The present invention relates generally to assemblies for supporting perforating charges, such as are used in oil and gas wells; and more specifically relates to a perforating charge carrier assembly for a type suitable for use in down hole perforating guns.
Conventional perforating guns include charge carriers to support a number of perforating charges, such as shaped charges, within a housing in a desired longitudinal spacing, and in some cases, a desired radial orientation. Many different types of charge carriers are known including carriers having a cross-section in the shape of a square or triangle. Additionally, charge carders are known which utilize a single longitudinal strip to support the charges.
A problem typically encountered with conventional strip charge carriers, however, is that where two strips are joined together (such as in a long longitudinal length of charges), conventional designs typically include a gap in possible charge placement where two charge carrier strips are coupled together. This gap in charge placement at the location of the coupling, therefore, breaks the typically desirable uniform spacing of the perforating charges. An additional problem typically encountered with conventional strip charge carriers is that the radial orientation of the charges is typically limited to either only one orientation or two diametrically opposed radial orientations of the charges. Thus, for example, conventional strip carriers do not readily facilitate the arranging of shot direction at all radial orientations which might be desired.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new method and apparatus for joining strip-charge carriers without disrupting uniform spacing of the perforating charges; and which further facilitates the arranging of the perforating charges at any of a plurality of radial orientations through the use of an assembly of uniform components.