EP2389312A1

EP2389312A1 - A ship fender construction

Info

Publication number: EP2389312A1
Application number: EP10733694A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kjell RÖNNING
Original assignee: Blue Maritim Innovation
Current assignee: BLUE MARITIM INNOVATION AB
Priority date: 2009-01-20
Filing date: 2010-01-18
Publication date: 2011-11-30
Also published as: WO2010085200A1; SE0900054A1; SE534063C2; EP2389312A4

Abstract

The invention relates to a fender (5) of ship. Internally in the hull side (1) of the ship, in a box (6), a fender (5), which is turnable 180° as seen from above, is receivable. Said fender (5) is motor driven and said box (6) is closable by means of a hull hatch cover (3). Said fender (5) and hull hatch cover (3) are carried by a common shaft (4) that is driven by a motor, the shaft (4) being situated at one side of said fender and mounted so that the hull hatch cover (3) is aligned with the hull of the ship when the fender (5) is within the box (6), but is within the box (6) when the fender (5) is entirely turned-out.

Description

A ship fender construction

The invention relates to a fender construction having an automatic fender received in a waterproof box in the hull side of a ship and that is rotatable 180° so that the fender leaves said box and a hull hatch cover is turned into the box and then back. Known motor-driven fender constructions that are possible to be adjusted vertically along the sides of ships by hoisting the fender in manoeuvrable ropes are, among other things, previously known by US 6,758,155 Bl, GB 2 438 845 A and JP 56079074. However, a suitable height has to be selected each time the fender is hoisted out of the appurtenant reception space at the hull.

Fender construction having fenders that are retractable in recesses along the sides of the ship and that are turnable to be turned between turned-in position in the recess and turned-out position, respectively, outside the recess are previously known by JP 403032593 U. However, said fenders have to be displaceably mounted in the vertical direction to be adjustable to the correct level at a quay.

A known construction according to EP 0 987 176 A2, which discloses an inflatable fender receivable in a hatch- covered closable space in the hull, neither solves the problem of easily getting the fender at correct height.

By US 2007/0241572 Al and US 2006/0207486 Al, respectively, protections or fenders for cars and ships, respectively, are previously known, which are turnably mounted around a horizontal bearing shaft. In order to be able to reach far with the protection and the fender, respectively, in the vertical direction, the protection and the fender, respectively, have also to be able to reach far in the vertical direction after having been turnably mounted around a horizontal bearing shaft, which entails that the construction becomes weak. If it is desired to get proper protection laterally on the ship, it is possible, as in US 5,353,727 A, to arrange fixed fender modules along the major part of the sides of the ship, but this seems to be an unnecessary expensive and complicated precautionary measure. The main object of the present invention is therefore primarily to provide a ship fender that solves the problem of easily and efficiently, from protected position in the ship, also being arrangable to be turned out mechanically into a stable and damping position along the sides of the ship and thereby be able to reach along the entire vertical extension of the fender for stable damping.

Said object is attained, among other things, with a fender construction according to the present invention that essentially is characterized in that, internally in the hull side of the ship, in a box, a fender, which is turnable 180° as seen from above, is receivable, that said fender is motor driven and that said box is closable by means of a hull hatch cover, that said fender and hull hatch cover are carried by a common shaft that is driven by a motor, the shaft being situated at one side of said fender and mounted so that the hull hatch cover is aligned with the hull of the ship when the fenders are within the box, but is within the box when the fender is entirely turned-out, and that said bearing shaft is arranged to extend essentially in the vertical direction. In the appended drawings, there are shown automatic retracted fenders from above, from the side and in perspective, respectively, of a ship. Fig. 1 shows retracted fenders in the hull of a ship.

Fig. 2 shows a section of a retracted fender in the way it should be when the ship moves, Fig. 3 shows a section of turned-out fender in the way it should be when the ship is docked at a pier.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of a fender in retracted and closed position in the box,

Figs. 5 and 6 show lateral cross-sections of the fender construction in retracted position and folded-out position, respectively, and

Figs. 7-10 show perspective views of a ship provided with a fender construction according to the invention and with the fender construction in different positions. The invention allows providing an automatically motor-driven fender.

A fender construction 8, having an automatic turnable fender 5 received in a waterproof box 6 in the hull side 1 of a ship 9 and that is rotatable 180° so that the fender 5 leaves the box 6 and the hull hatch cover 3 is turned into the box 6, is shown from the side in Figs. 5-10.

An automatic fender construction that has retracted fenders 5 is shown from above in Figs. 1-4.

In Fig. 1, there are shown: Hull side 1,

Motor 2,

Reception box 6,

Fender 5,

Hatch cover 3 in the hull, and Shaft 4 with motor 2.

One side of the ship 9 is designated by IA in Fig. 1, and the respective fender 5 is in that connection rotated 180° and ready to abut against a quay 50. The side that is designated by IB in Fig. 1 shows fenders 5 that are not in function. Accordingly, they are received within the respective box 6 in the hull 1 of the ship.

Fig. 2 shows an automatic fender 5 as seen from above and retracted in closed position in the box 6 behind the hatch cover 3. In that connection, the hatch cover 3 is, in closed position, aligned with the hull side 1 so that a fender 5 is behind said hatch cover 3 and the hull side 1 in an appurtenant waterproof box 6. Fig. 3 shows, as seen from above, an automatic fender construction 8 with the fender 5 in turned-out position rotated 180° and situated outside the hull side 1 of the ship 9 and ready to be used against a quay 50 or against another ship.

In Fig. 4, there are shown mounting parts: An internal stop 10 for a hull side 1 in an internally tight box 6. The fender 5 that is attached to a thick rubber pad 11 that is vulcanized to the fender 5 on the rear part 5A thereof. A steel plate 12 that is attached to the rubber pad 11. The shaft 4 that is connected with the motor 2 is attached to the steel plate 12 and to an additional steel plate 13 on the opposite side of the shaft 4.

Said additional steel plate 13 may be cast into the ship's side, namely in the hull hatch cover 3.

In the drawing, Figs. 2 and 4 show an automatic fender construction 8 in section with a retracted fender 5, when the ship 9 moves and where 1 designates the hull of the ship 9. A motor 2 shown in Fig. 5 rotates the fender 5 180° forward and back via a shaft 4. An internal stop 10, which the hull hatch cover 3 co-operates with in order to stop the turning and limit the continued turning of the same and the fender 5, is arranged at one side of the box 6. The hull hatch cover 3 is shown in closed position with the fender 5 within the box 6. The box 6 is an internally cast tight box. The waterline of the ship is designated by the numeral 7. 14 designates the turning direction of a fender 5, and 1 designates the continuation of the hull side.

Fig. 5 shows the automatic fender construction 8 in section with a turned-in fender 5 when the ship 9 moves at a speed.

Fig. 6 shows the automatic fender construction 8 in section with a turned-out fender 5 when the ship 9 is docked at, e.g., a pier 50, and there are: Ship's hull 1.

Motor 2 that rotates the shaft 4 forward and back 180°.

Hull hatch cover 3 turned-in in the box 6. Shaft 4. Fender 5 in turned-out position.

Internally cast tight box 6. Waterline 7 of the ship 9. Full list of designations: 1. Hull side. 2. Motor.

3. Hull hatch cover.

4. Shaft.

5. Fender.

5A. Rear part of the fender. 6. Box.

7. Waterline.

8. Fender construction.

9. Ship.

10. Internal stop. 11. Thick rubber pad.

12. Steel plate.

13. Additional steel plate.

14. Turning direction. 50. Quay.

51. Vertical direction.

52. Lighting device.

The nature and function of the invention should have been understood with the aid of what has been mentioned above and shown in the drawings. The main idea of the invention is the one that, thanks to the rotatably mounted shaft 4, which extends essentially in the vertical direction 51 or at least parallel along the sides IA, IB of the ship 9 from above 101 and down 102, of the fender 5, it is now possible to easily get the fenders 5 to work on a suitable level irrespective of on which level the quay 50 is situated. If it is desired, it is possible to select a suitable length L of the fenders 5 so that they fit in the waterproof box 6. Also when it is desired to get said fenders 5 in folded-out position, the motor 2 of the respective fender 5 is actuated to be activated and rotate the shaft 4 of the respective fender 5 from retracted fender storing position, which is shown on starboard side in Fig. 1, to folded-out protection position, which is shown on port side in Fig. 1, i.e., that the shaft 4 and the respective fender 5 have rotated 180° around the bearing of the shaft vertical or that at least extend along the respective sides of the ship, as is shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. When the shaft 4 is rotated, the hatch cover 3 is turned correspondingly, and when said respective fender 5 is within the box 6, the hatch cover 3 closes the opening 53 of the box, and when said respective fender 5 is in turned-out "shock-absorbing" position, the hatch cover 3 is received turned-in in the interior reception space 54 of the box 6. The stop 10 limits the turning motion of the hatch cover 3 in one and the other, respectively, turning direction 55 and 14, respectively. Thanks to sources of light 52 in the boxes 6, the sides of the ship can be illuminated when the appurtenant fenders 5 are turned-out, which, in addition to an aesthetic feeling, provides safety when darkness is falling on the sea and it is desired to dock the ship at a quay 50 or at a pier.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of the different parts, or by using an equivalent technology, without departing from the protection area of the invention, such as it is defined in the claims.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Fender construction (8) having an automatic fender (5) received in a waterproof box (6) in the hull side (1) of a ship and that is rotatable 180° so that the fender (5) leaves said box (6) and a hull hatch cover (3) is turned into the box (6) and then back, characterized in that, internally in the hull side (1) of the ship, in a box (6), a fender (5), which is turnable 180° as seen from above, is receivable, that said fender (5) is motor driven (2) and that said box (6) is closable by means of a hull hatch cover (3), that said fender (5) and hull hatch cover (3) are carried by a common shaft (4) that is driven by a motor (2), the shaft (4) being situated at one side of said fender and mounted so that the hull hatch cover (3) is aligned with the hull of the ship when the fenders (5) are within the box (6), but is within the box (6) when the fender (5) is entirely turned-out, and that said bearing shaft (4) is arranged to extend essentially in the vertical direction (51) .

2. Fender construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the fender (5) and the hull hatch cover (3), respectively, are attached to a steel plate (12, 13) each, which in turn are attached to said motor-driven shaft (4).

3. Fender construction according to claim 2, characterized in that a rubber pad (11) is bonded by vulcanization to the fender (5) and that in turn is attached to said steel plate (12) .

4. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an internally situated stop (10) in the box (6) is arranged for the hull hatch cover (3) .

5. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of said fender (5) is essentially semi-cylindrical with the flat side attached to said shaft (4) .

6. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the box (6) is situated inside the hull (1) of the ship.

7. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the box (6) for receipt of said fender (5) is cast.

8. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, internally in the box (6), a lighting device (52) is arranged to illuminate the side of the ship and at the area of said fender (5) .