WO2006075831A1

WO2006075831A1 - Assemblable dock system with enhanced durability and its methods of manufacture

Info

Publication number: WO2006075831A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/001546
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sungho Han; Jinsik Park; Jongmok Lee
Original assignee: Sungho Han; Jinsik Park; Jongmok Lee
Priority date: 2005-01-14
Filing date: 2005-05-25
Publication date: 2006-07-20
Also published as: KR100697094B1; KR20060083024A

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide an asseπiblable dock system having enhanced durability. The dock system includes a plurality of main bodies and bolts. Each main body (10) is formed by rotating a mold about two axes intersecting at right angles, so that the main body has the form of a hollow box without a seam. Four rings are integrally provided at corners of each main body and are positioned at different heights. The bolts (20) connect two or more superposed rings of adjacent main bodies to each other. This invention allows a person to safely get in or get out of a boat. This invention affords good appearance without damaging a docked boat. The main body is manufactured to have no seam through a single process, thus preventing water from flowing through a defective seam. This invention allows the dock system to be assembled as desired.

Description

DESCRIPTION

ASSEMBLABLE DOCK SYSTEM WITH ENHANCED DURABILITY AND ITS METHODS OF MANUFACTURE

Technical Field The present invention relates, in general, to an assemblable dock system, having enhanced durability, and a manufacturing method thereof and, more particularly, to an assemblable dock system having enhanced durability, in which a floating main body is formed without a seam, thus preventing water from flowing through a defective seam, and allowing the main body to be formed through a simple process, and to a manufacturing method thereof.

Background Art

Generally, a dock system is provided at an area alongside water, such as a seashore or a riverside, so that a boat or a ship may be moored to a dock or similar structure. In the case of a harbor, the dock system is installed using a concrete structure . Meanwhile, in the case of the shore of a lake, the dock system may be simply installed using logs or boards .

There is no specific dock system for small boats, such as leisure boats . Thus, the dock system for the small boats is simply installed using wood, or often uses a concrete structure for docking large vessels .

If a motorboat is docked in the dock system for the large vessel, a height difference exists between the fixed concrete structure and the motorboat. Thus, this is problematic in that it is difficult to approach the docked motorboat. In a detailed description, the vertical position of the motorboat varies due to the ebb and flow of tide . However, the concrete structure is fixed, so that it is inconvenient to move to the motorboat docked in the dock system, thereby undesirable accidents may occur.

Further, when one desires to dock a boat in the dock system comprising wood or a concrete structure, a bumper, such as a used tire or Styrofoam, is hung on the side or front of the boat, thus absorbing shocks caused by collisions between the boat and the dock system, therefore preventing damage to the boat due to the collisions . However, the hanging bumper has a poor appearance .

Disclosure

Technical Problem Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an assemblable dock system having enhanced durability and a manufacturing method thereof, which allows a boat docked in the dock system to maintain a constant vertical position, thus allowing a person to safely get in or get out of the boat, and providing a good appearance without damaging the docked boat. Particularly, each main body constituting the dock system is made of synthetic resin, is hollow, and is manufactured through a single process so that the main body does not have a seam, thus preventing water from flowing in through a defective seam. Further, the simple assembly process allows a user to assemble the dock system as desired.

Technical Solution

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an assemblable dock system having enhanced durability, including a plurality of main bodies formed using centrifugal force in a mold which is rotated by two shafts intersecting at right angles, so that each of the main bodies does not have a seam, and has a shape of a sealed box with a hollow area, with four rings integrally provided at corners and positioned at different heights; and a plurality of bolts coupling two or more superposed rings of adjacent main bodies to each other.

Each of the main bodies has on a sidewall thereof an insertion furrow and an insertion ridge, so that a pair of main bodies may be combined to be in close contact with each other. Further, each of the bolts is fastened via a nut, or a protrusion is provided on a lower end of each of the bolts to protrude outwards . Furthermore, a bolt-head seat is provided at a position around an upper vertex of a corner of each of the main bodies so that a head of each of the bolts is seated in the bolt-head seat, and a textured surface is provided on an upper surface of each of the main bodies .

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an assemblable dock system having enhanced durability, including a first step of providing a mold rotated by two shafts that intersect at right angles, and inputting synthetic resin powder into the mold; a second step of applying heat to the mold, thus melting the synthetic resin powder contained in the mold which is rotated by the two shafts; a third step of applying the synthetic resin, melted at the second step, to an inner surface of the mold in a predetermined thickness, using centrifugal force, and thereafter cooling the synthetic resin while rotating the mold; and a fourth step of separating a main body from the mold, when the third step has terminated.

According to this invention, a cooling method of the third step is executed using external air or external cold water. Advantageous Effects

As described above, this invention is capable of maintaining a boat docked in a floating dock system at a constant vertical position, thus allowing a person to safely get in or get out of the boat. Further, this invention provides a good appearance without damaging the docked boat. Particularly, each main body constituting the dock system is manufactured through a single process so that the main body does not have seam, thus preventing water from flowing through a defective seam. Further, a simple assembly process allows a user to assemble the dock system as desired. Furthermore, it is possible to realize a dock system using the main bodies and the bolts of this invention. By appropriately combining the main bodies using the bolts, this invention may also be used in a farm, as shown in FIG. 12.

Although the preferred embodiments for an assemblable dock system, having enhanced durability, and a manufacturing method thereof have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .

Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembled dock system, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main body and a bolt included in the dock system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the main body of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the state where the main bodies of FIG. 1 are combined with each other;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bolt, according to another embodiment of this invention;

FIGS. 7 to 10 are views illustrating the process where the main body is formed using a mold;

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating the use of the dock system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the state where the dock system of FIG. 1 is used in a farm.

Best Mode

Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same components . FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled dock system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main body and a bolt included in the dock system. As shown in the drawings, the dock system denoted by reference numeral 100 includes a plurality of main bodies 10 floating on water, and a plurality of bolts 20 that combine the main bodies 10 with each other.

Each of the main bodies 10 is made of synthetic resin. Further, a hollow area is formed in each main body 10 so that the main body 10 floats on water due to its buoyancy. According to this invention, the main bodies 10 are not coupled to each other after being manufactured through injection molding, but are manufactured through the method shown in FIG. 4. That is, the synthetic resin is melted in a mold 1. As the mold 1 is rotated by two shafts intersecting at right angles, the molten synthetic resin moves outwards due to centrifugal force, so that the hollow area is formed. Through such a method, each main body 10 has a constant thickness without a seam.

The method of manufacturing the main bodies 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS . 7 to 10. As shown in the drawings, the mold 1 includes an upper mold part 2 and a lower mold part 3. The combined mold 1 rotates about two axes, that is, the X-axis and Y-axis . The mold 1 has a hollow area therein. After a predetermined amount of synthetic resin powder is put into the hollow area, the upper and lower mold parts 2 and 3 are combined with each other. As the mold 1 is rotated by the shafts while being heated, the synthetic resin is melted due to a heating operation, and moves outwards due to rotation of the mold 1.

The method of manufacturing the main bodies 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS . 4a to 4d. As shown in the drawings, the mold 1 includes an upper mold part 2 and a lower mold part 3. The combined mold 1 rotates about two axes, that is, the X-axis and Y-axis .

The mold 1 has a hollow area therein. After a predetermined amount of synthetic resin powder is put into the hollow area, the upper and lower mold parts 2 and 3 are combined with each other. As the mold 1 is rotated by the shafts while being heated, the synthetic resin is melted due to a heating operation, and moves outwards due to rotation of the mold 1.

As such, the liquid synthetic resin melted by the heating means is uniformly spread over the mold 1 due to centrifugal force, and thereafter, a cooling operation is executed. In this case, it is possible to adopt an air cooling method or a water cooling method as the cooling method. However, in order to uniformly spread the molten liquid synthetic resin even when the cooling operation is carried out, it is important to alternately rotate a pair of shafts .

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, each of the main bodies 10 has the form of a box, with a ring provided on each corner of the box. That is, first, second, third, and fourth rings 11, 12, 13, and 14 are provided at respective corners of the box-shaped main body 10, and are positioned at different heights . Thus, when a corner of one main body 10 is in close contact with a corner of another main body 10, rings positioned at different heights are superposed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, at a corner where four main bodies 10 are coupled to each other, four rings are superposed. In this case, the four rings are positioned at different heights, so that the rings do not abut, but are superposed. Thus, it is possible to fasten four rings to each other using one bolt 20. Further, at a corner where three main bodies 10 are coupled to each other, three rings are superposed.

The bolt 20, serving to fasten the rings, couples two, three, or four rings to each other, according to the number of neighboring main bodies 10. In a detailed description, at a position where two main bodies 10 are coupled to each other, the bolt 20 couples two rings to each other. At a position where three main bodies 10 are coupled to each other, the bolt 20 couples three rings to each other. Further, at a position where four main bodies 10 are coupled to each other, the bolt 20 couples four rings to each other. That is, as shown in FIG. 3c, at a position where two rings are coupled to each other, the second ring 12 may be coupled to the fourth ring 14. According to various combinations of the main bodies 10, two of the first, second, third, and fourth rings 11, 12, 13, and 14 may be selectively coupled to each other. However, it is impossible to couple two first rings 11, positioned at the same height, to each other. The first ring 11 is coupled to one of three rings (the second ring, the third ring, and the fourth ring) other than the first ring 11.

Further, if the gap between the rings is smaller than the thickness of each ring, rings of neighboring main bodies may not be superposed. Thus, the positions of the rings are determined such that the gap between the rings is larger than the thickness of each ring.

As shown in FIG. 6, each bolt 20 may be fastened via a nut 30. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, protrusions 21 may be provided on an end of each bolt 20 so that the bolt 20 is fitted into an associated ring through a force- fitting method.

Further, in order to prevent the head of the fastened bolt 20 from protruding upwards, a bolt-head seat 18 is preferably formed on a corner of each main body 10 so that the bolt head is seated in the bolt-head seat 18.

By combining a plurality of main bodies 10 with each other via the bolts 20, a user can assemble the dock system in a desired shape, according to the size of a docked boat (see, FIG. 11) .

Industrial Applicability As described above, the present invention provides an assemblable dock system, having enhanced durability, and a manufacturing method thereof. Particularly, this invention provides an assemblable dock system having enhanced durability, in which a floating main body is formed without a seam, thus preventing water from flowing through a defective seam, and allowing the main body to be formed through a simple process, and to a manufacturing method thereof.

Claims

1. An asseπiblable dock system having enhanced durability, comprising: a plurality of main bodies formed using centrifugal force in a mold which is rotated by two shafts intersecting at right angles, so that each of the main bodies does not have a seam, and has a shape of a sealed box with a hollow area, with four rings integrally provided at corners and positioned at different heights; and a plurality of bolts coupling two or more superposed rings of adjacent main bodies to each other .

2. The assemblable dock system according to claim 1, wherein each of the main bodies comprises : an insertion furrow and an insertion ridge provided on a sidewall of the main body, so that a pair of main bodies may be combined to be in close contact with each other, and each of the bolts is fastened via a nut.

3. The assemblable dock system according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion is provided on a lower end of each of the bolts to protrude outwards and locks to a lowermost ring, and a bolt-head seat is provided at a position around an upper vertex of a corner of each of the main bodies so that a head of each of the bolts is seated in the bolt-head seat, and a textured surface is provided on an upper surface of each of the main bodies .

4. A method of manufacturing an assemblable dock system having enhanced durability, comprising: a first step of providing a mold rotated by two shafts that intersect at right angles, and inputting synthetic resin powder into the mold; a second step of applying heat to the mold, thus melting the synthetic resin powder contained in the mold which is rotated by the two shafts; a third step of applying the synthetic resin, melted at the second step, to an inner surface of the mold in a predetermined thickness, using centrifugal force, and thereafter cooling the synthetic resin while rotating the mold; and a fourth step of separating a main body from the mold, when the third step has terminated.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a cooling method of the third step is executed using external air.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein a cooling method of the third step is executed using external cold water .