Lock Ring Tab Design for Securing Threaded Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing threaded connections, such as set screws, require costly alterations to components and can fail under wellbore conditions, leading to unscrewing and tool malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
A lock ring with outwardly extending locking tabs and inwardly disposed spacer tabs is installed between threaded components, allowing selective bending to engage notches on the components, preventing relative rotation without damaging the components or requiring alterations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If set screws are used to secure threaded connections, then components are secured against unwanted rotation, but components require costly alterations and set screws can fail under wellbore conditions
Solution Approach 1:
A lock ring is introduced as an intermediary component between the first and second components. The lock ring has locking tabs that engage with notches on both components, preventing relative rotation without requiring modifications to the original threaded components. This mediator approach secures the connection while preserving the integrity of the original parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is divided into separate functional elements: the lock ring body, multiple locking tabs, and spacer stand-off members. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function independently - the ring provides structural support, tabs provide locking engagement, and spacers maintain proper positioning - while collectively solving the security problem without altering the original components.
2Reliability
If set screws are used to prevent unwanted rotation, then components are secured, but set screws can inadvertently unscrew and create fish downhole
Solution Approach 1:
The lock ring serves as a mediator that distributes locking force across multiple engagement points (locking tabs in notches) rather than relying on a single set screw. This multi-point engagement system prevents the locking mechanism from inadvertently loosening, and if one tab fails to engage, others provide backup security, eliminating the fish downhole problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking tabs are strategically positioned at different locations around the lock ring, with each tab engaging a specific notch on the components. This local distribution of locking points ensures that rotation is prevented at multiple locations simultaneously, providing redundant security against unwanted rotation and reducing the risk of complete locking failure.
3Ease of manufacture
If lock ring with locking tabs is used to secure components, then components are secured against unscrewing without alterations, but locking tabs require selective bending to engage notches
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tabs are designed with selective bendability, allowing them to be deformed from a initial position to a locked position that engages the notches. This dynamic characteristic enables the tabs to be bent during installation to achieve proper engagement, providing flexibility in the locking process while maintaining a rigid locked state once positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking tabs can be pre-bent to the required angle before installation, or bent in place during assembly. This preliminary action approach allows the locking mechanism to be prepared in advance, reducing the complexity of the installation process and ensuring proper engagement with the notches without requiring complex tools or procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A lock ring to secure threaded components from inadvertent unscrewing, loosening or disassembling from each other. The lock ring can be constructed of relatively thin and pliable material. The lock ring has a central bore or hole and defines inner and outer ring surfaces. A plurality of locking tabs (including at least one bendable tab) extends outwardly from the outer ring surface, while at least one stand-off or spacer tab extends inwardly from the inner ring surface. Certain locking tabs can be bent or otherwise repositioned so that that they are received in aligned recesses in the threaded components. The lock ring can be installed between threaded components (such as, for example, wireline or electric line tools) and thereby prevents adjacent threaded components from unwanted or inadvertent rotation relative to each other.