Patent ID: 6695051
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A downhole apparatus for use in a wellbore, the apparatus comprising:a packer mandrel; a packer element assembly disposed about said packer mandrel, wherein the packer element assembly has an upper end and a lower end, the packer element assembly is movable from an unset position to a set position, and the packer element assembly engages the wellbore in the set position; and a retaining shoe for axially retaining the packer element assembly, the retaining shoe comprising: a first shoe, the first shoe comprising a plurality of first shoe segments disposed about the packer mandrel, wherein the plurality of first shoe segments engages one of the upper and lower ends of the packer element assembly, and adjacent ones of the first shoe segments having gaps therebetween; and a second shoe, the second shoe comprising a plurality of second shoe segments disposed about and engaging the plurality of first shoe segments, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of second shoe segments have gaps therebetween, each of the second shoe segments being affixed to a first shoe segment; wherein the retaining shoe has an initial position and a radially expanded second position, the retaining shoe moves from the initial position to the second position when the packer element assembly moves from the unset position to the set position, a width of the gaps between the first shoe segments and a width of the gaps between the second shoe segments increase when the retaining shoe moves from the initial position to the second position, the first shoe segments cover the gaps between the second shoe segments, and the second shoe segments cover the gaps between the first shoe segments in the initial position and the second position.