US 11,873,942 B2
Pipe end protector
Pablo Egger, Buenos Aires (AR); and Angel Andres Carballo, Buenos Aires (AR)
Assigned to Tenaris Connections B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
Appl. No. 17/780,472
Filed by Tenaris Connections B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
PCT Filed Nov. 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/083739
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 26, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/105430, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 3, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2024342 (NL), filed on Nov. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0003332 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. F16L 57/00 (2006.01); E21B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 57/005 (2013.01) [E21B 17/006 (2013.01); F16L 2201/80 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pipe end protector for protecting pipe threads provided on a pipe end of a pipe component for exploration and production of a hydrocarbon well, said pipe end protector comprising:
a main body having a longitudinal axis, a support portion having an at least partly radially extending annular seal support surface, and a tubular portion provided with protector threads configured to cooperate with the pipe threads of the pipe end, and
an annular flexible axial lip seal provided on the seal support surface, wherein:
the main body is made from a first polymeric material having a first elastic modulus,
the axial lip seal is made from a second polymeric material having a second elastic modulus which is lower than the first elastic modulus,
the axial lip seal comprises an annular lip base portion which extends radially along at least part of the seal support surface and is attached to the seal support surface by overmoulding, and
the axial lip seal comprises an annular lip which extends from the lip base portion to a free rim of the lip, which free rim is axially spaced from the lip base portion, and wherein:
the pipe end protector is configured for a female pipe end and the lip is configured to be bent towards the longitudinal axis by a female nose surface of the female pipe end when the support portion and the female pipe end are moved axially towards each other during rotational make-up of the pipe end protector on the female pipe end in order to position the free rim between the female pipe end and the longitudinal axis when a final make-up position of the pipe end protector on the female pipe end is reached, OR
the pipe end protector is configured for a male pipe end and the lip is configured to be bent away from the longitudinal axis by a male nose surface of the male pipe end when the support portion and the male pipe end are moved axially towards each other during rotational make-up of the pipe end protector on the male pipe end in order to position the male pipe end between the free rim and the longitudinal axis when a final make-up position of the pipe end protector on the male pipe end is reached.