AU722187B2

AU722187B2 - Float/net assembly for pisciculture

Info

Publication number: AU722187B2
Application number: AU19007/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: George Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-22
Filing date: 1997-04-22
Publication date: 2000-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-22
Also published as: AU1900797A

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: GEORGE YANG Actual Inventor: GEORGE YANG a a Address for Service: MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: FLOAT/NET ASSEMBLY FOR PISCICULTURE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

1 1 1, 1 Float/Net Assembly for Pisciculture 2 Background of the Invention 3 1. Field of the Invention 4 The present invention relates to a float/net assembly for pisciculture and, more particularly, to a float/net 6 assembly which may be moved down below the sea level during 7 strong waves or typhoon.

8 2. Description of the Related Art 9 Generally, a net is used in sea pisciculture in which an upper end of the net is on the sea level and is tied to 11 bamboos while the lower end of the net extends downwardly to S...12 the sea bed and is then fixed in position, thereby defining a ."13 "pisciculture pool" therein for pisciculture. Floaters and/or *4 flags are attached to four corners of the upper end of the eee.e: 1 5 net for indication purpose. Nevertheless, when a typhoon 6 comes or the waves are strong, the floaters and the flags :17 tend to be separated from the net and thus time-consuming, •18 costly reconstruction of the "pisciculture pool" is required.

*.19 The present invention is intended to provide a 20 float/net assembly which mitigates and/or obviates the above :21 problems.

22 Summary of the Invention 23 A float/net assembly for pisciculture in accordance 24 with the present invention comprises a substantially rectangular float assembly having four sides each including 26 at least one row of floats which are securely interconnected.

1 A vertical net is securely attached to a bottom of each side 2 of the float assembly, and a central horizontal net is 3 mounted to lower ends of the vertical nets and located under 4 the rectangular float assembly. Each float includes a cruciform channel defined in an underside thereof, each 6 cruciform channel including a first channel section and a 7 second channel section. An air tube is mounted in an air path 8 defined by the aligned channel sections of the same row of 9 floats.

A- first bladder is provided to and in fluid 11 communication with a first end of the air tube and a second bladder is provided to and in fluid communication with a second end of the air tube. A floater is provided adjacent to "i4 4 the float assembly, and further includes an air inflation co.coi tube. having a first end in fluid communication with the 1"6 bladder, and a nozzle is attached to a second end of the air 7 inflation tube and located adjacent to the floater. A loop is provided below each of four corners of the float assembly, -[19 and a string is wound around each loop with a fixed weight S. 20 securely attached to a first end thereof and with a balance ":21 weight securely attached to a second end thereof.

22 By such an arrangement, the float/net assembly defines 23 a space for pisciculture and may be lowered below the sea 24 level by a considerable depth to avoid damage thereto when a typhoon is approaching or the waves are strong.

26 Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the 1 invention will become more apparent from the following 2 detailed description when taken in conjunction with the 3 accompanying drawings.

4 Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a float/net assembly 6 for pisciculture in accordance with the present invention; 7 Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a float subassembly in 8 accordance with the present invention; 9 Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a float in accordance with the present invention; 11 Fig. 4 is a schematic bottom view of a portion of the 12 float/net assembly in accordance with the present invention; 3 Fig. 5 is a schematic cross sectional view S 14 illustrating operation of the float/net assembly in accordaneeeae: dance with the present invention; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a circle in Fig. 1 7 Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Fig. i, a float/net assembly in 19 accordance with the present invention generally includes a substantially rectangular float assembly 10 having four :21 sides. Each side of the float assembly includes at least one 22 row of floats which are securely interconnected. A vertical 23 net 20 is securely attached to a bottom of each side of the 24 float assembly, and a central horizontal net 21 is mounted to lower ends of the vertical nets 20 and located under the 26 rectangular float assembly 1 In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs.

2 1 and 2, each side of the float assembly 10 may comprise two 3 rows of floats 14 in which each float 14 includes a plurality 4 of holed ears 13 and one of which is alignment with three holed ears 13 respectively of three adjacent floats 14, and a 6 pin 11 is used to secure the floats 14 together. The pin 11 7 may include a plurality of protrusions 12 formed on a lower 8 end of an outer periphery thereof which may pass 9 corresponding recesses 131 defined in an inner periphery of each of the aligned holed ears 13 and then rotated through an 11 angle to prevent from disengagement of the pin 12 from the 12 holed ears 13.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, each float 14 includes a 4 cruciform channel 141 defined in an underside thereof, each cruciform channel 141 including a first channel section 141a and a second channel section 141b. An air tube 143 is mounted 7 in an air path defined by the aligned channel sections, e.g., the horizontal sections 141a of the same row of floats 14 ['19 (see Fig. Preferably, an under cover plate 142 (Fig. 3) is mounted to an underside of the float 14 by screws 144 to :21 securely hold the air tube 143 in position.

22 Referring to Fig. 5, a loop 104 is provided below each 23 Of four corners of the float assembly 10, and a string 105 is 24 wound around each loop 104 with a fixed weight 106 securely attached to a first end thereof and with a balance weight 107 26 securely attached to a second end thereof. In addition, a 1 first bladder 1431 is provided to and in fluid communication 2 with a first end of the air tube 143 and a -second bladder 3 1432 is provided to and in fluid communication with a second 4 end of the air tube 143. A floater 108 is provided adjacent to the float assembly 10 for indication purpose. In addition, 6 an air inflation tube 1433 has a first end in fluid 7 communication with the first bladder 1431, and a nozzle 110 8 is attached to a second end of the air inflation tube 1433 9 and located adjacent to the floater 108, as shown in Fig. 6.

The user may take a boat to the float 108 and supply 11 air to the air tubes 143 and inflate the bladders 1431 and 12 1432 and thus make the whole float/net assembly to float on 3 the sea for pisciculture. The balance weights 107 move ~1'4 upwardly when the float/net assembly moves upwardly.

When a typhoon is approaching or the waves will be i:'"16 strong according to the weather report, the user may, in oeto 17 advance, go to the floater 108 and release the air inside the air tubes 143 and the bladders 1431 and 1432 and thus sink the whole float/net assembly to a position lower than the sea level by about 8-13 meters. The maximum height of strong S.i21 waves is approximately 11 meters, the float/net 22 assembly, when sunk below the sea level, will not be affected 23 by the strong waves.

24 According to the above description, it is appreciated that damage to the float/net assembly of the present 26 invention resulting from typhoon or string waves may be 1 prevented.

2 Although the invention has been explained in relation 3 to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many 4 other possible modifications and variations can be -made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention 6 as hereinafter claimed.

7 8 9 11 17 2

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Claims

2. The float/net assembly according to claim 1, wherein a first bladder is provided to and in fluid communication with C 17 a first end of the air tube and a second bladder is provided to and in fluid communication with a second end of the air .'19 tube. 20 3. The float/net assembly according to claim 2, wherein a :21 floater is provided adjacent to the float assembly, and 22 further includes an air inflation tube having a first end in 23 fluid communication with the bladder, and a nozzle is 24 attached to a second end of the air inflation tube and located adjacent to the floater. 26 4. The float/net assembly according to claim 1, further 1 comprising a loop provided below each of four corners of the 2 float assembly, and a string is wound around each said loop 3 with a fixed weight securely attached to a first end thereof 4 and with a balance weight securely attached to a second end thereof. 6 5. The float/net assembly substantially as hereinbefore 7 described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying 8 drawings. 9 Dated this 22nd day of April-1997. 11 GEORGE YANG By his Patent Attorneys MADDERNS 26 S18 19 CC 21 22 23 24 26