EXTERNAL CASING PACKER WITH ELEMENT END SLEEVE TO COLLAR RETAINER AND METHOD

摘要

An external casing packer 10 is provided for positioning downhole along a tubular string in a well. Packer 10 includes a mandrel 12, an elastomeric sealing element 14, and an inflation chamber 26 for inflating the sealing element into sealing engagement with the sidewall of the well. Upper collar 22 and a lower collar 24 positioned axially above and below the sealing element, respectively, and an upper end sleeve 40 and a lower end sleeve 62 of the sealing element are mechanically interconnected. One or more anti-rotational keys 44 rotational interconnect a collar with a respective sleeve. A circumferential groove 52 may be provided in the outer surface of the collar, and a similar circumferential groove 54 provided in the inner surface of the end sleeve. A retaining wire 46 may be passed through a hole 56 in the end sleeve and into the grooves to axially interconnect the collar with the end sleeve. The interconnection mechanism of the present invention does not rely upon welding, and may be reliably used when there is relatively little spacing between the outer diameter of the mandrel and the outer diameter of the packer body.