Fender System for Vessels Which Allows Fenders to Self Adjust

Abstract

The present invention provides a fender system that is applied to a dock piling or solid faced bulkhead in order to prevent damage to a marine vessel while the vessel is moored to a fixed or floating dock, or dock piling, or solid faced bulkhead. The fender is designed to uniquely rise and fall with the level of the tide such that the fender is always in the most suitable position for protecting the vessel's hull from coming into direct contact with the piling or bulkhead. Thus, this system is useful in waters in which there is a constant ebb and flow of the tide and is especially useful in areas experiencing a storm surge.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]This application claims priority to corresponding U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 001,055, filed on Oct. 31, 2007, the disclosure and contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a fender system that can be applied to a dock piling in order to prevent damage to a vessel whereby the fender uniquely rises and falls with the tide such that the fender is always in the most suitable position for protecting the vessel.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]With respect to commercial and recreational marine vessels, the vessels are regularly kept within a marina, harbor or port for a period of time while not being used alongside a dock area with a number of vertical dock pilings. Typically, the vessel is somehow attached or otherwise confined to the dock in order that the current and tide does not cause the vessel to stray from the dock area. As a result, the hull, transom or gunwale of the vesse...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The present invention provides a fender system that is applied to a dock piling in order to prevent damage to a marine vessel while the vessel is moored to a fixed or floating dock or dock piling. The fender is designed to uniquely rise and fall with the level of the tide such that the fender is always in the most suitable position for protecting the vessel's hull from coming into direct contact with the piling. Thus, this system is useful in waters in which there is a constant ebb and flow of the tide and is especially useful in areas experiencing a storm surge.

[0016]The present invention is affixed to a vertical dock piling o

Problems solved by technology

As a result, the hull, transom or gunwale of the vessel routinely encounters the dock or dock piling each time the vessel pitches and rolls against the dock area due to the underlying current and rise and fall of the tide.

Furthermore, in some instances, the vessel may even work itself under the dock if there is no structural barrier between the vessel and the dock.

Unfortunately, the pads or strips are usually only capable of handling any rubbing engagement that occurs between a vessel and a piling, and cannot withstand the full force of an impact between the vessel and the dock piling.

During a forceful impact, the pads or strips either do not have enough cushion to prevent any damage or are ripped away from their fastened position on the underlying vessel or piling structure rendering the bumpers ineffective and causing structural damage to the vessel or piling.

In addition, the bumpers are unsightly when applied to a vessel or a piling thereby ruining the aesthetic appeal of the vessel or dock area.

However, these solutions are only temporary as they degrade easily and quickly become unsightly.

Therefore, the fender cannot just rely upon its buoyancy for placing it in the right place as the water level may not be where the vessel contacts with the dock.

Determining the precise length of the fender is not a simple task and requires some trial and error, particularly when the level of the water is constantly rising and falling.

Thus, a fender suspended from the vessel is completely useless in storm conditions.

However, the inconvenience associated with loc

Images