US 12,247,669 B2
Valve assembly for well systems
James W. Weir, Cypress, TX (US); and Jonathan Lewis Buelow, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to National Oilwell Varco, L.P., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by National Oilwell Varco, L.P., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on May 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/739,330.
Application 17/739,330 is a division of application No. 16/310,208, granted, now 11,353,124, previously published as PCT/US2017/037521, filed on Jun. 14, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/349,744, filed on Jun. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0260162 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 11/07 (2006.01); E21B 34/16 (2006.01); F16K 3/26 (2006.01); F16K 31/122 (2006.01); E21B 33/035 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 11/07 (2013.01) [E21B 34/16 (2013.01); F16K 3/267 (2013.01); F16K 31/122 (2013.01); F16K 31/1226 (2013.01); E21B 33/0355 (2013.01); Y10T 137/86582 (2015.04); Y10T 137/86702 (2015.04)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A valve for a well system, comprising:
a valve housing comprising a first housing port and a bore;
a piston assembly received in the bore of the housing, an outer surface of the piston assembly comprising a reduced diameter section extending between a pair of annular shoulders;
a cage having a longitudinal axis and comprising a bore defined by an inner surface, a first cage port, a second cage port axially spaced from the first cage port, and a third cage port axially spaced from the first cage port and the second cage port; and
a spool disposed in the cage and coupled to the piston assembly, the spool comprising a throughbore defined by an inner surface, a connector disposed in the throughbore of the spool wherein engagement between first and second ends of the connector and the pair of annular shoulders of the piston assembly releasably couple the piston assembly to the spool when the piston assembly is received within a bore of the connector, and a plurality of ribs extending between the inner surface of the spool and the connector that define a radially offset passage formed between the plurality of ribs, the inner surface of the spool, and the connector to permit longitudinal insertion of the piston assembly through the radially offset passage;
wherein the connector of the spool comprises the bore defined by an inner surface, and a slot extending radially outwards from the bore of the connector to an outer surface thereof to permit lateral insertion of a reduced diameter section of the piston assembly from the radially offset passage, laterally through the slot, and into the bore of the connector to releasably couple the piston assembly with the spool;
wherein the spool comprises a first position within the cage where fluid communication is provided between the second cage port and the third cage port, and fluid communication is restricted between the first cage port and the third cage port, and comprises a second position within the cage where fluid communication is provided between the first cage port and the third cage port, and fluid communication is restricted between the second cage port and the third cage port, and wherein fluid pressurization of the first housing port displaces the piston assembly in a first direction and displaces the spool between the first position and the second position
wherein the reduced diameter section of the piston assembly has an axial length that is greater than an axial length of the connector whereby a non-zero, predetermined amount of relative axial movement between the piston assembly and the spool is permitted when the reduced diameter section of the piston assembly is received within the bore of the connector.