1. A flow control device comprising:
a fluid pathway configured to provide fluid communication between an exterior of a wellbore tubular and an interior of the wellbore tubular;
a flow restriction disposed in the fluid pathway, wherein the flow restriction is permanently installed within the fluid pathway, and wherein the flow restriction is the only flow restriction disposed in the fluid pathway;
a flow blockage disposed in the fluid pathway in series with the flow restriction, wherein the flow blockage substantially prevents a fluid flow in any direction along the fluid pathway; and
a retaining member configured to maintain the flow blockage within the fluid pathway and allow access to the flow blockage within the fluid pathway from the exterior of the flow control device, wherein the flow blockage is disposed in the fluid pathway between the flow restriction and the retaining member.
2. The flow control device of claim 1, further comprising a filter portion disposed in the fluid pathway between the exterior of the wellbore tubular and the interior of the wellbore tubular.
3. The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the flow restriction comprises a nozzle, a narrow flow tube, an annular passage, a bent tube flow restrictor, or a helical tube.
4. The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the flow blockage comprises a rod configured to be removably disposed within the fluid pathway.
5. The flow control device of claim 4, wherein the rod comprises a tapered end section, and wherein the tapered end section is configured to sealingly engage the flow restriction.
6. The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the flow blockage comprises a ball, wherein the ball is configured to engage one or more openings within the fluid pathway to substantially prevent the fluid flow through the fluid pathway.
7. The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the flow blockage comprises a plug configured to be removably disposed within the fluid pathway.
8. The flow control device of claim 7, wherein the plug comprises a thinned section, wherein the thinned section is configured to be punctured to establish fluid communication through the plug.
9. The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the plug comprises a deformable plug configured to be disposed within the fluid pathway.
10. The flow control device of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of flow restrictions disposed in a corresponding plurality of fluid pathways between the exterior of the wellbore tubular and the interior of the wellbore tubular, wherein the flow blockage is disposed in a first fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways.
11. The flow control device of claim 10, wherein an overall resistance to flow is provided by a flow path comprising each of the plurality of fluid pathways that is clear of a flow blockage.
12. The flow control device of claim 10, further comprising:
a plurality of retaining members corresponding to the plurality of fluid pathways, wherein each retaining member of the plurality of retaining members is configured to provide direct access to each corresponding fluid pathway.
13. The flow control device of claim 10, wherein a first of the plurality of flow restrictions has a different resistance to a fluid flow than a second of the plurality of flow restrictions.
14. A method comprising:
providing a flow control device comprising: a plurality of fluid pathways between an exterior of a wellbore tubular and an interior of the wellbore tubular, a plurality of flow restrictions disposed in corresponding fluid pathways of the plurality of fluid pathways, and a plurality of retaining members disposed in corresponding fluid pathways of the plurality of fluid pathways, wherein each retaining member of the plurality of retaining members is configured to maintain a corresponding flow blockage within the corresponding fluid pathway and allow access to the corresponding flow blockage within the corresponding fluid pathway from the exterior of the flow control device;
accessing one or more flow blockages from the exterior of the flow control device through one or more of the plurality of retaining members;
selectively installing or removing one or more flow blockages from the plurality of fluid pathways in series with one or more of the corresponding plurality of flow restrictions while leaving each of the plurality of flow restrictions in position in the corresponding fluid pathways, wherein the one or more flow blockages substantially prevent flow in any direction through the corresponding fluid pathways; and
producing a fluid through one or more fluid pathways clear of the flow blockages.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the flow blockages comprise at least one of a rod removably disposed within one or more of the fluid pathways, a tapered rod removably disposed within one or more of the fluid pathways, a ball configured to engage one or more openings within one or more of the fluid pathways, a plug configured to be removably disposed within one or more of the fluid pathways, a plug comprising a thinned section that is configured to be punctured to establish fluid communication through the plug, or a deformable plug configured to be disposed within one or more of the fluid pathways.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of flow restrictions are permanently installed in the corresponding fluid pathways of the plurality of fluid pathways.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein a single flow restriction of the plurality of flow restrictions is disposed in each corresponding fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein selectively installing or removing the one or more flow blockages from the plurality of fluid pathways comprises press fitting the one or more flow blockages within the corresponding fluid pathways through the one or more plurality of retaining members.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A receiving connector adapted for connecting to an insert connector to achieve electrical connection therebetween, the receiving connector comprising:
a main body;
a first electrode mounted to the main body;
a second electrode mounted to the main body; and
an operating member comprising an operating pole which is mounted with the second electrode, the operating pole capable of being manipulated by a user to drive the second electrode to move between a first position and a second position wherein the connector has only two electrodes and only one is moveable.
2. The receiving connector of claim 1, wherein the operating pole extends through the main body and the second electrode.
3. The receiving connector of claim 2, wherein the main body defines a first receiving hole and a second receiving hole therein, the first electrode is inserted in the first receiving hole, and the second electrode is inserted in the second receiving hole, and wherein the main body further defines a recess aligned and in communication with the second receiving hole to provide a moving space for the second electrode.
4. The receiving connector of claim 3, wherein the second electrode comprises an electric pole and a mounting block, and when the second electrode is located at the first position, the electric pole and the mounting block are respectively located in the second receiving hole and the recess of the main body, and when the second electrode is located at the second position, the electric pole of the second electrode exits from the second receiving hole and is located in the recess of the main body.
5. The receiving connector of claim 4, wherein the main body defines a positioning hole therein, the electric pole and the mounting block each define a driving hole therein, inner diameters of the driving holes of the electric pole and the mounting block are approximately equal to a diameter of the operating pole, and the operating pole extends through the driving holes of the electric pole and the mounting block.
6. The receiving connector of claim 4, wherein a contact portion is formed at a bottom end of the electric pole, the contact portion faces the second receiving hole, and a cross-sectional area of the contact portion exceeds that of other portions of the electric pole.
7. The receiving connector of claim 2, wherein the operating member further comprises a spring coiled around the operating pole, a positioning pole inserted in the operating pole, and a head formed at an end of the operating pole, the head is larger than the operating pole in diameter, the main body is provided with a mounting surface and an abutting surface at two opposite sides thereof, the head and the spring are located beside the abutting surface, the spring is located between the head and the abutting surface, and the positioning pole is located beside the mounting surface.
8. The receiving connector of claim 7, wherein the recess is defined in the mounting surface of the main body, two positioning blocks protrude out from the mounting surface at two opposite sides of the recess, and each of the positioning blocks defines a positioning groove in an outmost surface thereof, and when the electrode is located at the first position, two opposite ends of the position pole are respectively received in the two positioning grooves of the two positioning blocks, and when the second electrode is located at the second position, two opposite ends of the positioning pole respectively abuts against the outmost surfaces of the positioning blocks.
9. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
a receiving connector comprising a main body, a first electrode, a second electrode, and an operating member, the first electrode and the second electrode being inserted in the main body, the operating member comprising an operating pole mounted with the second electrode, the operating pole capable of being manipulated by a user to drive the second electrode to move between a first position and a second position; and
an insert connector matching the receiving connector, the insert connector comprising a base and two pins extending from the base, the first electrode contacting one of the two pins;
wherein when the second electrode is located at the first position, the second electrode contacts the other one of the two pins, and when the second electrode is located at the second position, the second electrode is spaced from the other one of the two pins wherein the connector has only two electrodes and only one is moveable.
10. The electrical connector assembly of claim 9, wherein the operating pole extends through the main body and the second electrode.
11. The electrical connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the main body defines a first receiving hole and a second receiving hole therein, the first electrode is inserted in the first receiving hole, and the second electrode is inserted in the second receiving hole, and wherein the main body further defines a recess aligned and in communication with the second receiving hole to provide a moving space for the second electrode.
12. The electrical connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the second electrode comprises an electric pole and a mounting block, and when the second electrode is located at the first position, the electric pole and the mounting block are respectively located in the second receiving hole and the recess of the main body, and when the second electrode is located at the second position, the electric pole of the second electrode exits from the second receiving hole and is located in the recess of the main body.
13. The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the main body defines a positioning hole therein, the electric pole and the mounting block each define a driving hole therein, inner diameters of the driving holes of the electric pole and the mounting block are approximately equal to a diameter of the operating pole, and the operating pole extends through the driving holes of the electric pole and the mounting block.
14. The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, wherein a contact portion is formed at a bottom end of the electric pole, the contact portion faces the second receiving hole, and a cross-sectional area of the contact portion exceeds that of other portions of the electric pole.
15. The electrical connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the operating member further comprises a spring coiled around the operating pole, a positioning pole inserted in the operating pole, and a head formed an end of the operating pole, the head is larger than the operating pole in diameter, the main body is provided with a mounting surface and an abutting surface at two opposite sides thereof, the head and the spring are located beside the abutting surface, the spring is located between the head and the abutting surface, and the positioning pole is located beside the mounting surface.
16. The electrical connector assembly of claim 15, wherein the recess is defined in the mounting surface of the main body, two positioning blocks protrude out from the mounting surface at two opposite sides of the recess, and each of the positioning blocks defines a positioning groove in an outmost surface thereof, and when the electrode is located at the first position, two opposite ends of the position pole are respectively received in the two positioning grooves of the two positioning blocks, and when the second electrode is located at the second position, two opposite ends of the positioning pole respectively abuts against the outmost surfaces of the positioning blocks.
17. A receiving connector for mechanically and electrically connecting to an insert connector, the receiving connector comprising:
a main body;
a first electrode mounted to the main body;
a second electrode mounted to the main body; and
an operating member comprising an operating pole which is mounted with the second electrode, the operating pole movable along an axis thereof and rotatable such that the operating pole drives the second electrode to move between a first position aligned with the first electrode and a second position offset from the first electrode wherein the connector has only two electrodes and only one is moveable.