Pipe coupling system and method

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 coupling 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 connectable 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 therein extending into the ring body through at least one surface thereof; and   at least one energizing member, each of the at least one energizing members 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.   
   
   
       2 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the at least one opening extends around an interior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       3 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the at least one opening extends around an exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       4 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of spaced-apart openings. 
   
   
       5 . The ring of claim,  4  wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart openings extends around an interior surface and wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart openings extends around an exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       6 . 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. 
   
   
       7 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the at least one opening is sized for accommodating manufacturing length tolerances of the two tubulars. 
   
   
       8 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the at least one opening facilitates maintenance of a position of the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member. 
   
   
       9 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the ring body has at least one concave area therein. 
   
   
       10 . The ring of claim,  9  wherein the at least one concave area extends around an interior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       11 . The ring of claim,  9  wherein the at least one concave area extends around an exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       12 . The ring of claim,  9  wherein the at least one concave area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart concave areas. 
   
   
       13 . The ring of claim,  12  wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart concave areas extends around an interior surface of the ring body, and wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart concave areas extends around an exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       14 . The ring of claim,  9  wherein at least one of the at least one openings is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       15 . The ring of claim,  9  wherein at least one of the at least one energizing members is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       16 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein at least one of the at least one energizing members extends around an exterior surface of the ring body. 
   
   
       17 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the at least one energizing members are made of a resilient elastomeric material. 
   
   
       18 . The ring of claim,  1  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. 
   
   
       19 . 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. 
   
   
       20 . The ring of claim,  1  wherein the ring body is made of compressible anti-corrosive material. 
   
   
       21 . 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 coupling 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 connectable 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 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 therein; and 
 at least one energizing member, each of the at least one energizing members 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. 
   
   
   
       22 . The system of claim,  21  wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of spaced-apart openings. 
   
   
       23 . 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. 
   
   
       24 . The system of claim,  21  wherein the at least one opening is sized for accommodating manufacturing length tolerances of the two tubulars. 
   
   
       25 . The system of claim,  21  wherein the at least one opening facilitates maintenance of a position of the ring body against the interior wall of the coupling member. 
   
   
       26 . The system of claim,  21  wherein the ring body has at least one concave area therein. 
   
   
       27 . The system of claim,  26  wherein the at least one concave area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart concave areas. 
   
   
       28 . The system of claim,  26  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,  26  wherein at least one of the at least one energizing members is positioned in at least one of the at least one concave areas. 
   
   
       30 . The system of claim,  21  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. 
   
   
       31 . 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. 
   
   
       32 . 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 coupling 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, the ring body being generally cylindrical and having a ring channel therethrough, the ring body having at least one opening therein; and 
 at least one energizing member, each of the at least one energizing members positionable within one of the at least one openings of the ring body; 
 
   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 each of the two tubulars contact the ring body; and   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.   
   
   
       33 . The method of claim,  32  wherein the at least one opening is on at least one surface of the ring body, and wherein the step of compressing comprises compressing the ring body between the two tubulars such that the ring body flows into at least a portion of the at least one openings such that the ring body has a controlled change of shape without a change in volume of the ring body. 
   
   
       34 . The method of claim,  33  wherein the ring body has at least one concave area on the at least one surface thereof, and wherein the step of compressing comprises compressing the ring body between the two tubulars such that the ring body flows into at least a portion of the at least one concave area such that the ring body has a controlled change of shape without a change in volume of the ring body. 
   
   
       35 . The method of claim,  32  wherein the ring body has at least one concave area on the at least one surface thereof, and wherein the step of compressing method further comprises compressing the ring body between the two tubulars such that the ring body flows into at least a portion of the at least one concave area such that the ring body has a controlled change of shape without a change in volume. 
   
   
       36 . The method of claim,  32  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,  32  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 comprises 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,  32  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 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,  32  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,  32  wherein the step of compressing comprises tightening a connection between the two tubulars and the coupling 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.