Patent ID: 7677303

Claim:
A packer device comprising: a central packer mandrel defining a fluid flowbore; a packer element radially surrounding the mandrel, the packer element being radially compressible between an unset position wherein the packer element is not in sealing contact with a surrounding wellbore wall, and a set position wherein the packer element is in sealing contact with a surrounding wellbore wall; a hydraulic locking mechanism for selectively moving the packer element to its set position, the hydraulic locking mechanism comprising: a setting sleeve radially surrounding and axially moveable with respect to the packer mandrel; a fluid chamber; a fluid passage defined within the packer mandrel to provide fluid communication between the fluid chamber and the fluid flowbore; a check valve operationally associated with the fluid passage to provide one-way fluid entry into the fluid chamber; and wherein axial movement of the setting sleeve draws fluid into the fluid chamber through the fluid passage, the fluid preventing reverse axial movement of the setting sleeve to maintain the packer element in the set position.