| US 7,475,476 B2 | ||
| Method for producing a threaded tubular connection sealed to the outside | ||
| Gabriel Roussie, Capelle en Pevele (France) | ||
| Assigned to Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France, Aulnoye-Aymeries (France); and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd., Osaka-shi (Japan) | ||
| Appl. No. 10/537,903 PCT Filed Nov. 28, 2003, PCT No. PCT/EP03/14843 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jun. 07, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO2004/053376, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2004. |
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| Claims priority of application No. 02 15541 (FR), filed on Dec. 09, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0039149 A1, Feb. 22, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B21D 51/26 (2006.01); B25G 3/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 29—890.14 [403/258] | 25 Claims |
| 1. A method for producing a threaded tubular connection including a male tubular element comprising a tapered male thread,
a female tubular element comprising a tapered female thread that cooperates with the male thread, and a deformable sealing
ring interposed between the male and female elements to oppose fluid communication between the outside of the threaded tubular
connection and a zone of cooperation of the threads, the method comprising:
placing the sealing ring around the male element beyond its thread with respect to its free end, the sealing ring comprising
a body and a retaining lip with a radial thickness that is less than that of the body, extending axially towards the thread
from a shoulder defining the body and having a thinned zone in a vicinity of the body, the thinned zone being in contact with
an annular rib provided as a radial projection on the male element; and
engaging the free end of the male element in the female element and the male thread into the female thread, the sealing ring
being progressively introduced into a first annular housing provided in the female element in a form of an enlargement of
its axial boring extending axially from its free end to a shoulder and having a peripheral surface adjacent to the shoulder
that cooperates over at least a portion of its axial length with the radially outer surface of the sealing ring to radially
compress the sealing ring and establish a sealed contact between (1) the radially outer and inner surfaces of the sealing
ring, and (2) the peripheral surface of the first housing of the female element and the facing surface of the male element,
the body then being pushed along the male element by the shoulder of the first housing of the female element, after mutual
abutment of the two shoulders, and the annular rib of the male element coming into contact with the retaining lip at the end
of makeup beyond the thinned zone, to cause the retaining lip to penetrate into a second annular housing formed in the female
element at an axial distance from the first housing to ensure axial retention of the sealing ring by the female element.
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