Patent ID: 7357178

Claim:
A downhole centralizer forming one of a casing centralizer, a liner, a screen centralizer, and a production tubing centralizer, the downhole centralizer comprising: a rigid tubular body adapted to be received on a downhole tubular element, in a clearance fit around the downhole tubular element, the tubular body including at least one first portion and at least one second portion, the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion being statically retained relative to one another, the at least one first portion comprising a tubular member having opposed ends and providing at least a portion of an outermost surface of the tubular body, the at least one first portion being substantially formed from a first material, and the at least one second portion comprising a ring member disposed about one of the ends of the tubular member, the at least one second portion being substantially formed from a second material, the first material having a lower Young's modulus than the second material, the first material substantially comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and the second material comprising a metallic material, whereby the at least one metallic second portion is configured to cooperate with the downhole tubular element such that the entire downhole centralizer is rotationally and longitudinally movable relative to the downhole tubular element, and whereby the at least one metallic second portion is configured to radially reinforce the one of the ends of the tubular member, wherein the at least one second portion further comprises an additional ring member disposed about the other end of the tubular member, the additional ring member being substantially formed from the second material.