Patent ID: 7290603

Claim:
A downhole plug for closing an annular conduit of a well, having a ring element ( 13 , 15 ), which is arranged on a cylindrical carrying element ( 32 ), between two mutually and axially movable pressure elements ( 12 , 14 ), in such a way that the ring element is radially outwardly expandable downhole to a sealing position against the conduit while also sealed relative to the cylindrical carrying element ( 32 ), wherein the improvement comprises that the radially expandable ring element ( 13 , 15 ) includes a closed series of overlapping individual elements ( 13 A, 15 A), which by the expanding movement are displaced mutually circumferentially into sealing engagement against each other to form a continuous circumferential outer sealing surface ( 38 , 46 ) against the conduit, and which have a sealing surface ( 47 ) facing inward toward the carrying element ( 32 ); the individual elements ( 13 A, 15 A), in the radially expandable ring element ( 13 , 15 ), have a head ( 36 ), with an arcuate outer surface ( 38 ), which is arranged on a cylindrical surface, and a bevelled, inwards facing sealing surface ( 47 ), which is arranged on an annular surface, as the head ( 36 ) having a wing ( 44 ) that protrudes at one end, in the circumferential direction, to form a sealing support against the axial front surface ( 48 ) of an adjacent element; and a leaf shaped compression spring ( 16 ) is provided, which at one end is fixed to the adjacent cylindrical pressure element ( 12 , 14 ), and which at the other end presses the single-element ( 13 A, 15 A) radially inwards for releasing from the cylindrical pipe wall by pulling.