US 11,668,138 B2
Connector for a drilling or production system
Florent Vargas, Beziers (FR)
Assigned to Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Sugar Land, TX (US)
Filed by Cameron International Corporation, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/120,445.
Claims priority of application No. 19306649 (EP), filed on Dec. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0180413 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. E21B 17/046 (2006.01); E21B 17/08 (2006.01); E21B 33/038 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 17/0465 (2020.05) [E21B 17/085 (2013.01); E21B 33/038 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
16. A method of coupling a connector to a first annular member of a drilling and/or production system, the connector comprising: a body; a plurality of lock segments; and a key-slot interface between the plurality of lock segments and the body, the method comprising:
operating a drive system to rotate a rotatable plate in a circumferential direction to thereby drive the plurality of lock segments along a radial axis via a coupling assembly of the connector that couples the rotatable plate to the plurality of lock segments; and
adjusting the connector between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration,
wherein the key-slot interface is configured to enable movement of the plurality of lock segments along the radial axis and to block movement of the plurality of lock segments in the circumferential direction, and
wherein the plurality of lock segments are configured to be separated from one another by circumferentially-extending gaps while the connector is in the unlocked configuration, and the plurality of lock segments are configured to contact one another while the connector is in the locked configuration.