Snubber for Downhole Tool

1 . An apparatus for reducing mechanical shock and vibration in a downhole tool configured to be disposed in a borehole, the apparatus comprising:

a frustum-shaped sleeve configured to be disposed between a downhole tool and another downhole component;

wherein the downhole tool and the downhole component are configured to mate with each other; and

wherein the frustum-shaped sleeve is made of a mechanical shock absorbing material and comprises:

a central axis;

a radially inner surface; and

a radially outer surface;

wherein the radially inner surface or the radially outer surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve comprises a pyramidal frustum-shaped surface with four or more circumferentially adjacent sides;

wherein the downhole tool or the downhole component has a pyramidal frustum-shaped surface configured to mate with the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the downhole component or the downhole tool has a frustum-shaped plug with an outer surface comprising the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface configured to receive the frustum-shaped sleeve and mate with the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the downhole component comprises one of: another downhole tool and a centralizer.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mechanical shock absorbing material comprises a metal.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the frustum-shaped sleeve includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

wherein each of the plurality of sides of the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve extends linearly from the first end to the second end.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein frustum-shaped plug is made of the same metal as the frustum-shaped sleeve.

7 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical shock absorbing material is selected to retain its temper in a temperature range of −50° C. to 175° C.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radially inner surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve comprises the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve and the radially outer surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve is a conical frustum-shaped surface; or

wherein the radially outer surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve comprises the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve and the radially inner surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve is a conical frustum-shaped surface.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the frustum-shaped sleeve having an interior angle in a range of 5° to 80°.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , the frustum-shaped sleeve having an interior angle in a range of 5° to 35°.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , the frustum-shaped sleeve having an interior angle in a range of 8° to 28°.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the downhole component or the downhole tool has a frustum-shaped receptacle with an inner surface comprising the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface configured to receive the frustum-shaped sleeve and mate with the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radially inner surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve comprises the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface and the radially outer surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve comprises a pyramidal frustum-shaped surface with four or more circumferentially adjacent sides;

wherein the downhole tool or the downhole component has a pyramidal frustum-shaped surface configured to mate with the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the radially inner surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve; and

wherein the other of the downhole tool or the downhole component has a pyramidal frustum-shaped surface configured to mate with the pyramidal frustum-shaped surface of the radially outer surface of the frustum-shaped sleeve.

14 . An apparatus for operating in a borehole, the apparatus comprising:

a downhole tool configured to perform an electronic operation;

a downhole component configured to interconnect with the downhole tool; and

a frustum-shaped sleeve disposed between the downhole tool and the downhole component at the interconnection and comprising a mechanical shock absorbing material;

wherein one of the downhole tool and the downhole component has a frustum-shaped mating plug and the other one of the downhole tool and the downhole component has a mating receptacle configured to receive the mating plug, wherein the receptacle includes a first opening and a second opening; and

wherein the frustum-shaped mating plug is hollow and includes with an outer surface configured to receive the frustum-shaped sleeve;

a preload retainer configured to be partially inserted into a smaller of the first opening and the second opening of the mating receptacle, wherein the preload retainer comprises:

a boss dimensioned to be larger than an inner diameter of the smaller of the first opening and the second opening, and

a tube with an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the smaller of the first opening and the second opening.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the mating plug includes an outer surface that further includes a plurality of separate axially spaced ridges and a plurality of axially spaced grooves interspaced between the plurality of ridges; and

wherein each of the ridges and each of the grooves extend circumferentially about a central axis of the mating plug.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the mating plug includes an outer surface that is smooth.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the downhole component comprises one of: another downhole tool and a centralizer.

18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the mechanical shock absorbing material comprises an elastomeric material.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the elastomeric material has a durometer value between 10 A and 60 A.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the elastomeric material has a durometer value of between 20 A and 40 A.

21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the elastomeric material has a deformation point above 260° C.

22 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the elastomeric material retains is durometer value over a temperature range of −50° C. to 175° C.

23 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the elastomeric material is silicone.

24 . The apparatus of claim 14 ,

wherein the mechanical shock absorbing material of the frustum-shaped sleeve comprises a corrugated metal;

wherein the frustum-shaped sleeve has an axis; and

wherein the corrugated metal is one of:

corrugated radially relative to the axis; and

corrugated longitudinally relative to the axis.

25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the mechanical shock absorbing material is selected to retain its temper in a temperature range of −50° C. to 175° C.

26 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the frustum-shaped mating plug and the mating receptacle are configured to slidingly engage to form the interconnection.