Patent ID: 6978830

Claim:
Apparatus for releasably coupling a first wellbore component to a second wellbore component, at least one of the first or second wellbore components being capable of rotation in response to applied rotational force, comprising: a housing adapted for connection to the first wellbore component and having a bore with a first half of a dog and track arrangement formed thereto having at least one dog; a plunger adapted for connection to the second wellbore component and being sized to fit telescopically axially into and out of the bore, the plunger having a second half of the dog and track arrangement formed thereto, the track of the dog and track arrangement having at least one entrance to and from a circumferential portion, the circumferential portion bounded by a discontinuous proximal cam, through which the at least one entrance extends, and a distal cam spaced from the proximal cam, so that in a first action, when the plunger telescopes into the housing, each dog is guided through the at least one entrance into the circumferential portion, coupling the plunger and the housing, each dog contacting the distal cam for causing relative rotation between the housing and the plunger until engaging a first rotational stop out of alignment with the entrance in a first rotationally and axially coupled position, and in a second action, when the plunger telescopes out of the housing, each dog contacts the proximal cam for causing relative rotation between the housing and the plunger until engaging a second rotational stop out of alignment with the entrance in a second rotationally and axially coupled position, and in a third action, when the plunger telescopes into the housing, each dog contacts the distal cam for causing relative rotation between the housing and the plunger until engaging a third rotational stop substantially aligned with the entrance, so that in a fourth action, when the plunger telescopes out of the housing, each dog is guided through the at least one entrance to release the plunger from the housing.