SE530916C2 - Device for a shock protection system - Google Patents

Description

53Ü S15 2 A further disadvantage is the difficulty of achieving a sufficient air pressure inside each chamber. The physical explanation for this is that the extruded pipe (rubber or thermoplastic) is in a very soft “melting phase” (approximately 200 ° C) when it is filled with air. The internal air pressure in the pipe must be quite low to prevent the melt from expanding involuntarily.

While the hot air inside the pipe / chambers cools down, the air pressure will decrease correspondingly. The formation of the soft extruded melt must apparently take place in a "pressure chamber" in order to be able to achieve an air pressure inside the tube which is higher than the atmospheric pressure after cooling the tube to ambient temperature.

The use of soft, energy-absorbing fender systems is well known, the primary features of which are that they are designed as separate, hollow bodies filled with air or plastic foam and their geometric design varies between a cylindrical shape and a spherical shape of limited length per unit. Such traditional fenders are hung along the side of the vessel and / or on the bridge with rope or rope, fastening brackets or the like. Fenders of the individual buoy type, however, do not provide a uniform, flexible solution for the many different types of vessels which a marina is intended to serve.

For further information on the status of the technology pertaining to fenders, please refer to the many boat magazines available, such as the magazine "Båtmagasinet" and catalog material such as "Maritime".

An object of the invention is to provide a new fender system which overcomes all the above-mentioned disadvantages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fender system which has a simple construction, is easy to assemble and which is reliable.

The device in a fender system according to the invention is characterized in that each chamber has an external connection with adjacent chambers or chambers.

The particularly preferred embodiments of the fender system according to the invention are described in the independent claims.

According to the invention, the device is used to provide energy absorbing protection of objects such as motor vehicles and other equipment which are subjected to dynamic loads, such as vehicles (amusement and recreational craft) which come into contact with each other or are anchored at piers, in pontoon bridges or against land or to protect , support and 530 B15 3 piece goods during transport, such as in cargo spaces on vessels, in containers or on trucks according to claim 21. The fender system according to the invention is also well suited for use on tugboats, storage and supply vessels, rescue vessels or the like.

The present invention describes a product in the form of a fender which is particularly soft and energy-absorbing at the same time as it is easy to mount on jetties and marine facilities. If a single chamber in the fender system is compressed, the air-in chamber is forced out at the same time through openings in the connecting areas between the chambers and into the adjacent air chambers on each side. The flow resistance that arises when the air is forced out gives the said damping effect. When a continuous, flexible pipe is used between the chambers, where the pipe includes one or more outlet holes in the pipe wall, the air must first be forced into the pipe through the holes and then forced further through the pipe to the adjacent chambers.

According to the invention, the fender is made of an "infinitely long" chain of interconnected, soft, energy-absorbing (air-filled) elements and can be wound on a roll or drum for delivery to the market.The fendem can be cut to the desired length to fit where it is must be mounted, and the entire length can be filled with air from just one filling valve, which can be placed in an easily accessible place.The fender can be bent around corners and edges and can be greatly adapted to the contours of the foundation in question.

The fender can be attached to a large number of different constructions which require shock-absorbing protection, ie constructions above and / or under water and in all desired directions.

According to the invention, the area where the fender system can be attached to the foundation is chamfered and thus protected against rubbing / friction and / or contact.

The fender according to the invention can be made of a number of elastic materials including thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which in both cold and hot conditions is one of the most durable and flexible materials currently available. The material that is commonly used today in fender profiles and fenders is soft PVC, which in the context mentioned here does not have the same excellent mechanical properties as the preferred material TPU.

All thermoplastic materials, both rubber materials and crosslinked materials, can be used. 530 S15 4 The fender solution can be easily glued and / or welded and thus repaired and it can also be cut off and spliced with splice parts which are pressed or glued into the inner tube.

The solution provides an extremely good energy-absorbing effect in that it is filled with a gas or liquid and acts as a dynamic unit in which the chambers work together by means of a specially designed, built-in "pressure control system".

This "pressure control system" functions as individual throttle valves or non-return valves for each chamber, where the valve function depends on the design of the valve system which in all variants varies between soft damping, where the line is very open, to rigid damping where the line is designed as a non-releasing non-return valve the air out of the chamber again once it has entered. In applications where the fender is exposed to particularly high loads, the fender system can be filled with a liquid which subsequently hardens to form a solid, energy-absorbing mass, including foam. Such a liquid can be, for example, two-component or multi-component polyurethane.

The solution according to the invention can further be dimensioned within a comprehensive number of parameters to achieve the desired energy absorption effect. Through a choice of alternative filling materials and valve systems, the fender system can be adapted to meet different requirements with regard to energy absorbing properties, protection against puncture and mechanical strength. In the case of small bridges and pontoon enclosures as well as quay constructions provided with vertical walls, the fender can be mounted according to the invention as desired, either vertically, horizontally or transversely, etc.

The design of the energy-absorbing fender allows it to be used as a fender around a boat hull. The bow, bow and railings of a boat are particularly sensitive to abrasion and wear / tears and this fender design can provide better protection for such areas.

A soft fender is achieved by making energy-absorbing chambers. To make the fender easy to mount, the chambers are manufactured with a flat, compact area between each chamber that allows the fender chain to be attached to a foundation in a number of different ways, such as by using straps, nails, screws, ropes, brackets, etc. 530 915 The attachment points are recessed to prevent the hull from coming into contact with the screw heads and the like or to prevent the grinding and destruction of straps, ropes and other fastening means.

In order to make the chambers energy-absorbing, the volume, filling medium and pressure must be adapted to the specific levels of impact energy that may arise in the (bridge) plant in question. To achieve a combination of soft and controlled energy absorbing effects, the different chambers are connected together so that the flat, compact areas and the chambers between these areas enclose a tubular non-return valve or throttle valve which connects all hollow spaces and is dimensioned and designed according to the desired attenuation.

To achieve high strength and to avoid unwanted air leakage, the soft, energy-absorbing fender can be manufactured in a single homogeneous piece of material without joints or the like, where the compact and flat areas, the valve system and the hollow spaces are permanently connected to each other.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fluid with which the chambers are filled is a gas such as air, a liquid such as oil or water or a curable low viscosity composition of plastic or the like which is crosslinked to foam form when it cures after filling.

To achieve a soft, energy-absorbing fender with particularly high rigidity, the connection between the various hollow spaces can be blocked when excess pressure arises in the chambers by enclosing the pipeline with a tight-fitting elastic tube and equipping both the lead and the tight-fitting elastic tubular jacket (sock). with at least one radial hole in each chamber through which the valve system extends and these holes are offset axially relative to each other so that they do not overlap. This will allow overpressure air to leak from the tube and into the space between the two tubes and be released into the chamber through the holes in the outer sock. This provides a solution in which air can be filled in the chambers but not come out again, as a result of the said sock.

The connecting pipe with the throttle valve or non-return valve is enclosed and is permanently connected to the surrounding material in the flat and compact area between the hollow spaces. In the intermediate energy absorbing chambers, the connecting pipe is only partially permanently connected to the surrounding material (the wall), ie it can be connected to or attached to the inner wall of each chamber. Alternatively, it may run completely free and without contact with any of the inner walls which they. N the chamber. To prevent air from leaking from one chamber to the other except through the connecting line, the tight fitting pipe jacket is permanently attached to and provides a homogeneous material together with the compact and flat areas between the hollow spaces.

The fender system works as intended as a result of the combined effect of the constructive design and the associated fl conditions of fate. The desired energy absorbing effect is achieved by adjusting the size of the fendem chambers, the pressure of the filling medium and the diameter and outlet cross section of the connecting pipe in each chamber. The flat, compact areas and the hollow spaces between these areas enclose and are permanently connected to a "conduit-valve system" for transporting filling medium (air) between the chambers.

The dynamic effect is further achieved by adjusting the line valve system to the desired energy-absorbing effect. Because the pipe outlet in the chambers has a small cross section in relation to the pipe cross section, the outlets function as throttle valves when the filling medium fl flows between the individual chambers or as non-return valves when the filling medium is closed into the individual chambers.

A detailed description of the invention will now be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal drawing of the fender system according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a detailed drawing of two chambers with a compact (connection) area between the two, seen from the same side as the longitudinal drawing in fi g 1.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section, and partly in the form of a perspective view, of the fender along the line A-A in fi g 2. The cross-sections may have different geometric shapes and another preferred example is shown in fi g 7C.

Fig. 4 shows a detailed drawing of two chambers with a compact area between the two as in fi g 2 but where the fender is rotated 90 °.

Fig. 5 shows a cross section C-C in fi g 3 with a continuous conduit extending through the fender and where one or more holes in the wall of the conduit form a fluid connection between the inside of the conduit and the chambers.

Fig. 6 shows a drawing analogous to fi g 5, in which a conduit with an outer sock extends through the fender.

Fig. 7A shows a view of the fender system. 530 B15 7 Fig. 7B shows a planar section of the fender system according to fi g 7A.

Fig. 7C shows a cross section D-D over the end seen from the left in fi g 7B.

The description first refers to fi g 1, which shows parts of a continuous fender construction according to the invention.

The fender 10 consists of a number of hollow, bag-shaped chambers 12, which are made of an elastic material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), PVC, rubber or the like. The fender can be made of a long, hollow profile, which at regular intervals is compressed plane to form the solid, compact intermediate connection areas 14. The hollow profile, which may have different geometric cross-sections, is shown in the present example with a substantially circular cross-section. Fig. 7 shows a preferred example of the fender profile. Between the two connection areas 14, the hollow profile forms a chamber 12, which can be filled with a fluid, such as air or a liquid. The most suitable thickness of the wall for the hollow profile would be in the range of 3-5 mm. With the help of compressed air, the chambers can be "inflated" and the continuous line can be sealed at each end.

A section is shown in Fig. 2. A hollow conduit or tube 18 extends through the inside of each chamber 12 and is molded into the solid connection area 14. In the portions of the tube 18 which run through each chamber 12 a through hole 20 is formed. in the pipe wall. Here, the tube 18 can be connected partly to the inner wall of the chamber 12 or run freely, ie so that it has no contact with the inner walls of the chamber.

Fig. 3 shows a cross section and partly in the form of a drawing of the fender 10 according to the line A-A in Fig. 2. The chamber-forming frame 12 is manufactured together with the compressed central part 14 of solid plastic material.

Fig. 7C shows a corresponding section where the chamber-forming body 12 has a different geometric shape. In this embodiment, the wall and the compressed central parts 14 form a flat surface, which can be used to attach the fender to a bearing surface. The fender is placed with the base side down towards the contact surface and can then be fi xerted towards it.

As shown in Fig. 7B, the central portion 14 may include holes 34 for inserting screws, nails, clamps or the like to secure the fender to the foundation.

The pipeline 18 can be replaced by drilling a channel through the solid material of the central part 14 between the chambers, or alternatively by a continuous, embedded pipe part, so that a connection is established between two adjacent chambers 12. Fig. 4 shows a drawing which is analogous to fi g 2 but where the fender is turned 90 ”. Both chambers 12, the central part 14 and the tube 18 are shown.

Fig. 5 shows in greater detail how the pipe 18 runs through the chamber 12 and the clock indicates the hole 20 in the pipe wall.

Fig. 6 shows a drawing analogous to Fig. 5 where a pipeline with an outer sock extends through the fender. The inner pipeline is shown at 18 while the sock, which is of a dense, elastic material, is shown at 22. Both of these, the pipeline 18 and the sock 22, include a hole passing through their respective walls. This is shown at 24 and 20. While the inner pipeline 18 may be of a relatively rigid but flexible plastic, the outer sleeve 22 is elastic.

When filling the chambers with a fluid, such as air, this double pipe system 18, 22 will function as follows: Compressed air is pumped into the pipe 18. At a given overpressure the outer elastic sock 22 will be lifted out from the surface of the pipe and the air will fl pouring into the space between the pipe and the sock up to the hole 24 and then out into the chamber 12. When the pumping stops and the pressure in the chamber 12 is higher than in the pipe 18 this will cause the sock to "get stuck / slip" close to the pipe 18 and prevents the air from returning the same way it came in. The inner tube thus runs the entire length of the fender 10 and can be clogged / sealed at one end at 32. At the other end, the tube can be connected to a source of compressed air to fill A standard car tire valve mounted in the line can be used to clog the end, as indicated at 32.

With this fender system according to the invention, with the exception of the embodiment according to Fig. 6, the pressure (ie the air) will be transmitted throughout the length of the fender (via the pipeline 18) when one or more chambers are compressed. The dimensions of the pipeline and the dimensions of each hole in the pipeline determine the transfer of fluid and the corresponding pressure build-up through the row of chambers. In this way, the capacity of the fender for absorbing impact energy can be regulated. The embodiment of the structure in Fig. 6 shows an embodiment in which maximum rigidity is achieved because the air cannot tillbaka bleed back. Figures 7A, 7B and 7C show a side view, a plan view and an end view, respectively, of the most preferred embodiments of the fender system according to the invention. In this solution, the chamber-forming body 12 has a different geometric shape. Compared with the side drawing in Fig. 3, the compressed central parts 14 are displaced from the central position and in the direction of one side in the end drawing. The fender has thus become more of an oval section as shown in Fig. 7C. The wall and the compressed central parts 14 thus form a base 30 which can be used to attach the fendem to the foundation when it is to be tixed against the foundation (the bridge / ship side etc). This is the most preferred embodiment of the invention because the solid central parts 14, through which fastening means such as nails, screws or the like can be inserted to fasten the fender to the foundation, will then lie close to the said foundation.

The principle on which the fender system is based is the same regardless of what the fender chambers are filled with. A common filling valve is used (32 in Fig. 7), whereby a number of connected chambers can be filled in one step and where the total damping characteristics of the fender can be determined by choosing the valve system type and dimensioning and by choosing the filling medium.

Different valve designs will determine the degree to which the filling medium is allowed to flow between the respective chambers and can be adapted to different shapes, from open pipes that provide soft cushioning and energy absorbing effect to variants where each chamber is a closed container after filling (6 g 6).

It is also possible that the line is not in the form of a continuous pipe but where it is also separated as 'valve segments' which are placed in the flat, hollow spaces. A common feature of this solution is that the valve tube and fender form an integrated unit in the flat, compact areas regardless of the type of valve system used.

Claims (21)

10 15 20 25 30 35 530 915 10 PATENT REQUIREMENTS A fender construction comprising a body which forms a series of hollow chambers (12), which are separated from each other and interconnected by connecting areas (14) between each chamber and each chamber is arranged to be filled with a cavity, characterized in that each chamber (12) has a fluid connection with adjacent chambers or chambers (12). Fender construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge connection is established by means of a continuous discharge pipe, such as a pipe (18) which passes through the chambers (12) and the connection areas (14), and the conduit (18) includes at least one holes (outlets) (20) for each hollow chamber (12) through which it passes. Fender construction according to claim 2, characterized in that the tube (18) is embedded or embedded in the material in the connection areas (14). Fender construction according to one of Claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the connection is established by means of a pipeline (18) or a drilled channel, which runs through solid connection areas (14). Fender construction according to one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the tube (18) is partly connected to the inner wall of the chambers (12) or runs freely without any contact with the inner walls of the chambers (12). Fender construction according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the ability of the fender to absorb energy is determined by the dimensions of the tube (18) and the dimensions of each hole (20) in the tube and thus affects the transmission of fl uid through the chamber row when a or several of the chambers (12) are compressed. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid is a gas such as air, a liquid such as oil or water or a curable low viscosity composition of plastic or the like which is crosslinked after filling. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection areas (14) are used to ax the fender chain against a foundation by the use of straps or ropes or the like or by inserting nails or screws through the area and into the foundation. Fender construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection areas (14) enclosing the pipe (18) are flat and compact. Fender construction according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fender is made of an elastic material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), PVC or the like. Fender construction according to any one of claims 2-10, characterized in that the tube (18) is arranged to be clogged at one end (32) and to be connected at the other end to a source of compressed air for inflating the chambers (12). ). A fender structure comprising a body which forms a series of hollow chambers (12) which are separated from each other and interconnected by connecting areas (14) between each chamber and each chamber is arranged to be filled with a cavity, characterized in that each chamber ( 12) includes a connection to the adjacent chamber or chambers (12) by means of a continuous discharge pipe (18), which passes through the chambers and the connection areas (14), and the pipe (18) includes at least one outlet / hole (20) for each hollow chamber through which it passes, and the tube (18) is formed with a non-return valve which does not release the fluid out of the chamber again once it has entered. Fender construction according to claim 12, characterized in that the non-return valve is arranged through the fluid-carrying tube (18) which is enclosed by means of an elastic jacket-shaped tube (a sock) (22), and the jacket-shaped tube (18). 22) is provided with at least one hole (24) in each chamber through which the tube (18) passes, and that the holes (20) in the tube (18) and the holes (24) in the jacket-shaped tube (22) are offset axially in relation to each other so that they do not overlap. Fender construction according to claim 13, characterized in that the sock (22) is embedded or embedded in the material in the connection areas and is partially connected to the inner wall of the chambers (12) or runs freely without contact with the inner walls of the chambers (12). Fender construction according to claims 12-14, characterized in that the iden uiden is a gas such as air, a liquid such as oil or water or a curable low viscosity composition of plastic or the like which is hardened / crosslinked / crosslinked after filling. Fender construction according to one of Claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the connecting areas (14) are used to fasten the fender chain to a foundation using clamps or ropes or the like or by inserting nails or screws through the area and into the foundation. . Fender construction according to one of Claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the connection areas (14) enclosing the tube (18) and the sock (22) are flat and compact. Fender construction according to one of Claims 12 to 17, characterized in that the fender is made of an elastic material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), PVC or the like. Fender construction according to any one of the preceding claims 12-18, characterized in that the tube (18) is arranged to be clogged at one end (32), and that at the other end is connected to a source of compressed air for inflating the chambers (12). Use of fender constructions according to any one of claims 1-19, wherein the entire length can be filled from only one filling valve, such as at one end, which can be placed in an easily accessible place, as well as the fender can be formed around corners and can in highly aligned with the contours of the foundation in question. Use of the fender structure according to any one of claims 1-19 for energy-absorbing protection of objects, such as motor vehicles and other equipment, which are subjected to dynamic loads, such as craft (recreational craft) which come into contact with each other or which are anchored at piers, in pontoon enclosures or on land, and / or to protect, support and support general cargo during transport, for example in the hold of ships, in containers or on lorries.