Wellhead connector with check valve

Claim 1

Apparatus for connecting to a wellhead structure comprising: a pair of matable bodies including a female body having generally laterally inwardly facing wall means defining a receptacle, and a male body adapted for insertion into and removal from said receptacle by movement in a generally longitudinal directional mode; said male body having generally laterally outwardly facing wall means for disposition adjacent said wall means of said female body when said male body is inserted therein; and each of said bodies having a respective fluid passageway therein, each of said passageways having a port opening through the respective one of said wall means, and said ports being generally in register when said bodies are matingly engaged; and check valve means disposed in the port of one of said bodies, said check valve means being biased to a position closing said port, and comprising: generally tubular housing means fixedly mounted in said port and defining a bore continuous with said passageway, said housing means further defining an annular valve seat area within said bore, and said bore having an enlarged diameter section adjacent said valve seat area; a valve element reciprocably mounted within said enlarged diameter section of said bore for engagement with and retraction from said valve seat area, said valve element having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of said valve seat area but less than the inner diameter of said enlarged diameter section of said bore, whereby when said valve element abuts said valve seat area, said bore is blocked, and when said valve element is retracted from said valve seat area said bore is opened; means resiliently biasing said valve element toward said valve seat area; and actuator means movable in a generally lateral directional mode to open said port of said one body, said actuator means including a rod portion engaging said valve element and a head portion adjoining said rod portion, and when said valve element is abutting said valve seat area, protruding beyond said port of said one body for sliding engagement with the wall means of said other body, the outer diameter of said rod portion being less than the inner diameter of the surrounding portion of said bore in said housing means, and said head portion having perforation means therethrough communicating with the portion of said bore surrounding said rod portion of said actuator means.