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:
Oct. 08, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1999
Zhou Yong, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Suprant J. Huang, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Nathan R. Anderson, Pleasant Grove, UT (US);
J. Daniel Belnap, Pleasant Grove, UT (US);
Chris E. Cawthorne, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Ronald K. Eyre, Orem, UT (US);
Madapusi K. Keshavan, Sandy, UT (US);
Per I. Nese, Aberdeen, GB;
Michael A. Siracki, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Gary R. Portwood, Kingwood, TX (US);
Smith International, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A cutter element for use in a drill bit, comprising a substrate and a cutting layer. The substrate comprises a grip portion and an extension portion, where the grip portion has an insert axis and an extension portion including an interface surface having a first apex. The cutting layer is affixed to the interface surface and has a cutting surface having a second apex. The cutting layer is shaped such that when a plane passing through the first apex and lying parallel to the insert axis and normal to a radius from the insert axis, the plane divides the cutting layer into major and minor portions and the major portion has a major volume that is at least 60 percent of the total volume of said cutting layer. Alternative embodiments of the present invention include variations wherein the first and second apices do not coincide and wherein the interface surface of the substrate is not axisymmetric. Using these variations, cutter elements having sizeable variations in thickness are constructed.