Pipe coupling method and system

Abstract

A tubular coupling system and method; the system and method in at least certain aspects, using a coupling member with an interior protective ring that has at least one inner energizing member which, upon compression, forces the body of the coupling member against an interior wall of the coupling thereby inhibiting corrosive material from contacting the coupling's interior wall or, in the event some corrosive material does enter this area, holding the interior protective ring against the coupling's interior wall so that the corrosive material remains in and does not exit this area, thus inhibiting or preventing a continuous flow of corrosive material.

1 . A ring for use in a coupling member for coupling two tubulars, the coupling member being generally cylindrical and having an interior wall therein and a channel therethrough, the coupling member having two spaced-apart ends, each of the spaced-apart ends threaded for threaded mating with a threaded external end of one of the two tubulars so that the coupling member is connectible to the two tubulars, the ring comprising:
 a ring body positionable adjacent the interior wall of the coupling member for contact by the threaded external ends of the two tubulars, the ring body being generally cylindrical and having a ring channel therethrough, the ring body having at least one opening and at least one concave area therein, at least one of each of the at least one openings and each of the at least one concave areas on more than one surface of the ring body.   
   
   
       2 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein at least one surface comprises an interior surface, an exterior surface and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The ring of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the at least one openings and the at least one concave areas extends around the interior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       4 . The ring of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the at least one openings and the at least one concave areas extends around the exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       5 . The ring of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the at least one openings and the at least one concave areas extends around the interior surface and the exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       6 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of spaced-apart openings. 
   
   
       7 . The ring of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart openings extends around the interior surface and wherein the at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart openings extends around the exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       8 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening is of sufficient size so that the ring body does not expand significantly into the ring channel upon installation with the coupling member and the two tubulars. 
   
   
       9 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening is sized for accommodating manufacturing length tolerances of the two tubulars. 
   
   
       10 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening facilitates maintenance of the position of the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member. 
   
   
       11 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one concave area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart concave areas. 
   
   
       12 . The ring of  claim 10 , wherein at least one surface comprises an interior surface, an exterior surface and combinations thereof, and wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart concave areas is on the interior surface of the ring body and wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart concave areas is on the exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       13 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one openings is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       14 . The ring of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one energizing member, each of the at least one energizing members positionable within one of the at least one openings. 
   
   
       15 . The ring of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one energizing member is positionable within the one of the at least one openings of the ring body such that, under compression, the at least one energizing member is energized to push the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member. 
   
   
       16 . The ring of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one energizing member is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       17 . The ring of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the at least one energizing members extends around a circumference of the ring. 
   
   
       18 . The ring of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one energizing member is made of a resilient elastomeric material. 
   
   
       19 . The ring of  claim 13 , wherein each of the at least one energizing members has a hardness, the hardness of a first portion of the at least one energizing members being greater than a hardness of a second portion of the at least one energizing members. 
   
   
       20 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the ring body has two spaced-apart edges, each of the two spaced-apart edges trappable between the coupling member and one of the two tubulars. 
   
   
       21 . The ring of  claim 1 , wherein the ring body is made of compressible anti-corrosive material. 
   
   
       22 . A system for coupling two tubulars, each of the two tubulars having a threaded external end, the system comprising:
 a coupling member being generally cylindrical and having an interior wall therein and a channel therethrough, the coupling member having two spaced-apart ends, each of the two spaced-apart ends threaded for threaded mating with the threaded external end of one of the two tubulars so that the coupling member is connectible to the two tubulars; and   a ring for use in the coupling member, comprising:
 a ring body positionable adjacent the interior wall of the coupling member for contact by the threaded external ends of the two tubulars, the ring body being generally cylindrical and having a ring channel therethrough, the ring body having at least one opening and at least one concave area therein, at least one of each of the at least one openings and each of the at least one concave area being on at least one of an exterior surface of the ring body, an interior surface of the ring body and combinations thereof. 
   
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of spaced-apart openings. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one opening is of sufficient size so that the ring body does not expand significantly into the ring channel upon installation with the coupling member and the two tubulars. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one opening is sized for accommodating manufacturing length tolerances of the two tubulars. 
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one opening facilitates maintenance of the position of the ring body against the inner surface of the coupling member. 
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one concave area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart concave areas. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the at least one openings is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising at least one energizing member, each of the at least one energizing members positionable within one of the at least one openings. 
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein at least one energizing member is positionable within one of the at least one openings of the ring body such that, under compression, the at least one energizing member is energized to push the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member. 
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein at least one energizing member is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each of at least one energizing members has a hardness, the hardness of a first portion of the at least one energizing members being greater than a hardness of a second portion of the at least one energizing members. 
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the ring body has two spaced-apart edges, each of the two spaced-apart edges trappable between the coupling member and one of the two tubulars. 
   
   
       34 . A method for coupling two tubulars, each of the two tubulars having a threaded external end, the method comprising:
 providing a coupling system comprising:   a coupling member being generally cylindrical and having an interior wall therein and a channel therethrough, the coupling member having two spaced-apart ends, each of the two spaced-apart ends threaded for threaded mating with the threaded external end of one of the two tubulars; and   a ring for use in the coupling member, comprising:
 a ring body positionable adjacent the interior wall of the coupling member for contact by the ends of the two tubulars, the ring body being generally cylindrical and having a ring channel therethrough, the ring body having at least one opening and at least one concave area therein, at least one of each of the at least one openings and each of the at least one concave areas being on at least one of an exterior surface of the ring body, an interior surface of the ring body and combinations thereof; 
   positioning the ring in the coupling member with the ring body adjacent the interior wall of the coupling member;   connecting the coupling member with the two tubulars by threadedly mating each of the two spaced-apart ends of the coupling member with the threaded external end of one of the two tubulars such that the two tubulars contact the ring body; and   compressing the ring body between the two tubulars such that the ring body flows into at least a portion of the at least one opening and the at least one spaced-apart concave area such that the ring body has a controlled change of shape without a change in a volume of the ring body.   
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the ring further comprises at least one energizing member, each of the at least one energizing members in one of the at least one openings and wherein, the step of compressing comprises compressing the ring body between the two tubulars such that the at least one energizing member is energized to push the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the ring body has two spaced-apart edges, and wherein the method further comprises trapping at least one of the two spaced-apart edges between a portion of the coupling member and a portion of the tubular. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein each of the at least one energizing members has a hardness, the hardness of a first portion of the at least one energizing members being greater than a hardness of a second portion of the at least one energizing members, and wherein in the step of compressing comprising energizing the second portion of the at least one energizing members before energizing the first portion of the at least one energizing members. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one opening is of sufficient size that the ring does not expand significantly into the ring channel upon compression, and wherein the method further comprises expanding a portion of the ring body into the at least one opening so that an insignificant amount of the ring expands into the ring channel. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one opening is sized for accommodating manufacturing length tolerances of the two tubulars, and wherein the method further comprises accommodating the manufacturing length tolerances of the two tubulars with the at least one opening. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the step of compressing comprises tightening a connection between the two tubulars and the coupling member such that, upon compression of the ring body, the at least one energizing member is energized to push the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member.