The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 29, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 15, 1999
Paul J. Wilson, Houston, TX (US);
James V. Carisella, Harahan, LA (US);
Weatherford/Lamb, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
An inflatable packer setting tool assembly is lowerable into a subterranean well bore and operable to set an inflatable packer therein. The tool assembly includes a fluid supply housing and a setting tool that is releasably interconnected to an inflatable packer. The setting tool further includes a pump that is fluidly interconnected with the inflatable packer and is operable to inflate the inflatable packer. The fluid supply housing is fluidly interconnected with the setting tool and includes an inflation fluid passageway that has an inlet and outlet which is fluidly interconnected with a suction side of the pump. The inlet is in the form of an aperture on an outer wall of the supply housing and functions to fluidly interconnect the passageway to a source of first inflation fluid present in the well bore when the setting tool assembly is lowered into the well bore. Further, a filter housing is situated in the supply housing so that the second inflation fluid must pass through the filter housing prior to passing through the inflation fluid passageway. The supply housing also includes a reservoir for containing a second inflation fluid, such as a water-soluble oil. The reservoir includes a spring-loaded movable piston that allows for the volume in the reservoir to vary (e.g., due to thermal expansion of the second inflation fluid). An outlet of the reservoir is fluidly interconnected with the inflation fluid passageway. Thus, the setting tool (i.e., the pump) is operable to draw first and second inflation fluids from the supply housing and to deliver a mixture of the first and second inflation fluids to the inflatable packer so as to inflate inflatable packer.