1-10. (canceled)
11. A hand-actuated fluid delivery device comprising:
a barrel;
a plunger that is movable relative to said barrel;
a handle assembly interconnected with and operable to move said plunger relative to said barrel in both a discharge direction and an aspiration direction, wherein said handle assembly comprises a pivot, a first handle member, and a second handle member, wherein said pivot is fixed to said second handle member, and wherein said first handle member is pivotable relative to said second handle member about said pivot;
a locking spring wrapped around said pivot and comprising first and second end portions, wherein said first end portion is anchored relative to said first handle member; and
an actuator mounted on said first handle member, movable between locking and unlocking positions, and engaged with said second end portion of said locking spring at least when in said locking position.
12. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 11, wherein disposing said actuator in said locking position tightens said locking spring about said pivot, and wherein disposing said actuator in said unlocking position loosens said locking spring about said pivot.
13. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 11, wherein a locking force provided by said locking spring is entirely sliding friction between said locking spring and said pivot.
14. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 11, wherein said actuator is movably mounted on said first handle member.
15. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 11, further comprising at least one biasing element that biases said actuator to said locking position.
16. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 11, wherein said actuator is manually movable from said locking position to said unlocking position.
17. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 11, wherein said handle assembly is operable to move said plunger in said aspiration direction with said actuator being in said unlocking position.
18-27. (canceled)
28. A method of operating a hand-actuated fluid delivery device comprising a plunger, a locking spring, a handle assembly comprising first and second handle members that are pivotally connected by a pivot that is fixed to said second handle member, and an actuator, wherein said locking spring is mounted on said pivot, said method comprising:
executing a first handle operation comprising moving said first and second handle members relative to one another about said pivot in a manner to move said plunger in a discharge direction;
terminating said first handle operation;
resisting movement of said first and second handle members relative to one another in a manner to move said plunger in an aspiration direction, wherein at least part of said resisting step is executed after said terminating step and comprises said locking spring being in a locking configuration;
moving said actuator to an unlocking position;
loosening said locking spring about said pivot in response to said actuator being moved to said unlocking position, wherein said loosening step comprises disposing said locking spring in an unlocked configuration; and
executing a second handle operation comprising moving said first and second handle members relative to one another about said pivot in a manner to move said plunger in an aspiration direction, wherein said second handle operation is executed after said loosening step.
29-39. (canceled)
40. A hand-actuated fluid delivery device comprising:
a barrel;
a plunger that is movable relative to said barrel;
a handle assembly interconnected with and operable to move said plunger relative to said barrel in both a discharge direction and an aspiration direction, wherein said handle assembly comprises a pivot, a first handle member, and a second handle member, wherein said pivot is fixed to one of said first and second handle members, and wherein the other of said first and second handle members is pivotable about said pivot; and
a locking spring wrapped around said pivot, wherein said locking spring is selectively disposable in a locking configuration to restrain movement of said plunger in said aspiration direction.
41. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 40, further comprising:
an actuator movable between locking and unlocking positions in relation to said locking spring.
42. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 41, wherein said pivot is fixed to said second handle member, and wherein said first handle member is pivotable relative to said second handle member about said pivot.
43. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 42, wherein said locking spring comprises first and second end portions, wherein said first end portion is anchored relative to said first handle member, and wherein said actuator is engaged with said second end portion of said locking spring when disposed in said locking position.
44. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 43, wherein disposing said actuator in said locking position tightens said locking spring about said pivot, and wherein disposing said actuator in said unlocking position loosens said locking spring about said pivot.
45. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 43, wherein a locking force provided by said locking spring is entirely sliding friction between said locking spring and said pivot.
46. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 43, wherein said actuator is movably mounted on said first handle member.
47. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 41, further comprising at least one biasing element that biases said actuator to said locking position.
48. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device of claim 41, wherein said actuator is manually movable from said locking position to said unlocking position.
49. The hand-actuated fluid delivery device claim 41, wherein said handle assembly is operable to move said plunger in said aspiration direction with said actuator being in said unlocking position.
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.-6. (canceled)
7. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subsea well including:
installing a multi-section tree on a subsea wellhead at the subsea well, the multi-section tree including:
a landing section engageable with the subsea wellhead and including a bore; and
a valve section separate from and selectively engageable with the landing section and including a bore and a lateral production bore extending through a wall of the valve section;
installing production tubing supported by a tubing hanger into the multi-section tree such that the tubing hanger lands in the landing section bore and extends into the valve section bore with a lateral production bore of the tubing hanger aligned with the lateral production bore of the valve section; and
producing hydrocarbons from the well and out of the multi-section tree through a production passageway that includes the production tubing and the lateral production bores of the tubing hanger and the valve section.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein installing the multi-section tree further includes engaging the landing section with the valve section and installing the sections together onto the wellhead.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein installing the multi-section tree further includes installing the landing section to the wellhead and then engaging the valve section with the landing section at a different time.
10. The method of claim 7, further including controlling an apparatus located downhole in the well from the sea surface by communicating fluid pressure from the surface through a fluid line extending through the wall of the multi-section tree and downhole to the apparatus.
11. The method of claim 10, further including establishing the fluid line by connecting a fluid line extending through the wall of the tree with a fluid line extending downhole to the apparatus using a fluid line connection adapter located in the multi-section tree.
12. The method of claim 7, further including selectively communicating fluid between the landing section bore below the tubing hanger and the valve section bore above the tubing hanger when the tubing hanger is installed through ports located internally in the valve section and landing section.
13. The method of claim 7, further including retrieving the tubing hanger and production tubing from the multi-section tree with the valve section remaining engaged with the landing section.
14. The method of claim 13, further including re-installing the tubing hanger and production tubing into the multi-section tree.
15. The method of claim 7, further including disengaging and removing the valve section from the landing section with the tubing hanger and production tubing remaining installed in the landing section.
16. The method of claim 15, further including re-engaging the valve section with the landing section.
17. The method of claim 15, further including sealing the interface between the between the lateral production ports of the tubing hanger and the valve section using a production port seal assembly surrounding the tubing hanger located between the tubing hanger and the valve section.
18. The method of claim 17, further including removing the production port seal assembly from the tubing hanger with the tubing hanger remaining installed in the valve section.
19. The method of claim 17, further including controlling production through the lateral production ports by selectively rotating the production port seal assembly such that fluid flow between the lateral production ports is closed off.
20. A subsea well production system for a well including a subsea wellhead, the system including:
a multi-section production tree including:
a landing section engageable with the subsea wellhead and including a landing section bore; and
a valve section separate from and engageable with the landing section, the valve section including a lateral production port extending through a valve section wall and in communication with a valve section bore;
production tubing supported by a tubing hanger installed and supported in the landing section bore such that the tubing hanger extends into the valve section bore;
the tubing hanger and production tubing being retrievable through the section bores without disengaging the valve section from the landing section; and
the valve section being disengageable from the landing section with the tubing hanger remaining in the landing section.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein:
the valve section further includes a tree fluid line;
the apparatus further includes a fluid line connection adapter able to fluidly connect the tree fluid line with a fluid line extending from the tubing hanger downhole into the well; and
the tree fluid line extends through and outside the valve section such that fluid may be communicated from outside the valve section downhole into the well when the fluid lines are connected.
22. (canceled)
23. The system of claim 20, wherein the valve section and the landing section are installable on the wellhead together or separately.
24. The system of claim 20, the valve section and landing sections each further including internal ports allowing selective fluid communication between the landing section bore below the tubing hanger and the valve section bore above the tubing hanger when the tubing hanger is installed.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein fluid communication through the ports is controlled by a valve.
26. The system of claim 20, further including a production port seal assembly surrounding the tubing hanger inside the valve section and capable of sealing the interface between the between the lateral production ports of the tubing hanger and the valve section.
27. The system of claim 26, the production port seal assembly further being removable from the tubing hanger while the tubing hanger remains installed in the valve section.
28. The system of claim 26, the production port seal assembly further being selectively rotatable such that fluid flow between the lateral production ports is closed off.
29. The system of claim 21, wherein the fluid line connection adapter includes passive stab connectors able to connect the fluid lines.
30. A subsea well production apparatus for installation on a subsea wellhead for production from a well through production tubing supported by a tubing hanger, the apparatus including:
a landing section engageable with the subsea wellhead and including a landing section bore;
a valve section separate from and engageable with the landing section, the valve section including a lateral production port extending through a valve section wall and in communication with a valve section bore;
the landing section bore being configured to receive and support the tubing hanger such that the tubing hanger extends into the valve section bore;
the landing section and valve section being configured to allow the retrieval of the tubing hanger and production tubing through the section bores without disengaging the valve section from the landing section; and
the valve section being disengageable from the landing section with the tubing hanger remaining in the landing section.
31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:
the valve section further includes a tree fluid line;
the apparatus further includes a fluid line connection adapter able to fluidly connect the tree fluid line with a fluid line extending from the tubing hanger downhole into the well; and
the tree fluid line extends through and outside the valve section such that fluid may be communicated from outside the valve section downhole into the well when the fluid lines are connected.
32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the fluid line connection adapter includes passive stab connectors able to connect the fluid lines.
33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the valve section and the landing section are installable on the wellhead together or separately.
34. The apparatus of claim 30, the valve section and landing sections each further including internal ports allowing selective fluid communication between the landing section bore below the tubing hanger and the valve section bore above the tubing hanger when the tubing hanger is installed.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein fluid communication through the ports is controlled by a valve.