Patent ID: 8783386

Claim:
A drill bit for drilling a borehole in an earthen formation, the bit comprising: a bit body having a bit axis, a bit face, and a direction of rotation about the bit axis, wherein the bit face includes a cone region, a shoulder region, and a gage region; a first blade having a cutter-supporting surface and extending radially along the bit face; a plurality of primary cutter elements mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of the first blade, each primary cutter element on the first blade being mounted in a different radial position relative to the bit axis in the cone region and the shoulder region, and wherein each primary cutter element has a cutting face that is forward-facing relative to the direction of rotation; wherein each cutting face defines a cutting profile in rotated profile view, wherein the cutting profiles of the plurality of cutting faces define an outermost cutting profile P o in rotated profile view, and wherein the cutting profile of each cutting face includes a profile angle line that bisects the cutting face and is perpendicular to the outermost cutting profile P o in rotated profile view; and a first stabilizing member mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of the first blade, the first stabilizing member having a convex surface distal the cutter-supporting surface of the first blade and a central longitudinal axis extending through the convex surface; wherein the first stabilizing member trails a first of the plurality of primary cutter elements mounted to the first blade relative to the direction of rotation, and wherein the first stabilizing member is completely eclipsed by the cutting profile of the first of the plurality of primary cutter elements in rotated profile view; and wherein the first stabilizing member is oriented at a non-zero tilt angle β 1 measured between the central longitudinal axis of the first stabilizing member and the profile angle line of the cutting face of the first of the plurality of primary cutter elements in rotated profile view.