SELF CENTRALIZING NON-ROTATIONAL SLIP AND CONE SYSTEM FOR DOWNHOLE TOOLS

摘要

A cone and integral slip assembly for use in the anchoring assembly of a downhole tool, such as a bridge plug, frac plug, or cement retainer may include external fins (15) that are integral to and run axially along the cone. The integral slip assembly includes at least one axial slot (25), which facilitates subsequent breaking up of the integral slip assembly into individual slip segments (21). Each slip segment may include a channel (28) that is adapted to mate with an external fin of the cone. As the integral slip assembly traverses the cone, the channels of the slip segments ride on the fins encouraging the integral slip assembly to break apart along the slots into the slip segments. The spacing of the fins and corresponding channels in the slip segments are positioned such to ensure that the slip segments are advantageously positioned around the cone thus, locating the packing element of the plug in the center of the wellbore. The channels in the slip segments mating with the fins also provide an anti-rotation mechanism to facilitate removal of the tool.