Wear Plate For A Drill Pump
Patent No. US11208997 (titled "Wear Plate For A Drill Pump") was filed by Gd Energy Products Llc on Mar 13, 2018.
What is this patent about?
’997 is related to the field of high-pressure fluid pumps , specifically those used in drilling operations. These pumps rely on reciprocating pistons to generate the necessary pressure. A critical component is the wear plate assembly, which provides a fluid path and sealing interface between the piston and the pump housing. Maintaining a reliable seal in this high-pressure environment is essential for efficient and continuous operation.
The underlying idea behind ’997 is to provide a dual-seal wear plate assembly for a drilling pump. This assembly incorporates both a radial seal and an axial seal. The key insight is that by having a secondary axial seal in addition to the primary radial seal, the pump can continue operating even if the primary seal fails. This redundancy minimizes downtime and prevents damage to the pump housing from high-pressure leaks.
The claims of ’997 focus on a drilling module that includes a housing with a fluid path, a piston retainer, and a wear plate assembly. The wear plate assembly itself comprises an annular wear plate with a radial outer surface and a radial seal compressed between the fluid end bore and the wear plate's outer surface. The independent claim emphasizes the arrangement of these components within the drilling module.
In practice, the wear plate assembly is inserted into the fluid end bore of the pump housing. The primary radial seal provides the initial fluid-tight barrier. If this seal degrades or fails, the secondary axial seal is engaged to maintain pressure. This is achieved by placing an axial seal around the radial seal surface of the wear plate and abutting it against a shoulder on the wear plate. When the assembly is re-inserted, the axial seal is compressed, creating a secondary sealing surface.
This design differentiates itself from traditional single-seal systems by offering a backup sealing mechanism . In prior systems, a failure of the primary seal would necessitate immediate shutdown and repair, potentially leading to significant downtime and costly repairs to the eroded housing. The ’997 invention allows for continued operation, providing a window for planned maintenance and preventing catastrophic failures. The shoulder on the wear plate is key to enabling the axial seal to function.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2010s when ’997 was filed, drilling pumps at a time when were typically implemented using reciprocating pistons to generate high-pressure fluid for drilling operations. At this time, systems commonly relied on mechanical seals to prevent fluid leakage in high-pressure environments, and hardware or software constraints made precise control of seal compression and wear non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
Claims 12-20 were pending. The applicant filed an amendment, and the examiner entered it. The examiner initially rejected claims 12-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by a prior art reference. The examiner withdrew the initial rejection but then made a new ground of rejection based on the same reference. The prosecution record does NOT describe the technical reasoning or specific claim changes that led to allowance.
Claims
This patent has 9 claims, with claim 1 being independent. Independent claim 1 is directed to a drilling module of a drill pump, specifically detailing the housing, piston retainer, and wear plate assembly components. The dependent claims generally elaborate on the features and configurations of the drilling module described in the independent claim.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
File Wrapper
The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.
Date
Description
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US11208997
- Application Number
- US15919584
- Filing Date
- Mar 13, 2018
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Sep 29, 2039
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents