Hanger and seal assembly

Claim 2

A hanger and seal assembly for installation in a wellhead housing having an internal landing shoulder and an internal sealing surface, a hanger having an external landing shoulder for seating on the housing landing shoulder and an external sealing surface, a seal assembly including a seal body having an upper outer seal leg and a lower outer seal leg, the upper outer seal leg extending upwardly and outwardly and having a free diameter less than the diameter of the internal housing sealing surface and inner upper and lower seal legs which converge inwardly toward each other and have a free inner diameter less than the diameter of the external hanger sealing surface, an upper load ring surrounding the upper portion of said seal body and engaging the upper outer seal leg, an upper body movably connected to said seal body and movable with respect thereto, means connecting said upper body to said load ring whereby downward movement of said upper body with respect to said seal body moves said load ring downwardly on said upper outer seal leg to cause said seal leg to move downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with the internal housing sealing surface, and means for retaining said upper outer seal leg in sealing engagement with the internal housing sealing surface.

Claim 3

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 1 wherein said lower outer seal leg extends downwardly and outwardly and has a free outer diameter less than the diameter of said internal housing sealing surface and including a lower body movably connected to said seal body and having an outer upstanding rim surrounding the lower portion of said seal body and engaging the lower outer seal leg, relative movement of said lower body with respect to said seal body moving said lower outer seal leg downward against the upper end of said lower body rim to move said lower outer leg outwardly and upwardly into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface.

Claim 4

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 2 including means for releasably preventing movement of said seal body with respect to said lower body.

Claim 5

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 3 wherein said movement preventing means includes a recess in the interior of said lower body, a split release ring positioned within the outer portion of said lower body recess in supporting engagement with said seal body, and means on said release ring for moving it outwardly on landing of said seal assembly around said hanger to allow disengagement of the supporting engagement with said seal body and to allow relative movement between the seal body and the lower body.

Claim 6

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 4 wherein said means for moving said release ring includes an inner projection on said release ring engaging the exterior surface of said hanger when said seal assembly is lowered therearound to move the release ring outwardly.

Claim 7

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 1 wherein said lower outer seal leg extends upwardly and outwardly and has a free outer diameter larger than the diameter of the internal housing sealing surface whereby entry of said seal assembly within said internal housing sealing surface bring said lower outer seal leg into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface.

Claim 8

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 1 including resilient sealing means positioned between said outer seal legs, and resilient sealing means positioned between said inner seal legs.

Claim 9

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 7 wherein the resilient sealing means between said outer seal legs is recessed to allow for the sealing movements of said seal legs.

Claim 10

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 1 wherein said seal leg retaining means includes means for securing the upper body to said hanger to prevent further relative movement of the upper body with respect to said seal body, and means for retaining the loaded position on said load ring with respect to said upper outer seal leg after completion of its loading.

Claim 11

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 9 wherein said means for securing said upper body to said hanger includes an external groove in the upper exterior of said hanger, a latching ring carried by said upper body, and an actuating sleeve carried by said upper body and being slidable therein to engage and move said latching ring into said external hanger groove to secure said upper body with respect to said hanger.

Claim 12

A hanger and seal assembly according to claim 9 wherein said means retaining the loading of said upper outer seal leg includes a latching sleeve surrounding the upper portion of said upper body and engaging said loading ring, and means providing threaded interengagement between said latching sleeve and said upper body to retain the loading of said loading ring on said upper outer seal leg.

Claim 13

A hanger annulus seal comprising a seal body having a pair of outer seal legs extending outwardly from said body at an angle and a pair of inner seal legs converging inwardly from the inner surface of said body, the inner seal legs having a free internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the surface against which the inner seal legs are to seal, at least one of the outer seal legs having a free outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the surface against which the outer seal legs are to seal, an upper loading ring surrounding the upper portion of the seal body above the upper outer seal leg, means for exerting a downward force on said upper loading ring to provide a loading force on said upper outer seal leg to bring it into sealing engagement with the surface against which it is to seal, and means for securing said seal assembly in its sealed position.

Claim 14

A hanger annulus seal comprising a seal body having a pair of outer seal legs extending outwardly from said body at an angle and a pair of inner seal legs converging inwardly from the inner surface of said body, the inner seal legs having a free internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the surface against which the inner seal legs are to seal, at least one of the outer seal legs having a free outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the surface against which the outer seal legs are to seal, an upper loading ring surrounding the upper portion of the seal body above the upper outer seal leg, means for exerting a downward force on said upper loading ring to provide a loading force on said upper outer seal leg to bring it into sealing engagement with the surface against which it is to seal, and means for securing said seal assembly in its sealed position.

Claim 15

A hanger annulus seal according to claim 12 wherein said outer seal legs diverge outwardly and each have a free diameter less than the diameter of said internal lousing sealing surface.

Claim 16

A hanger annulus seal according to claim 13 including a lower body movably connected to said seal body and having an upstanding rim positioned in engagement with said lower outer seal leg whereby on landing of the lower body continuing movement of said seal body loads said lower outer seal leg to move it outward into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface.

Claim 17

A hanger annulus seal according to claim 14 including means for releasably preventing relative movement of said seal body and said lower body prior to the landing on said hanger.

Claim 18

A hanger and seal assembly for installation in a wellhead housing having an internal landing shoulder, an internal sealing surface and an internal groove above the landing shoulder comprising a hanger having an external landing shoulder for seating on the housing landing shoulder, an external groove receiving an inwardly biased latching ring and an external sealing surface, a seal assembly including a seal body having a pair of outer seal legs and a pair of inner seal legs, the inner seal legs extending beyond the inner surface of the seal body for sealing against the external sealing surface of said hanger, the outer seal legs having a diameter less than the internal housing sealing surface, the upper outer seal leg extending upwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal, the lower outer seal leg extending downwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal, the upper inner seal leg extending downwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal and the lower inner seal leg extending upwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal, a lower body having an upwardly extending outer rim and a lower depending portion having a lower outer surface tapering downwardly and inwardly and positioned to engage within the latch ring within the external hanger groove, means connecting the lower body to the seal body so that axial movement is available between the two bodies upon landing of the seal assembly between the hanger and the housing, an upper body, means connecting the upper body to the seal body so that axial movement is available between the two bodies, a load ring surrounding the upper portion above the upper outer seal leg, landing of said seal assembly on said hanger causing said lower outer surface of said lower body to wedge said latching ring outwardly into said internal housing groove to latch said hanger in its seated position and further movement of said seal assembly moving said seal body downward with respect to said lower body rim to urge said lower outer leg upwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface, downward movement of said upper body and said sleeve moving said sleeve downwardly with respect to said upper outer leg, urging said upper outer leg downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface, and means for latching said upper body in its downward position to retain the seal assembly in its set position.

Claim 19

A hanger and seal assembly for installation in a wellhead housing having an internal landing shoulder, an internal sealing surface and an internal groove above the landing shoulder comprising a hanger having an external landing shoulder for seating on the housing landing shoulder, an external groove receiving an inwardly biased latching ring and an external sealing surface, a seal assembly including a seal body having a pair of outer seal legs and a pair of inner seal legs, the inner seal legs extending beyond the inner surface of the seal body for sealing against the external sealing surface of said hanger, the outer seal legs having a diameter less than the internal housing sealing surface, the upper outer seal leg extending upwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal, the lower outer seal leg extending downwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal, the upper inner seal leg extending downwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal and the lower inner seal leg extending upwardly at an angle toward the surface against which it is to seal, a lower body having an upwardly extending outer rim and a lower depending portion having a lower outer surface tapering downwardly and inwardly and positioned to engage within the latch ring within the external hanger groove, means connecting the lower body to the seal body so that axial movement is available between the two bodies upon landing of the seal assembly between the hanger and the housing, an upper body, means connecting the upper body to the seal body so that axial movement is available between the two bodies, a load ring surrounding the upper portion above the upper outer seal leg, landing of said seal assembly on said hanger causing said lower outer surface of said lower body to wedge said latching ring outwardly into said internal housing groove to latch said hanger in its seated position and further movement of said seal assembly moving said seal body downward with respect to said lower body rim to urge said lower outer leg upwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface, downward movement of said upper body and said sleeve moving said sleeve downwardly with respect to said upper outer leg, urging said upper outer leg downwardly and outwardly into sealing engagement with said internal housing sealing surface, and means for latching said upper body in its downward position to retain the seal assembly in its set position.

Claim 20

A hanger annulus seal comprising a seal body having a pair of outer sealing legs, the upper leg extending outwardly and upwardly and the lower leg extending outwardly and downwardly, and a pair of inner sealing legs, the upper leg extending downwardly and inwardly and the lower leg extending upwardly and inward­ly, the inner legs having a free internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the surface against which the legs are to seal, the outer legs having a free outer diameter smaller than the external diameter of the surface against which they are to seal, an upper loading ring surrounding the upper portion of the seal body above the upper outer seal leg, and a lower body movable connected to said seal body and having an upstanding rim surrounding the lower portion of the seal body and engaging the lower leg, the downward movement of the seal body on the lower body forcing the lower leg outwardly into its sealing position and the downward movement of the upper loading ring forcing the upper outer leg downwardly and outwardly into its sealing position.

Claim 21

A hanger annulus seal comprising a seal body having a pair of outer sealing legs, the upper leg extending outwardly and upwardly and the lower leg extending outwardly and downwardly, and a pair of inner sealing legs, the upper leg extending downwardly and inwardly and the lower leg extending upwardly and inward­ly, the inner legs having a free internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the surface against which the legs are to seal, the outer legs having a free outer diameter smaller than the external diameter of the surface against which they are to seal, an upper loading ring surrounding the upper portion of the seal body above the upper outer seal leg, and a lower body movable connected to said seal body and having an upstanding rim surrounding the lower portion of the seal body and engaging the lower leg, the downward movement of the seal body on the lower body forcing the lower leg outwardly into its sealing position and the downward movement of the upper loading ring forcing the upper outer leg downwardly and outwardly into its sealing position.