Claims
- 1. A valve for effecting the sealing of an annular opening defined between an end of a tubular conduit and a first sleeve mounted for axial movements relative to said end of said tubular conduit, comprising: an annular mass of elastomeric material; means supporting said annular mass in sealed concentric relationship to said end of said tubular conduit, said supporting means engaging all external surfaces of said annular mass of elastomeric material except for an annular portion of one radial face; and an annular sealing rib on one end of said first sleeve embeddable in said annular portion of said one radial face of said annular elastomeric mass by axial movement of said first sleeve relative to said end of said tubular conduit; a second tubular conduit secured to said first mentioned tubular conduit in surrounding relationship to said first sleeve and defining an annular fluid pressure chamber having the exterior of said first sleeve constituting the inner wall thereof; said annular sealing rib constituting a wall portion of said fluid pressure chamber; a lower annular seal disposed between the exterior of said first sleeve and the bore wall of said second tubular conduit; said lower annular seal being of larger diameter than said annular sealing rib; and means for supplying pressured fluid to said fluid pressure chamber, thereby exerting a fluid pressure force on said first sleeve to move said first sleeve axially to an open position to disengage said annular sealing rib from said elastomeric mass to transmit pressured fluid into the bore of said first sleeve.
- 2. A valve in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second annular elastomeric mass secured to the other end of said first sleeve; a second sleeve slidably and sealably secured to said second tubular conduit; resilient means urging said second sleeve axially toward said second annular elastomeric mass; and an annular sealing ridge formed on said second sleeve and embeddable in said second annular elastomeric mass by said fluid pressure produced movement of said first sleeve.
- 3. A valve in accordance with claim 2 wherein said second annular elastomeric mass is secured to said other end of said first sleeve by concentric inner and outer rigid retaining sleeves surrounding all faces of said second annular elastomeric mass except an annular portion of one radial face, said annular portion being engagable by said annular sealing ridge; and at least one of said inner and outer sleeves being secured to said other end of said first sleeve.
- 4. A valve in accordance with claim 2 further comprising resilient means opposing said fluid pressure produced movement of said first sleeve; and a lowermost annular seal operating between the exterior of said second sleeve and the interior bore of said second conduit to prevent fluid flow therethrough when said second annular elastomeric mass is engaged by said annular sealing ridge, said lowermost annular seal having a smaller effective diameter than said lower annular seal, thereby holding said first sleeve in said open position.
- 5. A valve in accordance with claim 3 further comprising resilient means opposing said fluid pressure produced movement of said first sleeve; and a lowermost annular seal operating between the exterior of said second sleeve and the interior bore of said second conduit to prevent fluid flow therethrough when said second annular elastomeric mass is engaged by said annular sealing ridge, said lowermost annular seal having a smaller effective diameter than said lower annular seal, thereby holding said first sleeve in said open position by the pressured fluid.
- 6. A valve in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means for supplying fluid pressure to said fluid pressure chamber comprises a valve seat in said first-mentioned tubular conduit; a removable valve seated on said valve seat; and port means in said first-mentioned conduit above said valve seat and communicating with said annular fluid pressure chamber.
- 7. Fluid pressure responsive valving apparatus for use with an annular downhole tool having a packing element responsive to a pressure differential between the bore of the tool and the surrounding annulus within the well bore, comprising; a tubular assembly connectable in series relation between a surface-connected well conduit and the downhole tool; removable plug means for closing said tubular assembly for permitting fluid pressure within said tubular assembly to be increased; a valve mounted in said tubular assembly and shiftable from a first position to a second position in response to increased fluid pressure within said tubular assembly; said valve in said first position connecting the bore of said tubular assembly to the annulus; resilient means urging said valve to said first position; said valve in said second position directing conduit fluid pressure into the bore of the downhole tool to expand the packing element thereof; and means responsive to the conduit fluid pressure for shifting said valve to said second position against the bias of said resilient means.
- 8. Valve apparatus for use in a fluid transmission conduit in a subterranean well in which fluids move through the conduit in one direction, the fluids moving in the opposite direction being directed to the exterior of the conduit, comprising: a mandrel having a bore communicating with said conduit; removable plug means for closing said mandrel to prevent the passage of fluids in said one direction therethrough; fluid bypass means communicable with said conduit on opposite sides of said plug means; port means communicable between said conduit and the fluid bypass means exterior of said conduit; and a shuttle valve shiftable relative to said mandrel between a first and a second position, said shuttle valve closing communication through said fluid bypass means in said first position and closing said port means and opening communication between the bypass passage and the conduit in said second position, said shuttle valve being responsive to the pressure differential above and below said plug means, whereby said shuttle valve is shiftable to the second position to allow flow through said conduit and fluid bypass means in said one direction only and is shiftable to said second position to allow flow in the opposite direction on the exterior of said conduit.
- 9. Valve apparatus permitting movement of fluid through a tubular conduit in a subterranean well in a first direction, said valve comprising: an outer housing; an inner mandrel having a bore therethrough, a portion of the inner mandrel being shiftable relative to said housing; removable plug means closing the bore of the non-shiftable portion of said inner mandrel and preventing fluid from passing through the mandrel in one direction, a fluid bypass between said housing and said mandrel communicable with the mandrel bore on opposite sides of said plug means; means on said shiftable portion of said mandrel for moving said shiftable mandrel portion in a first direction in response to fluid pressure in said fluid bypass; first valve means opening upon movement of said shiftable mandrel portion in a first direction for establishing communication between said mandrel bore and said fluid bypass on one side of said plug means; and second valve means on the opposite end of said shiftable mandrel portion for establishing communication bewteen said mandrel bore and the exterior of said housing, said second valve means being closed when said first valve means is open and open when said second valve means is closed.
- 10. The valve apparatus of claim 9 further comprising biasing means opposing movement of said shiftable mandrel portion in said first direction.
- 11. The valve apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first valve means is shiftable relative to said plug means, said first valve means and said plug means defining a restricted flow passage during an initial interval of movement of the first valve means, the flow past said first valve means being increased during a subsequent interval of movement of the first valve means.
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PENDING APPLICATIONS
This application constitutes a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 535,409, filed 9/26/83, and entitled "Unloading Injection Control Valve."
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
535409 |
Sep 1983 |
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