Drill bits and other downhole drilling tools with non-cylindrical cutter pockets

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention may encompass downhole tools that may include a body comprising a face and an axis of rotation. The tools may include a plurality of blades disposed on the face of the body. Each of the plurality of blades may define a plurality of cutter pockets. At least one cutter pocket of the plurality of cutter pockets may include a non-circular cross-section. The tools may include a plurality of cutters. A portion of each cutter may be disposed within a respective cutter pocket of the plurality of cutter pockets. The portion of each cutter may have a cross-sectional shape that matches a cross-sectional shape of the respective pocket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A downhole tool, comprising:
 a body comprising a face and an axis of rotation;   a plurality of blades disposed on the face of the body, each of the plurality of blades defining a plurality of cutter pockets, wherein at least one cutter pocket of the plurality of cutter pockets comprises a non-circular cross-section; and   a plurality of cutters, a portion of each cutter being disposed within a respective cutter pocket of the plurality of cutter pockets, wherein the portion of each cutter has a cross-sectional shape that matches a cross-sectional shape of the respective pocket.   
     
     
         2 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the downhole tool comprises a drill bit.   
     
     
         3 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the downhole tool comprises a reamer.   
     
     
         4 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one pocket has a generally rectangular cross-section.   
     
     
         5 . The downhole tool of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the generally rectangular cross-section comprises two orthogonal linear sides and a rounded corner coupling the two orthogonal linear sides.   
     
     
         6 . The downhole tool of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a width of each rounded corner is between 5 degrees and 45 degrees as measured from a central axis of the cutter pocket.   
     
     
         7 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the blade comprises a plurality of knuckles; and   each of the plurality of knuckles protrudes from a top surface of one of the plurality of blades and is in alignment with a respective one of the plurality of cutter pockets and supports a portion of a base of one of the plurality of cutters seated within the respective one of the plurality of cutter pockets.   
     
     
         8 . The downhole tool of  claim 7 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of knuckles has a shape and size that substantially corresponds to a size and shape of a portion of the one of the plurality of cutters that extends above the top surface of a respective one of the plurality of blades on which the one of the plurality of cutters is mounted.   
     
     
         9 . The downhole tool of  claim 7 , wherein:
 a top surface of each of the plurality of knuckles tapers downward toward the top surface of a respective one of the plurality of blades in a direction away from the one of the plurality of cutters.   
     
     
         10 . The downhole tool of  claim 7 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of knuckles is axially aligned with a respective one of the plurality of cutters.   
     
     
         11 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the body comprises a plurality of channels, each channel being formed between adjacent blades of the plurality of blades;   the body comprises a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle being disposed within one of the plurality of channels; and   an outlet of each nozzle is aligned with one of the plurality of cutters that faces the respective channel.   
     
     
         12 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the plurality of cutters comprises a diamond table having a non-cylindrical outer periphery that is configured to be rotated about a central axis of the at least one of the plurality of cutters at an angle of between 60 degrees and 300 degrees in the respective cutter pocket to expose a new cutting edge of point loading ability that is greater than a point loading ability of a conventional cylindrical cutter of similar size while maintaining a braze gap thickness of 0.015″ or less across 85% or more of a brazeable surface area of the conventional cylindrical cutter of similar size.   
     
     
         13 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a shape and orientation of the at least one cutter pocket and a respective one of the cutters disposed within the at least one cutter pocket are selected such that when the respective one of the cutters is inserted into the at least one cutter pocket, the respective one of the cutters is oriented with a cutting tip of the respective one of the cutters protruding beyond a top surface of a respective one of the plurality of blades.   
     
     
         14 . A cutter for a downhole tool, the cutter comprising:
 a substrate comprising a brazing surface, wherein at least a portion of the brazing surface comprises a first non-circular cross-section; and   a diamond table further comprising:
 a bottom surface joined to the substrate; and 
 a cutting face opposite the bottom surface, the cutting face comprising a second non-circular cross-section. 
   
     
     
         15 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 one or both of the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprises one or more concave and/or convex regions.   
     
     
         16 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the cutting face is non-planar.   
     
     
         17 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the cutting face comprises multiple discrete cutting tips.   
     
     
         18 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 one or both of the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprises a generally quadrilateral shape.   
     
     
         19 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the cutter is symmetrical about two perpendicular planes that extend through both the substrate and the diamond table.   
     
     
         20 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 one or both of the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprises two or more linear sides that are connected via a plurality of curved corners.   
     
     
         21 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 20 , wherein:
 a ratio of a length of the linear sides to a length of the curved corners is at least 0.5:1.   
     
     
         22 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 one or both of the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprises a generally rectangular shape.   
     
     
         23 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the generally rectangular shape comprises four linear sides and four rounded corners.   
     
     
         24 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 one or both of the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprises a generally triangular shape.   
     
     
         25 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the generally triangular shape comprises three linear sides and three rounded corners.   
     
     
         26 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 one or both of the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprises a stadium shape.   
     
     
         27 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the diamond table comprises a chamfered edge that extends from the cutting face to a lateral side of the diamond table.   
     
     
         28 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 27 , wherein:
 an angle of the chamfered edge relative to the cutting face varies along a periphery of the cutting face.   
     
     
         29 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the angle of the chamfered edge relative to the cutting face is greater at a cutting region of the cutting face than at a medial region of the cutting face.   
     
     
         30 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the angle of the chamfered edge relative to the cutting face is lower at a cutting region of the cutting face than at a medial region of the cutting face.   
     
     
         31 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 27 , wherein:
 a depth of the chamfered edge varies along a periphery of the cutting face.   
     
     
         32 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the depth of the chamfered edge is greater at a cutting region of the cutting face than at a medial region of the cutting face.   
     
     
         33 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the depth of the chamfered edge is lower at a cutting region of the cutting face than at a medial region of the cutting face.   
     
     
         34 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the substrate comprises a non-planar interface that protrudes from the substrate in a direction of the diamond table, the non-planar interface comprising a non-circular cross-section.   
     
     
         35 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 34 , wherein:
 a shape of an outer periphery of the non-planar interface matches a shape of an outer periphery of a topmost planar surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         36 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 34 , wherein:
 a thickness of the non-planar interface varies across a surface area of the non-planar interface.   
     
     
         37 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 36 , wherein:
 a thickness of the diamond table varies across a surface area of the diamond table; and   a variation in the thickness of the non-planar interface corresponds to a variation in the thickness of the diamond table across the surface area of the diamond table.   
     
     
         38 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the diamond table comprises a protruding feature; and   a thickness of the non-planar interface increases in a region that corresponds to the protruding feature.   
     
     
         39 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the diamond table comprises a recessed feature; and   a thickness of the non-planar interface decreases in a region that corresponds to the recessed feature.   
     
     
         40 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 34 , wherein:
 a distance from a peripheral edge of the non-planar interface to a peripheral edge of the diamond table is consistent within 20% of a greatest distance from the peripheral edge of the non-planar interface to the peripheral edge of the diamond table across an entire periphery of the diamond table.   
     
     
         41 . The cutter for a downhole tool of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the first non-circular cross-section and the second non-circular cross-section comprise a same shape.