Rubber Sleeve Protection Ring and Downhole Plugging Apparatus

Abstract

A rubber sleeve protection ring and a downhole plugging apparatus are described in the present invention. Said rubber sleeve protection ring comprises several protection units which are arranged in a circle; each protection unit has a seal protrusion extending outwards and a seal groove corresponding to the seal protrusions, wherein the seal protrusions are embedded in the seal grooves on each adjacent protection unit; at least one end faces of the protection unit is an inclined surface, wherein the direction of said inclined surface leads the protection unit moving radially and outwards when applying force on the end face.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rubber sleeve protection ring, comprising:
 a plurality of protection units  7  which are arranged in a circle; each of the protection unit  7  is provided with a seal protrusion  701  that extends outwards, and each of the protection unit is provided with a seal groove  702  corresponding to the seal protrusion  701 , the seal protrusions  701  could be embedded in the seal grooves  702  of the adjacent protection unit  7 ;   at least one end face of the protection unit  7  is set as inclined surface, wherein a direction of the inclined face would ensure the protection unit  7  moving radially outwards under pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The seal protrusion  701  and the seal groove  702  from  claim 1 , wherein both are set at the ends of the protection unit  7 . 
     
     
         3 . The sliding protrusion  703  from  claim 1 , wherein it is set on one end face of the said protection unit  7 . 
     
     
         4 . The end face of the protection unit  7  from  claim 1 , wherein at least one is arc-shaped in radial direction. 
     
     
         5 . A downhole plugging apparatus comprises:
 a mandrel  1 , a seal assembly which is set on the mandrel  1 , a upper anchor assembly and a lower anchor assembly which are arranged above and below the seal assembly respectively on the mandrel;   a rubber sleeve protection rings are set between the seal assembly and the upper anchor assembly; the rubber sleeve protection rings are also set between the seal assembly and the lower anchor assembly;   the rubber sleeve protection ring comprising a plurality of protection units  7  and the protection units  7  are arranged in a circle, a seal protrusion  701  and a seal groove  702  are provided to each of the protection unit  7 , the seal protrusion  701  is embedded in the seal groove  702  of the adjacent protection units  7 ; at least one end face of the protection unit  7  is of a inclined surface, a direction of the inclined surface leads the protection unit  7  moving radially and outwards when being pressed by the lower anchor assembly or the upper anchor assembly.   
     
     
         6 . The seal protrusion  701  and the said seal groove  702  from  claim 5 , wherein both are set on the ends of the protection unit  7 , and said seal protrusion  701  is in contact with said seal assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole plugging apparatus from  claim 5 , further comprising:
 the upper anchor assembly comprising: (a) a upper locking nut  2  which connects to a upper end of the mandrel  1  by a thread, (b) a striper ring  3  contacted with the upper locking nut  2 , (c) a plurality of slips  4  contacted with the striper ring  3 , (d) a conical slip holders  5  contacted with the the slips  4  and (e) aconical protection ring holder  6  contacted with the conical slip holders  5  and with the rubber sleeve protection ring;   the lower anchor assembly comprising (a) a lower locking nut  8  connected with a lower end of the mandrel  1  by the thread, (b) the plurality of slips  4  that contact the lower locking nut  8 , (c) the conical slip holders  5  contacted with the slips  4  and (d) the conical protection ring holder  6  that contacts with the conical slip holders  5 , wherein the conical protection ring holder  6  contacts with the rubber sleeve protection ring.   
     
     
         8 . The downhole plugging apparatus from  claim 7 , further comprising: a slide protrusion  703  set on one end face of the said protection unit  7 ; wherein several slide grooves  61  on the conical surface of the conical protection ring holder  6 , and the slide protrusions  703  can travel along the slide grooves  61 . 
     
     
         9 . The downhole plugging apparatus from  claim 7 , further comprising:
 one of end faces of the protection unit  7  is arc-shaped in a radial direction;   a plurality of circular grooves  62  set on the conical surface of the conical protection ring holder  6 ; and the arc-shaped end face of the said protection unit  7  is embedded in the circular grooves  62 .