tubing bend limiter includes an upper half-sleeve 1, with a lower half-sleeve 2 on one side of the upper half-sleeve 1. Both the upper half-sleeve 1 and the lower half-sleeve 2 include a head 3, a neck 4, and a tail 5. The head 3 is located at the bottom, the neck 4 is located at the middle, and the tail 5 is located at the top. The tail 5 has a groove structure along its inner wall that can interlock with the head 3. A connecting mechanism is provided between the upper half-sleeve 1 and the lower half-sleeve 2. The connecting mechanism includes a slot 6, an opening 7, a fixing rod 8, a fixing sleeve 9, a sliding rod 10, a locking block 11, and a pressure plate 12. The upper half sleeve 1 has a slot 6 and an opening 7. The fixing rod 8 is installed on the lower half sleeve 2. The fixing sleeve 9 is installed in the slot 6. The sliding rod 10 is provided with multiple sets of sliding installations on the fixing sleeve 9. The locking block 11 is installed at the bottom of the multiple sets of sliding rods 10. The pressure plate 12 is provided with multiple sets of rotating installations on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve 9. The pressure sleeve 13 is slidably installed on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve 9. The outer wall of the fixing rod 8 has a locking groove 29, and multiple sets of locking grooves 29 are provided.

[0030] The transmission mechanism includes a transmission block 14, a screw 15, a gear 16, a rotating sleeve 17, and a gear ring 18. Multiple sets of transmission blocks 14 are mounted on the outer wall of the pressure sleeve 13. Multiple sets of screws 15 are rotatably mounted on the fixed sleeve 9 and are threadedly connected to multiple sets of transmission blocks 14. The gears 16 are mounted on the top of multiple sets of screws 15. The rotating sleeve 17 is rotatably mounted on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve 9. The gear ring 18 is mounted on the bottom of the rotating sleeve 17 and meshes with multiple sets of gears 16.

[0031] Both the upper half 1 and the lower half 2 are equipped with reinforcing ribs 19. As a structural reinforcement design, the reinforcing ribs 19 are evenly distributed on the surfaces of the upper half 1 and the lower half 2, thereby changing the cross-sectional shape and mechanical properties of the original components.

[0032] A positioning block 20 is installed at the top of the fixing rod 8, and a positioning groove 21 is opened at the top of the inner end of the fixing sleeve 9. Both the positioning block 20 and the positioning groove 21 are set as polygons. The design of the polygonal positioning block 20 and the positioning groove 21 is based on the geometric principle of precise alignment.

[0033] Each of the multiple sliding rods 10 has a first push spring 22 connected between its top end and the outer wall of the fixed sleeve 9. Utilizing the elastic deformation principle of the spring, a constant restoring force is provided during the movement of the sliding rod 10. Its preload design can automatically compensate for minor gaps during installation.

[0034] A second push spring 23 is connected between the inner side of the multiple pressure plates 12 and the outer wall of the fixed sleeve 9. Through the compression and recovery characteristics of the elastic element, it provides continuous radial pressure and buffering effect when the pressure plate 12 moves.

[0035] In this embodiment, during installation, the upper half 1 and the lower half 2 are fitted together, and the fixing rod 8 is inserted into the opening 7 for positioning. Then, the fixing rod 8 is inserted into the fixing sleeve 9, and the positioning block 20 is inserted into the positioning groove 21 to ensure that the fixing rod 8 and the fixing sleeve 9 are fully inserted. Then, the rotating sleeve 17 is rotated to drive the gear ring 18 to rotate. The gear ring 18 meshes with multiple sets of gears 16, thereby driving multiple sets of screws 15 to rotate and perform threaded transmission with multiple sets of transmission blocks 14. This causes the transmission blocks 14 to drive the pressure sleeve 13 to move linearly along the screws 15. The inner wall of the pressure sleeve 13 contacts and abuts against multiple sets of pressure plates 12 and continuously applies pressure, causing the multiple sets of pressure plates 12 to rotate and abut against multiple sets of sliding rods 10 and apply downward pressure. At the same time, the pressure plates 12 apply pressure to the second pressure. The spring compresses the slide rod 10, which in turn compresses the first push spring 22. The slide rod 10 pushes the locking block 11 inward and engages it in the slot 29, thus engaging the fixing rod 8. Subsequently, the locking mechanism locks the rotating sleeve 17, thereby completing the quick installation of the upper half sleeve 1 and the lower half sleeve 2. The rotating sleeve 17 rotates in the opposite direction, which drives the screw 15 through the meshing of the gear ring 18 and the gear 16. This drives the transmission block 14 and the pressure sleeve 13 to move upward, releasing the contact with the multiple pressure plates 12. At this time, the pressure plates 12 are pushed by the second push spring 23 to release the contact with the slide rod 10. The slide rod 10 is pushed outward by the first push spring 22, thereby pulling the locking block 11 away from the slot 29, releasing the engagement with the fixing rod 8, and completing the disassembly of the upper half sleeve 1 and the lower half sleeve 2.

[0036] Please see Figure 5 As one embodiment of the locking mechanism: the locking mechanism includes a locking groove 24, a locking block 25, a tension spring 26 and a locking sleeve 27. The locking groove 24 is provided with multiple sets distributed on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve 9. The locking block 25 is provided with multiple sets that are slidably mounted on the rotating sleeve 17. The tension spring 26 is mounted on the top of the multiple sets of locking blocks 25 and connected to the outer wall of the rotating sleeve 17. The locking sleeve 27 is slidably mounted on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve 9.

[0037] A third push spring 28 is provided between the top of the locking sleeve 27 and the fixed sleeve 9. Multiple sets of the third push spring 28 are provided. Based on the compression-recovery characteristics of the elastic element, it provides a constant axial thrust during the movement of the locking sleeve 27, thereby realizing the automatic positioning of the locking mechanism.

[0038] More specifically, when the rotating sleeve 17 rotates, a slight force can cause the locking block 25 to slide out of the locking groove 24. Both the bottom end of the locking block 25 and the outer side of the locking groove 24 are rounded. After the rotating sleeve 17 stops rotating, the tension spring 26 contracts and pushes the locking block 25 to engage in the locking groove 24. Then, the third push spring 28 pushes the locking sleeve 27 to abut against the top of the multiple sets of locking blocks 25, so that the locking blocks 25 are fastened in the locking groove 24, thus completing the locking of the rotating sleeve 17. Conversely, pushing the locking sleeve 27 upward will release the locking of the rotating sleeve 17.

[0039] In summary, during the use or operation of the overall equipment: During installation, the upper half 1 and lower half 2 are fitted together, and the fixing rod 8 is inserted into the opening 7 for positioning. Then, the fixing rod 8 is inserted into the fixing sleeve 9, and the positioning block 20 is inserted into the positioning groove 21 to ensure complete insertion of the fixing rod 8 and the fixing sleeve 9. Subsequently, rotating the rotating sleeve 17 drives the gear ring 18 to rotate. The gear ring 18 meshes with multiple sets of gears 16, thereby driving multiple sets of screws 15 to rotate and engage with multiple sets of transmission blocks 14 through threaded transmission. This causes the transmission blocks 14 to drive the pressure sleeve 13 to move linearly along the screws 15. The inner wall of the pressure sleeve 13 contacts and abuts against multiple sets of pressure plates 12, continuously applying pressure. This causes the multiple sets of pressure plates 12 to rotate and abut against multiple sets of sliding rods 10, applying downward pressure. Simultaneously, the pressure plates 1... 2. The second compression spring is compressed, and the slide rod 10 compresses the first push spring 22. The slide rod 10 pushes the locking block 11 to move inward and engage in the slot 29, engaging the fixing rod 8. Then, the rotating sleeve 17 is locked by the locking mechanism, thus completing the quick installation of the upper half sleeve 1 and the lower half sleeve 2. The rotating sleeve 17 is rotated in the opposite direction, and the screw 15 is driven by the meshing of the gear ring 18 and the gear 16, thereby driving the transmission block 14 and the pressure sleeve 13 to move upward, releasing the contact with the multiple sets of pressure plates 12. At this time, the pressure plates 12 are pushed by the second push spring 23 to release the contact with the slide rod 10. The slide rod 10 is pushed outward by the first push spring 22, thereby pulling the locking block 11 away from the slot 29, releasing the engagement with the fixing rod 8, and completing the disassembly of the upper half sleeve 1 and the lower half sleeve 2.

[0040] When the rotating sleeve 17 rotates, a slight force can cause the locking block 25 to slide out of the locking groove 24. Both the bottom end of the locking block 25 and the outer side of the locking groove 24 are rounded. After the rotating sleeve 17 stops rotating, the tension spring 26 contracts and pushes the locking block 25 to engage in the locking groove 24. Then, the third push spring 28 pushes the locking sleeve 27 to abut against the top of the multiple sets of locking blocks 25, so that the locking blocks 25 are fastened in the locking groove 24, thus completing the locking of the rotating sleeve 17. Conversely, pushing the locking sleeve 27 upward will release the locking of the rotating sleeve 17.

[0041] Of all the solutions mentioned above, those involving the connection between two components can be selected according to the actual situation, such as welding, bolt and nut connection, bolt or screw connection, or other known connection methods, which will not be elaborated here. For all the fixed connections mentioned above, welding is preferred. Although embodiments of this utility model have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this utility model. The scope of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A coiled tubing bend limiter, comprising an upper half (1), characterized in that: The upper half (1) is provided with a lower half (2) on one side. Both the upper half (1) and the lower half (2) include a head (3), a neck (4) and a tail (5). The head (3) is located at the bottom, the neck (4) is located at the middle, and the tail (5) is located at the top. The tail (5) has a groove structure along its inner wall that can interlock with the head (3). A connecting mechanism is provided between the upper half (1) and the lower half (2). The connecting mechanism includes a slot (6), an opening (7), a fixing rod (8), a fixing sleeve (9), a sliding rod (10), a locking block (11), a pressure plate (12), a pressure sleeve (13), and a transmission mechanism. The structure and locking mechanism are as follows: the slot (6) is set on the upper half sleeve (1), the opening (7) is set in the slot (6), the fixing rod (8) is installed on the lower half sleeve (2), the fixing sleeve (9) is installed in the slot (6), the slide rod (10) is provided with multiple sets of sliding installations on the fixing sleeve (9), the locking block (11) is installed at the bottom end of multiple sets of slide rods (10), the pressure plate (12) is provided with multiple sets of rotating installations on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve (9), the pressure sleeve (13) is slidably installed on the outer wall of the fixing sleeve (9), and the outer wall of the fixing rod (8) is provided with a locking groove (29), and multiple sets of locking grooves (29) are provided.

2. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism includes a transmission block (14), a screw (15), a gear (16), a rotating sleeve (17), and a gear ring (18). The transmission block (14) is provided in multiple sets and installed on the outer wall of the pressure sleeve (13). The screw (15) is provided in multiple sets and is rotatably installed on the fixed sleeve (9) and threadedly connected to the multiple sets of the transmission blocks (14). The gear (16) is installed at the top of the multiple sets of the screws (15). The rotating sleeve (17) is rotatably installed on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve (9). The gear ring (18) is installed at the bottom of the rotating sleeve (17) and meshes with the multiple sets of the gears (16).

3. A coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 2, characterized in that: Both the upper half (1) and the lower half (2) are equipped with reinforcing ribs (19).

4. A coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the fixing rod (8) is provided with a positioning block (20), and the top of the fixing sleeve (9) is provided with a positioning groove (21). Both the positioning block (20) and the positioning groove (21) are polygonal.

5. A coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 4, characterized in that: multiple sets A first push spring (22) is provided between the top of the slide rod (10) and the outer wall of the fixed sleeve (9).

6. A coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second push spring (23) is provided between the inner side of the multiple sets of pressure plates (12) and the outer wall of the fixing sleeve (9).

7. A coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking mechanism includes a locking groove (24), a locking block (25), a tension spring (26), and a locking sleeve (27). The locking groove (24) is provided in multiple sets distributed on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve (9). The locking block (25) is provided in multiple sets and is slidably mounted on the rotating sleeve (17). The tension spring (26) is mounted on the top of the multiple sets of locking blocks (25) and connected to the outer wall of the rotating sleeve (17). The locking sleeve (27) is slidably mounted on the outer wall of the fixed sleeve (9).

8. A coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 7, characterized in that: A third push spring (28) is provided between the top of the lock sleeve (27) and the fixed sleeve (9), and multiple sets of the third push spring (28) are provided.

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