Boltless Locking of BOP Bonnet

Abstract

An apparatus for releasably connecting a bonnet to a body of a blowout preventer includes a latch plate that is mounted to the body of the blowout preventer. The latch plate has a plate profile on an outer surface of the latch plate. A clamping assembly extends through the bonnet and includes a clamping screw releasably secured to, and extending through the bonnet. A latch key is located at an inner end of the clamping screw, the latch key having a key profile shaped to mate with the plate profile and to resist relative movement between the latch key and the latch plate. The clamping assembly is moveable between an engaged position where the key profile mates with the plate profile, and a released position where the key profile is spaced apart from the plate profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for releasably connecting a bonnet to a body of a blowout preventer, the apparatus comprising:
 a latch plate that is mounted to the body of the blowout preventer, the latch plate having a plate profile on an outer surface of the latch plate;   a clamping assembly that extends through the bonnet, the clamping assembly comprising:
 a clamping screw releasably secured to, and extending through the bonnet; and 
 a latch key located at an inner end of the clamping screw, the latch key having a key profile shaped to mate with the plate profile and to resist relative movement between the latch key and the latch plate; and wherein 
   the clamping assembly is moveable between an engaged position where the key profile mates with the plate profile, and a released position where the key profile is spaced apart from the plate profile.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lock screw releasably securing the latch key to the clamping screw. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the latch plate is located on a first side of the body of the blowout preventer and the clamping assembly extends through a first side of the bonnet, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second latch plate located on a second side of the body of the blowout preventer and a second clamping assembly extending through a second side of the bonnet. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the clamping screw is threaded to the bonnet and has an internal bore housing a lock screw that releasably secures the latch key to the clamping screw. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the clamping screw is a quarter turn fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the key profile is shaped to resist relative movement between the latch key and the latch plate in a radially outward direction when the clamping assembly is in the engaged position, and wherein the bonnet is removable from the body of the blowout preventer in the radially outward direction when the clamping assembly is in the released position. 
     
     
         7 . A blowout preventer assembly with an apparatus for releasably connecting a bonnet to a blowout preventer, the blowout preventer assembly comprising:
 a blowout preventer with a body;   a latch plate that is mounted to the body, the latch plate having a plate profile on an outer surface of the latch plate;   a clamping assembly that extends through the bonnet, the clamping assembly comprising:
 a clamping screw releasably secured to, and extending through the bonnet; and 
 a latch key located at an inner end of the clamping screw; 
   a ram assembly extending radially from the body and secured to the bonnet, the latch key having a key profile shaped to mate with the plate profile and to resist relative movement between the latch key and the latch plate in a direction along a central ram axis of the ram assembly; and wherein   the clamping assembly is moveable between an engaged position where the key profile mates with the plate profile, and a released position where the key profile is spaced apart from the plate profile.   
     
     
         8 . The blowout preventer assembly according to  claim 7 , further comprising a lock screw releasably securing the latch key to the clamping screw, the lock screw being carried by the clamping screw. 
     
     
         9 . The blowout preventer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the latch plate is located on a first side of the ram assembly, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second latch plate located on a second side of the ram assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The blowout preventer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the clamping screw is threaded to the bonnet and has an internal bore housing a lock screw that releasably secures the latch key to the clamping screw. 
     
     
         11 . The blowout preventer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the clamping screw is a quarter turn fastener. 
     
     
         12 . The blowout preventer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the bonnet and the ram assembly is removable from the body in the direction along the central ram axis of the ram assembly when the clamping assembly is in the released position. 
     
     
         13 . A method for releasably connecting a bonnet to a body of a blowout preventer, the method comprising:
 mounting a latch plate to the body of the blowout preventer, the latch plate having a plate profile on an outer surface of the latch plate;   extending a clamping assembly through the bonnet, the clamping assembly comprising a clamping screw releasably secured to, and extending through the bonnet, and a latch key located at an inner end of the clamping screw, the latch key having a key profile shaped to mate with the plate profile; and   moving the clamping assembly from a released position where the key profile is spaced apart from the plate profile to an engaged position where the key profile mates with the plate profile and resists relative movement between the latch key and the latch plate.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising releasably securing the latch key to the clamping screw with a lock screw. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising locating the latch plate on a first side of the body of the blowout preventer and extending the clamping assembly through a first side of the bonnet, and wherein the method further comprises locating a second latch plate on a second side of the body of the blowout preventer and extending a second clamping assembly through a second side of the bonnet. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising threading the clamping screw to the bonnet by rotating the clamping screw in a first direction and releasably securing the latch key to the clamping screw with a lock screw that is housed in an internal bore of the clamping screw, by rotating the lock screw in a second direction. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising releasably securing the clamping screw to the bonnet by rotating the clamping screw less than one hundred and eighty degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the key profile is shaped to resist relative movement between the latch key and the latch plate in a radially outward direction when the clamping assembly is in the engaged position, the method further comprising moving the clamping assembly to the released position and removing the bonnet from the body of the blowout preventer in the radially outward direction.