CA2541339C - Drive shaft for motor - Google Patents
Drive shaft for motor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2541339C CA2541339C CA2541339A CA2541339A CA2541339C CA 2541339 C CA2541339 C CA 2541339C CA 2541339 A CA2541339 A CA 2541339A CA 2541339 A CA2541339 A CA 2541339A CA 2541339 C CA2541339 C CA 2541339C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- drive
- shaft
- contact surface
- housing
- central shaft
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16C3/00—Shafts; Axles; Cranks; Eccentrics
- F16C3/02—Shafts; Axles
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B4/00—Drives for drilling, used in the borehole
- E21B4/02—Fluid rotary type drives
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16D—COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES
- F16D3/00—Yielding couplings, i.e. with means permitting movement between the connected parts during the drive
- F16D3/16—Universal joints in which flexibility is produced by means of pivots or sliding or rolling connecting parts
- F16D3/20—Universal joints in which flexibility is produced by means of pivots or sliding or rolling connecting parts one coupling part entering a sleeve of the other coupling part and connected thereto by sliding or rolling members
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Motor Or Generator Frames (AREA)
Abstract
An improved drive shaft for a motor having a central shaft, end housings, a ball and socket engagement to facilitate omni-directional movement between the central shaft and the end housings and drive keys to transmit torque between the central shaft and end housings with each end housing having planar drive key contact faces. The improvement lies in the drive keys, each of the drive keys having a shaft contact surface formed as a radius from a centre point and a planar housing contact surface longer than the drive key contact face of the end housing that the housing contact surface engages.
Description
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Drive shaft for motor FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drive shaft for a motor and, in particular, a downhole drilling motor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A known configuration of drive shaft used with down hole drilling motors has a ball and socket arrangement to allow omni-directional pivotal movement between a central shaft and end housings and drive keys to transmit torque between the central shaft and end housings. Problems of wear are being experienced where the drive keys engage the end housings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an improved drive shaft for a motor having a central shaft, end housings, a ball and socket engagement to facilitate omni-directional movement between the central shaft and the end housings and drive keys to transmit torque between the central shaft and end housings with each end housing having planar drive key contact faces, The improvement lies in the drive keys, each of the drive keys having a shaft contact surface formed as a radius from a centre point and a planar housing contact surface longer than the drive key contact face of the end housing that the housing contact surface engages.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, in section, of a drive shaft constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a transverse section view taken along section lines A-A and B-B of the drive I I
.. ~. .. . . . ... . ... .. . . .
Drive shaft for motor FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drive shaft for a motor and, in particular, a downhole drilling motor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A known configuration of drive shaft used with down hole drilling motors has a ball and socket arrangement to allow omni-directional pivotal movement between a central shaft and end housings and drive keys to transmit torque between the central shaft and end housings. Problems of wear are being experienced where the drive keys engage the end housings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an improved drive shaft for a motor having a central shaft, end housings, a ball and socket engagement to facilitate omni-directional movement between the central shaft and the end housings and drive keys to transmit torque between the central shaft and end housings with each end housing having planar drive key contact faces, The improvement lies in the drive keys, each of the drive keys having a shaft contact surface formed as a radius from a centre point and a planar housing contact surface longer than the drive key contact face of the end housing that the housing contact surface engages.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, in section, of a drive shaft constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a transverse section view taken along section lines A-A and B-B of the drive I I
.. ~. .. . . . ... . ... .. . . .
2 shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of the drive shaft illustrated in FIG.1.
FIG. 4 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end housing from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end housing from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end portion of a central shaft from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5A is a side elevation view of a drive key from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG.
1.
FIG. 5B is a top plan view of the drive key illustrated in FIG. 5A.
FIG. 5C is an end elevation view of the drive key illustrated in FIG. 5A.
FIG. 6 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end portion of a central shaft from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a drive shaft generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 through 6.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown drive shaft 10 intended for use with a downhole motor (not shown) but is not exclusively restricted to use with a downhole motor. Drive shaft 10 has a central shaft 12, end housings 14, a ball and socket engagement 16 and drive keys 18 to transmit torque between central shaft 12 and end housings 14. Ball and socket engagement 16 facilitates omni-directional movement between central shaft 12 and end housings 14.
Referring to FIG. 2, each end housing 14 has planar drive key contact faces 20. Referring to FIG. 5A - 5C, each drive key 18 has a shaft contact surface 22 formed as a radius R from a centre point 26, and a planar housing contact surface 28 with a length K.
Referring to FIG. 3, length K of housing contact surface 28 is longer than the length J of drive key contact face 20 of end housing 14 that housing contact surface 28 engages. This is important for maximizing the total contact area, thus improving the wear life and capacity of drive shaft 10. It is also
FIG. 3 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of the drive shaft illustrated in FIG.1.
FIG. 4 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end housing from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end housing from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end portion of a central shaft from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5A is a side elevation view of a drive key from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG.
1.
FIG. 5B is a top plan view of the drive key illustrated in FIG. 5A.
FIG. 5C is an end elevation view of the drive key illustrated in FIG. 5A.
FIG. 6 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an end portion of a central shaft from the drive shaft illustrated in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a drive shaft generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 through 6.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown drive shaft 10 intended for use with a downhole motor (not shown) but is not exclusively restricted to use with a downhole motor. Drive shaft 10 has a central shaft 12, end housings 14, a ball and socket engagement 16 and drive keys 18 to transmit torque between central shaft 12 and end housings 14. Ball and socket engagement 16 facilitates omni-directional movement between central shaft 12 and end housings 14.
Referring to FIG. 2, each end housing 14 has planar drive key contact faces 20. Referring to FIG. 5A - 5C, each drive key 18 has a shaft contact surface 22 formed as a radius R from a centre point 26, and a planar housing contact surface 28 with a length K.
Referring to FIG. 3, length K of housing contact surface 28 is longer than the length J of drive key contact face 20 of end housing 14 that housing contact surface 28 engages. This is important for maximizing the total contact area, thus improving the wear life and capacity of drive shaft 10. It is also
3 important for economic reasons, as it is preferable for drive keys 18 to wear out quicker than end housing 14 since they are less expensive to replace. Referring to FIG. 5A-5C, centre point 26 for the radius R of shaft contact surface 22 is positioned past housing contact surface 28 (or in other words, centre point 26 is not coincident to housing contact surface 28), such that the radius R is greater than the depth Y of drive key 18. In addition, the length A of housing contact surface 28 is approximately 2 times the depth Y of drive key 18 between shaft contact surface 22 and housing contact surface 28. This improves the longevity of housing contact surface 28 while keeping the length Y of drive key 18 to a minimum.
Referring to FIG. 3 and 6, shaft contact surface 22 contacts a web 30 on central shaft 12.
Referring to FIG. 2, the depth X of web 30 is greater than two thirds the depth Y of drive key 18, which allows for improved torsional capacity of drive shaft 10 and minimizes the likelihood of a crack occurring near the minimum depth X of web 30. It will be noted that keeping the depth Y to a minimum is important to maximize the minimum depth X
of web 30 and thus improve the torsional capacity of drive shaft 10.
Operation:
Drive shaft 10 is provided as described above. Referring to FIG. 1, drive shaft 10 has connections 32 and 34 to be connected into a downhole drill string. As required, ball and socket engagement 16 allows omni-directional movement between central shaft 12 and end housings 14. For example, this may be required to smooth out the eccentric movement induced by a power section (not shown) in order to drive a bit section (not shown). An elastomeric seal 36 prevents mud from entering end housings 14. Referring to FIG. 5A, shaft contact surface 22 is curved and thus permits a rocking movement between shaft contact surface 22 and web 30, as can be seen in FIG. 2 and 6, while planar housing contact surface 28 rests against drive key contact surface 20, as can be seen in FIG. 2 and 4.
The particular design and dimensions of drive key 18 with respect to central shaft 12 and end housing 14 allows for advantageous results during use, such as improved torsional capacity of shaft 10, economic benefits, and minimizing the likelihood of a crack occurring, as described previously.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not . ~ . . . ~ . .... . . .. . .. .
Referring to FIG. 3 and 6, shaft contact surface 22 contacts a web 30 on central shaft 12.
Referring to FIG. 2, the depth X of web 30 is greater than two thirds the depth Y of drive key 18, which allows for improved torsional capacity of drive shaft 10 and minimizes the likelihood of a crack occurring near the minimum depth X of web 30. It will be noted that keeping the depth Y to a minimum is important to maximize the minimum depth X
of web 30 and thus improve the torsional capacity of drive shaft 10.
Operation:
Drive shaft 10 is provided as described above. Referring to FIG. 1, drive shaft 10 has connections 32 and 34 to be connected into a downhole drill string. As required, ball and socket engagement 16 allows omni-directional movement between central shaft 12 and end housings 14. For example, this may be required to smooth out the eccentric movement induced by a power section (not shown) in order to drive a bit section (not shown). An elastomeric seal 36 prevents mud from entering end housings 14. Referring to FIG. 5A, shaft contact surface 22 is curved and thus permits a rocking movement between shaft contact surface 22 and web 30, as can be seen in FIG. 2 and 6, while planar housing contact surface 28 rests against drive key contact surface 20, as can be seen in FIG. 2 and 4.
The particular design and dimensions of drive key 18 with respect to central shaft 12 and end housing 14 allows for advantageous results during use, such as improved torsional capacity of shaft 10, economic benefits, and minimizing the likelihood of a crack occurring, as described previously.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not . ~ . . . ~ . .... . . .. . .. .
4 excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
I i
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
I i
Claims (4)
1. A drive shaft for a motor having a central shaft, end housings, ball and socket engagements between the central shaft and the end housings to facilitate omni-directional movement and drive keys positioned between an outer surface of the central shaft and an inner surface of the end housings, each end housing having planar drive key contact faces, the improvement comprising:
each of the drive keys having a shaft contact surface formed as a curved surface having a radius of curvature measured from a centre point;
a planar housing contact surface longer than the drive key contact face of the end housing that the housing contact surface engages.
each of the drive keys having a shaft contact surface formed as a curved surface having a radius of curvature measured from a centre point;
a planar housing contact surface longer than the drive key contact face of the end housing that the housing contact surface engages.
2. The drive shaft as defined in Claim 1, wherein the centre point for the radius of curvature is positioned past the housing contact surface, such that the radius of curvature is greater than a thickness of the drive key.
3. The drive shaft as defined in Claim 2, wherein the length of the housing contact surface exceeds 2 times the thickness of the drive key between the shaft contact surface and the housing contact surface.
4. The drive shaft as defined in Claim 2, wherein the shaft contact surface contacts a web on the central shaft, the depth of the web being greater than two thirds the depth of the drive key.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2541339A CA2541339C (en) | 2006-03-28 | 2006-03-28 | Drive shaft for motor |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2541339A CA2541339C (en) | 2006-03-28 | 2006-03-28 | Drive shaft for motor |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2541339A1 CA2541339A1 (en) | 2007-09-28 |
| CA2541339C true CA2541339C (en) | 2012-05-29 |
Family
ID=38561860
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2541339A Active CA2541339C (en) | 2006-03-28 | 2006-03-28 | Drive shaft for motor |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2541339C (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8900062B2 (en) | 2013-02-13 | 2014-12-02 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P. | Driveshaft assembly for a downhole motor |
| US9404527B2 (en) | 2013-04-09 | 2016-08-02 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P | Drive shaft assembly for a downhole motor |
| US10975623B2 (en) | 2016-02-02 | 2021-04-13 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | High torque constant velocity joint for downhole drilling power transmission |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2274526B1 (en) | 2008-04-30 | 2019-01-23 | Dreco Energy Services Ltd. | Drive shaft assembly for a downhole motor |
| US9915106B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2018-03-13 | Smith International, Inc. | U-joint for a downhole motor drive shaft |
| CA2919216C (en) | 2013-08-15 | 2021-11-23 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P. | Systems and methods for increasing the life of downhole driveshaft assemblies |
-
2006
- 2006-03-28 CA CA2541339A patent/CA2541339C/en active Active
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8900062B2 (en) | 2013-02-13 | 2014-12-02 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P. | Driveshaft assembly for a downhole motor |
| US9404527B2 (en) | 2013-04-09 | 2016-08-02 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P | Drive shaft assembly for a downhole motor |
| US10975623B2 (en) | 2016-02-02 | 2021-04-13 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | High torque constant velocity joint for downhole drilling power transmission |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2541339A1 (en) | 2007-09-28 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request |