Anti-Rotation Assembly for Sliding Sleeve

Abstract

A sliding sleeve has an inner sleeve that moves in a housing. For example, the inner sleeve can move open relative to a port in the housing when a deployed ball engages a seat in the inner sleeve. Because the seat and the ball (if remaining) are preferably milled out of the inner sleeve after use, the inner sleeve preferably does not rotate in the housing during milling operations. To accomplish this, an anti-rotation clutch assembly in the sliding sleeve helps prevent the inner sleeve from rotating. A wedged cone is formed on a distal end of the inner sleeve and press fits into a cupped shoulder on the inside of the sleeve's housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sliding sleeve, comprising:
 a housing defining a bore and defining a cupped shoulder therein;   an inner sleeve movably disposed in the bore from a first position to a second position,   the inner sleeve having a wedged cone formed on a distal end of the inner sleeve,   the wedged cone press fitting in the cupped shoulder of the housing and inhibiting rotation of the inner sleeve while in the second position.   
     
     
         2 . The sliding sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the wedged cone defines a plurality of axial scores defined about a circumference of the wedged cone. 
     
     
         3 . The sliding sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the cupped shoulder defines an inner wall disposed about a circumference of the bore and being substantially parallel to the axis of the sliding sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The sliding sleeve of  claim 3 , wherein the cupped shoulder defines a stopping surface perpendicular to the inner wall. 
     
     
         5 . The sliding sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve comprises a ball seat disposed therein. 
     
     
         6 . The sliding sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve in the first position closes a port defined in the housing, and wherein the inner sleeved in the second position opens the port to the bore of the housing.