Patent US4711122A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4711122A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Flexible mud excluder for borehole televiewer

Assignee: Chevron USA Inc
•
Filing: 1986-08-21
•
Granted: 1987-12-08
•
Expires: 2006-08-21
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The present invention is an improved mud excluder fitted around a rotating acoustic transducer of a borehole televiewer to exclude mud from the borehole televiewer. This mud excluder has: (a) a flexible casing means attached to the borehole televiewer to form a fluid cavity adjacent to the rotating acoustic transducer, (b) an acoustically transparent fluid located within the fluid cavity, (c) an acoustic window means opposite the transducer and adjacent to the fluid cavity, and (d) a pressure compensating means within the fluid cavity to equalize the pressure within the fluid cavity with the pressure on the outside of the flexible casing means.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jorg A. Angehrn
  • 👤 Dennis J. Fischer

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 02:55
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B47/00; E21B47/002; E21B47/0025; G; G01; G01V; G01V1/00; G01V1/40; G01V1/52; E21B47/08; E21B47/085

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 99 words
A mud excluder fitted around a rotating acoustic transducer of a borehole televiewer to exclude mud from said borehole televiewer, wherein said mud excluder comprises: (a) a flexible casing means attached to said borehole televiewer to form a fluid cavity adjacent to said rotating acoustic transducer; (b) an acoustically transparent fluid located within said fluid cavity; (c) an acoustic window means opposite said transducer and adjacent to said fluid cavity; and (d) a pressure compensating means within the fluid cavity to equalize the pressure within said fluid cavity with the pressure on the outside of said flexible casing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 99 words
A mud excluder fitted around a rotating acoustic transducer of a borehole televiewer to exclude mud from said borehole televiewer, wherein said mud excluder comprises: (a) a flexible casing means attached to said borehole televiewer to form a fluid cavity adjacent to said rotating acoustic transducer; (b) an acoustically transparent fluid located within said fluid cavity; (c) an acoustic window means opposite said transducer and adjacent to said fluid cavity; and (d) a pressure compensating means within the fluid cavity to equalize the pressure within said fluid cavity with the pressure on the outside of said flexible casing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
A mud excluder according to claim 1 wherein said flexible casing means is made of a synthetic rubber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
A mud excluder according to claim 2 wherein said flexible casing means is molded from a synthetic rubber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A mud excluder according to claim 1 wherein said acoustic window means is made of a vulcanized synthetic rubber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 34 words
A mud excluder according to claim 1 wherein said pressure compensating means comprises a bladder located between the flexible casing means and the borehole televiewer, wherein said bladder is externally open to the mud.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
A mud excluder according to claim 5 wherein said bladder is made of rubber tubing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 148 words
A mud excluder fitted around a rotating acoustic transducer of a borehole televiewer, wherein said mud excluder comprises: (a) a flexible casing means attached to said borehole televiewer to form a fluid cavity adjacent to said rotating acoustic transducer, wherein said flexible casing means is molded from a synthetic rubber; (b) brine located within said fluid cavity; (c) an acoustic window means opposite said transducer and adjacent to said fluid cavity, wherein said acoustic window means is made of a vulcanized synthetic rubber; and (d) a pressure compensating means within the fluid cavity to equalize the pressure within said fluid cavity with the pressure on the outside of said flexible casing means, wherein said pressure compensating means comprises a bladder located between the flexible casing means and the borehole televiewer, wherein said bladder is externally open to the mud, and wherein said bladder is made of rubber tubing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 148 words
A mud excluder fitted around a rotating acoustic transducer of a borehole televiewer, wherein said mud excluder comprises: (a) a flexible casing means attached to said borehole televiewer to form a fluid cavity adjacent to said rotating acoustic transducer, wherein said flexible casing means is molded from a synthetic rubber; (b) brine located within said fluid cavity; (c) an acoustic window means opposite said transducer and adjacent to said fluid cavity, wherein said acoustic window means is made of a vulcanized synthetic rubber; and (d) a pressure compensating means within the fluid cavity to equalize the pressure within said fluid cavity with the pressure on the outside of said flexible casing means, wherein said pressure compensating means comprises a bladder located between the flexible casing means and the borehole televiewer, wherein said bladder is externally open to the mud, and wherein said bladder is made of rubber tubing.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3502169A Cited
US3464513A Cited
US3596582A Cited
US3550075A Cited
US3668619A Cited
US4382290A Cited
US4524324A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-12-07 1991-06-08 1991-12-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-12-07 1995-06-08 1995-12-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-12-07 1999-06-08 1999-12-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag