Patent ID: 8727303

Claim:
A variable bore packer used in a blowout preventer to form a seal against different diameter tubular members for oil and gas drilling operations, including: a packer member molded of elastomeric material and including an inside curved surface; a plurality of packer inserts molded within the packer member to form an insert array; a protrusion extending from and bonded to the packer member inside curved surface, the protrusion including a filler material different from the packer member material such that the protrusion has increased mechanical properties compared to the packer member including at least one of tensile strength and shear strength; the packer member, the insert array, and the protrusion being molded into a unitary structure and sized to form a seal against the different diameter tubular members upon closure of the blowout preventer; and the insert array and the protrusion diminishing extrusion of the elastomeric material between the packer inserts and the tubular members upon closure of the blowout preventer.