A novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system

Abstract

This invention discloses a novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system, comprising a wharf panel, a buffer energy-absorbing component, a horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component, and a vertical load-bearing and resetting component. The buffer energy-absorbing component uses rubber pads to achieve load-bearing energy dissipation under small impacts and initial buffering under large impacts. The horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component converts horizontal kinetic energy into heat energy through the rotational friction of a spherical cap and achieves horizontal self-resetting with the aid of a pre-compression spring. The vertical load-bearing and resetting component achieves vertical load-bearing, energy dissipation, and self-resetting through the elastic deformation and friction of three layers of ring springs, and is equipped with a sleeve constraint and a snap-fit ​​structure. This system solves the problems of traditional fenders, such as single impact direction resistance, low energy dissipation efficiency, insufficient self-resetting ability, and poor durability. It can simultaneously resist horizontal, vertical, and oblique multi-dimensional impacts, possessing graded high-efficiency energy dissipation and dual-dimensional self-resetting capabilities, significantly improving the overall performance and service life of the fender system, and is suitable for various wharf fender projects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of port engineering and wharf protection facilities technology, and more specifically, to a novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of global port trade, the trends of larger and faster ships and more intensive dock operations are becoming increasingly prominent. The impact energy generated when ships berth has increased significantly, placing higher demands on the impact resistance, energy efficiency, durability, and reliability of dock fender systems. As a key protective facility between the dock structure and the ship, the core function of dock fenders is to absorb the impact kinetic energy of ships during berthing, reduce damage to the dock structure and the ship itself, and ensure the safety of dock operations.

[0003] Currently, the most widely used fender products in dock engineering are mainly divided into two categories: one is rubber fenders, such as D-type, conical, and drum-shaped rubber fenders, which rely on the elastic deformation of rubber materials to absorb and buffer impact energy; the other is steel structure fenders, such as hydraulic and friction steel fenders, which rely on the deformation of the steel structure, hydraulic damping, or friction to dissipate energy. These two types of fenders are widely used in conventional dock protection scenarios, but when facing the three-dimensional composite impact conditions of large ships, there are still insurmountable technical defects: 1. Poor adaptability to multi-directional impacts, unable to adapt to complex actual working conditions: Traditional fenders are mostly designed for unidirectional force bearing, which can only effectively cope with the direct impact of the vertical dock surface. They lack an effective force decomposition and transmission mechanism for multi-dimensional composite impacts such as oblique, tangential, and vertical. Under multi-directional force, problems such as shear tearing of the fender body, breakage of connecting bolts, and local stress concentration damage of the dock structure are very likely to occur, posing serious safety hazards.

[0004] 2. The energy dissipation mechanism is singular, the energy dissipation efficiency is low, and the long-term service durability is insufficient: The energy dissipation of existing fenders relies entirely on the viscoelastic internal friction of rubber materials, the compression deformation of the inflation medium, or the throttling damping of hydraulic oil. The energy dissipation efficiency is limited under the single energy dissipation mode. In order to meet the energy absorption requirements of large-tonnage ships, the volume of the fender structure can only be greatly enlarged, occupying the effective working space of the dock. At the same time, rubber materials are prone to fatigue aging, permanent plastic deformation, and performance degradation under repeated impact loads. There is a high risk of medium leakage and seal failure in pneumatic and hydraulic fenders. The maintenance cost throughout the entire life cycle is high and the service life is short.

[0005] 3. Lack of controllable and stable self-resetting capability and poor reusability: The reset of existing fenders relies entirely on the elastic recovery force of the material itself. There is no special pre-compression reset structure. The magnitude of the reset force is uncontrollable and unadjustable. After a large deformation impact, residual deformation is very likely to occur, making it impossible to accurately return to the initial working position. This leads to a significant decrease in protective performance during subsequent berthing, and even the problem of fender eccentric load failure.

[0006] With the increasing size of ships and the intensification of dock operations, higher requirements are placed on the impact resistance, energy efficiency, self-resetting capability, and durability of fender systems. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of dock fender system that can achieve multi-dimensional impact resistance, high energy consumption, adaptive deformation, and self-resetting function. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system to address the problems of unclear functional division, single impact resistance direction, insufficient self-resetting capability, and poor structural reliability in existing wharf fender systems. The system achieves functional separation and collaborative operation through modular design, simultaneously resisting horizontal, vertical, and diagonal multi-dimensional impacts. It features graded high-efficiency energy dissipation and dual-dimensional self-resetting capability, significantly improving the overall performance and service life of the fender system.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system, including The dock panel is fixedly connected to the dock structure and serves to provide a stable mounting base for the remaining components. The energy-absorbing buffer assembly is located on the impact-facing side of the dock deck to absorb external impact loads and perform energy-absorbing buffering. The horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component is located on the side of the buffer energy-absorbing component away from the impact and is fixedly connected to the buffer energy-absorbing component. It is used to bear horizontal and oblique impact loads, convert the horizontal impact kinetic energy into frictional heat energy and achieve horizontal self-resetting. The vertical load-bearing and resetting component is fixedly connected to the wharf panel and the horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component. It is used to bear vertical impact loads, dissipate energy through elastic deformation, and achieve vertical self-resetting.

[0009] Furthermore, the horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component includes an upper seat plate, a spherical crown, a preload spring, and a lower seat plate. The upper seat plate is fixedly connected to the spherical crown, and the spherical crown is rotatably fitted to the lower seat plate. The two ends of the preload spring are fixedly connected to the upper seat plate and the lower seat plate, respectively. When the spherical crown is subjected to a horizontal impact, it rotates and generates friction energy with the inner wall of the lower seat plate. At the same time, it drives the preload spring to generate elastic deformation. After the load is unloaded, the preload spring drives the spherical crown and the upper seat plate to reset.

[0010] Furthermore, the lower base plate is provided with a mounting protrusion, and the mounting protrusion is provided with a sliding groove, with the spherical crown rotating in conjunction with the sliding groove.

[0011] Furthermore, the central angle of the spherical crown is 185° to 200°, and the coverage area of ​​the sliding groove on the spherical crown is greater than that of the hemisphere. The two form a double constraint structure to prevent the spherical crown from detaching from the lower seat plate under impact conditions.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper seat plate and the spherical crown are fixed together by welding, and the two ends of the preload spring are fixed together by welding to the upper seat plate and the lower seat plate, respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the vertical load-bearing reset component includes an upper sleeve, a ring spring assembly, a preload screw, and a lower sleeve. The upper and lower sleeves together form an installation cavity, in which the ring spring is installed. Both the upper and lower sleeves are provided with installation grooves. The upper and lower sleeves are connected by a preload screw, with both ends of the preload screw located in the installation grooves. The inner walls of the upper and lower sleeves and the outer surface of the ring spring assembly have deformation space, which is used to constrain the ring spring assembly to provide space for its radial expansion when it bears vertical loads. When the ring spring assembly is subjected to vertical impact, it undergoes elastic deformation and dissipates energy through friction. After the load is unloaded, it automatically returns to its original shape.

[0014] Furthermore, the width of the deformation space is 1% to 3% of the outer diameter of the ring spring assembly.

[0015] Furthermore, a snap-fit ​​structure is provided at one end where the upper sleeve connects to the lower sleeve to prevent the vertical load-bearing reset component from being pulled out under impact load.

[0016] Furthermore, the ring spring assembly adopts a three-layer ring spring, which includes a middle half ring, an outer ring, an inner ring, and a middle ring. The contact surface of each ring adopts a conical surface design. Under vertical load, relative sliding and friction occur between the rings to dissipate energy.

[0017] Furthermore, the buffer energy absorption component includes a contact plate and a rubber pad. The contact plate and the rubber pad are fixed together by a vulcanization process. The contact plate is used to bear external impact loads, and the rubber pad is fixed on the side of the contact plate away from the impact surface. The rubber pad is used to complete the buffer energy absorption.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention employs a modular design of buffer energy-absorbing components, horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting components, and vertical load-bearing and resetting components, achieving graded energy dissipation under different load levels: under small impact loads, the rubber pad alone completes the load-bearing and energy dissipation; under large impact loads, after the rubber pad completes the initial buffering, the horizontal and vertical components respectively bear the load in the corresponding direction and work together to dissipate energy, which can effectively cope with the high-energy impact of large ships.

[0019] This invention utilizes the synergistic operation of the ball joint rotation structure of the horizontal component and the ring spring bearing structure of the vertical component. The system can simultaneously withstand horizontal, vertical, and arbitrary oblique impact loads, overcoming the limitation of traditional fenders that can only withstand normal impacts. It can perfectly adapt to complex berthing conditions such as ship roll, pitch, and yaw, and avoid structural damage caused by local stress concentration.

[0020] This invention achieves precise reset in the horizontal direction through the elastic deformation of the preloaded spring, and automatic reset in the vertical direction through the conical engagement and elastic restoring force of the ring spring assembly. This allows the load to be unloaded and the load to return to its initial position, significantly reducing the frequency of manual maintenance and replacement costs, and improving the efficiency of dock operations.

[0021] In this invention, the spherical crown adopts a spherical center angle design of 185°~200°, forming a double constraint structure with the sliding groove of the lower seat plate that is larger than a hemisphere, thus solving the problem of easy detachment of traditional ball joints; the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve are equipped with an interlocking buckle structure to prevent the vertical components from being pulled out under extreme impact; the pre-tightening screw is hidden in the installation groove to avoid seawater corrosion and external force damage.

[0022] The height, wall thickness, quantity, material, and working stroke of the three-layer ring spring in this invention can be customized according to actual engineering needs to meet the requirements of different dock conditions and ship types; it is applicable to various dock fender projects, can significantly improve the durability, safety and reliability of dock fenders, and has broad engineering application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the horizontal energy-dissipating reset component in this invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the vertical load-bearing and resetting component in this invention.

[0027] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the three-layer ring spring in this invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a comparison chart of the simulated energy dissipation efficiency of the present invention and traditional rubber fenders under different impact angles.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a comparison chart of the simulated residual displacement of the present invention and the traditional rubber fender under different impact cycles.

[0030] In the diagram: 1-Dock panel; 2-Contact plate; 3-Rubber pad; 4-Horizontal energy-dissipating reset component; 41-Upper seat plate; 42-Spherical crown; 43-Preload spring; 44-Lower seat plate; 45-Mounting protrusion; 46-Sliding groove; 5-Vertical load-bearing reset component; 51-Upper sleeve; 52-Three-layer ring spring; 521-Middle half ring; 522-Outer ring; 523-Inner ring; 524-Middle ring; 53-Preload screw; 54-Lower sleeve; 55-Mounting cavity; 56-Mounting groove; 57-Deformation space; 58-Snap-fit ​​structure; 6-Bolt. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following specific embodiments are only used to further illustrate the present application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make some non-essential improvements and adjustments to the present application based on the above application content.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this invention discloses a novel multi-dimensional wharf fender system, comprising a wharf panel, a buffer energy-absorbing component, a horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component, and a vertical load-bearing and resetting component. The wharf panel is fixedly connected to the wharf structure via pre-embedded bolts, providing a stable installation foundation for the entire fender system. The buffer energy-absorbing component is located on the impact-facing side of the wharf panel, directly bearing the external impact load during ship berthing and completing the initial buffer energy absorption. The horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component is located on the side of the buffer energy-absorbing component away from the impact, and is fixedly connected to the buffer energy-absorbing component. It mainly bears horizontal and oblique impact loads, converting the horizontal impact kinetic energy into frictional heat energy and achieving horizontal self-resetting. The vertical load-bearing and resetting component is fixedly connected to the wharf panel and the horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component via bolts, mainly bearing the vertical impact load, dissipating energy through elastic deformation, and achieving vertical self-resetting.

[0033] The energy-absorbing buffer assembly consists of a contact plate and a rubber pad. The contact plate is made of high-strength, wear-resistant steel plate with a corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant coating, and is used to directly bear the impact load of the ship. The rubber pad is integrally fixed to the back of the contact plate and the front end of the horizontal energy-dissipating and reset component through a high-temperature vulcanization process, forming a non-removable integral structure. When the impact force of the ship is small, the system mainly relies on the elastic deformation of the rubber pad to provide load-bearing and energy-dissipating functions; when the impact force is large, the rubber pad performs the initial buffering function, smoothly transferring the impact load to the rear horizontal energy-dissipating and reset component and the vertical load-bearing and reset component.

[0034] The horizontal energy-dissipating reset component includes an upper seat plate, a spherical crown, a preload spring, and a lower seat plate. The front end of the upper seat plate is vulcanized and fixedly connected to a rubber pad, while the rear end is fixedly connected to the spherical crown by welding. The rear end of the lower seat plate is fixedly connected to the vertical load-bearing reset component by bolts, and its front end has an integrally formed mounting protrusion. A spherical sliding groove, adapted to the spherical crown, is formed at the center of the mounting protrusion. The spherical crown is rotatably fitted into the sliding groove.

[0035] Multiple sets of preload springs are evenly distributed along the circumference of the spherical crown. Each set of preload springs is fixedly connected at both ends to the rear end face of the upper seat plate and the front end face of the lower seat plate via welding. The spherical crown's center angle is designed to be 185°–200°, and the sliding groove covers a larger area than the hemisphere, forming a double constraint structure. This ensures that the spherical crown will not detach from the lower seat plate under any horizontal or oblique impact conditions, significantly improving the reliability and durability of the horizontal components.

[0036] When the horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component is subjected to a horizontal or oblique impact load, the spherical crown rotates within the sliding groove, and its outer surface rubs against the inner wall of the sliding groove, converting the impact kinetic energy into heat energy for dissipation. Simultaneously, the rotation of the spherical crown causes the upper seat plate to deflect accordingly, compressing the preload spring on one side and tensing the preload spring on the other. After the impact load is unloaded, the elastic restoring force of the preload springs on both sides drives the upper seat plate and the spherical crown to automatically return to their initial positions, achieving a self-resetting function in the horizontal direction.

[0037] The vertical load-bearing and resetting component includes an upper sleeve, a ring spring assembly, a preload screw, and a lower sleeve. The upper end face of the upper sleeve is fixedly connected to the lower base plate by bolts, and the lower end face of the lower sleeve is fixedly connected to the dock panel by bolts. The upper and lower sleeves together form a mounting cavity, and the ring spring assembly is coaxially installed in this mounting cavity. In this invention, the ring spring assembly adopts a three-layer ring spring.

[0038] Both the upper end face of the upper sleeve and the lower end face of the lower sleeve are provided with annular mounting grooves. The two ends of the preload screw pass through the mounting grooves of the upper and lower sleeves respectively and are locked with nuts to achieve a fixed connection between the upper and lower sleeves. The two ends of the preload screw are completely hidden in the mounting grooves, avoiding seawater corrosion and damage from external impacts. At the same time, the preload force of the preload screw can be adjusted by adjusting the tightness of the nuts, thereby achieving two working states: preloaded or unpreloaded for the three-layer ring spring.

[0039] The inner walls of the upper and lower sleeves and the outer surface of the three-layer ring spring have uniform annular deformation spaces in the horizontal direction. The width of the deformation space is 1% to 3% of the outer diameter of the three-layer ring spring, providing sufficient deformation space for the radial expansion of the three-layer ring spring under compression. At the same time, it effectively constrains the three-layer ring spring to only bear vertical loads, avoiding lateral instability. The lower outer edge of the upper sleeve and the upper inner edge of the lower sleeve are respectively provided with mutually cooperating annular snap-fit ​​structures. When the vertical load-bearing reset component is subjected to an upward pulling force, the snap-fit ​​structures interlock, which can effectively prevent the upper and lower sleeves from separating and prevent the component from being pulled out.

[0040] The three-layer ring spring is composed of a middle half-ring, an outer ring, an inner ring, and a middle ring coaxially stacked. The contact surfaces of each ring are designed with a conical surface, and the cone angle is optimized according to the self-resetting requirements and frictional energy dissipation effect. The rings are installed in a coordinated manner to achieve the best frictional energy dissipation effect while ensuring good self-resetting capability. When the three-layer ring spring is subjected to a vertical impact load, relative sliding and friction occur between the outer ring and the middle half-ring, and between the inner ring and the middle ring, converting the impact kinetic energy into heat energy for dissipation, while simultaneously generating elastic deformation to store energy. When the load is unloaded, the elastic restoring force between the rings drives it to automatically return to its initial position, realizing the self-resetting function in the vertical direction.

[0041] In this invention, the height, wall thickness, quantity, material and working stroke of the three-layer ring spring can be customized according to actual engineering needs. Alternatively, it can be simplified to a double-layer ring spring structure consisting only of an outer ring and an inner ring according to the load-bearing requirements.

[0042] like Figures 6 to 7 As shown, compared with the traditional rubber fender system, the present invention exhibits superior energy dissipation capability under different impact angles; in addition, under multiple impacts, the cumulative residual displacement of the system is smaller, and its durability is also more outstanding.

[0043] The working principle of this invention is as follows: When a ship berths with a relatively small impact force, the impact load first acts on the contact plate. The rubber pad undergoes elastic deformation, absorbing most of the impact energy and smoothly transferring the load to the rear structure. At this time, the horizontal energy dissipation and reset components and the vertical load-bearing and reset components are basically not involved in the work.

[0044] When a ship berths with a large impact force, the rubber pad is compressed to its limit position, providing initial cushioning, and then decomposes the remaining impact load into horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal component is borne by the horizontal energy dissipation and reset component: the spherical cap rotates within the sliding groove, dissipating energy through friction, while simultaneously deforming the preloaded spring to store energy; the vertical component is borne by the vertical load-bearing and reset component: the upper sleeve moves downward to compress the three-layer ring spring, dissipating and storing energy through the relative sliding friction between the rings.

[0045] After the ship leaves and the impact load is unloaded, the elastic restoring force of the preloaded spring drives the horizontal component to automatically reset, and the elastic restoring force of the three-layer ring spring drives the vertical component to automatically reset, restoring it to its initial working state with no obvious residual deformation, and it can be put into use again immediately.

[0046] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A new multi-dimensional wharf fender system characterized by: include The dock panel is fixedly connected to the dock structure and serves to provide a stable mounting base for the remaining components. A buffer energy absorption component is installed on the impact-facing side of the dock panel to receive external impact loads and perform buffer energy absorption. The horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component is located on the side of the buffer energy-absorbing assembly away from the impact and is fixedly connected to the buffer energy-absorbing assembly. It is used to withstand horizontal and oblique impact loads, convert the horizontal impact kinetic energy into frictional heat energy, and achieve horizontal self-resetting. The vertical load-bearing reset component is fixedly connected to the wharf panel and the horizontal energy-dissipating reset component. It is used to bear vertical impact loads, dissipate energy through elastic deformation, and achieve vertical self-reset.

2. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The horizontal energy-dissipating and resetting component includes an upper seat plate, a spherical crown, a preload spring, and a lower seat plate. The upper seat plate is fixedly connected to the spherical crown, and the spherical crown is rotatably fitted to the lower seat plate. The two ends of the preload spring are fixedly connected to the upper seat plate and the lower seat plate, respectively. When the spherical crown is subjected to a horizontal impact, it rotates and generates friction with the inner wall of the lower seat plate to dissipate energy. At the same time, it drives the preload spring to undergo elastic deformation. After the load is unloaded, the preload spring drives the spherical crown and the upper seat plate to reset.

3. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The lower base plate is provided with a mounting protrusion, and the mounting protrusion is provided with a sliding groove, and the spherical crown is rotatably engaged with the sliding groove.

4. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The central angle of the spherical crown is 185° to 200°, and the sliding groove covers a larger area of ​​the spherical crown than a hemisphere. The two form a double constraint structure to prevent the spherical crown from detaching from the lower seat plate under impact conditions.

5. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The upper seat plate is fixed to the spherical crown by welding, and the two ends of the preload spring are fixed to the upper seat plate and the lower seat plate by welding, respectively.

6. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The vertical load-bearing and resetting component includes an upper sleeve, a ring spring assembly, a preload screw, and a lower sleeve. The upper sleeve and the lower sleeve together form a mounting cavity, in which the ring spring is installed. Both the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve are provided with mounting grooves. The upper sleeve and the lower sleeve are connected by the preload screw, and both ends of the preload screw are located in the mounting grooves. The inner walls of the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve and the outer surface of the ring spring assembly have deformation space, which is used to constrain the ring spring assembly to provide space for its radial expansion when it bears vertical loads. When the ring spring assembly is subjected to vertical impact, it generates elastic deformation and dissipates energy through friction. After the load is unloaded, it automatically returns to its original shape.

7. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The width of the deformation space is 1% to 3% of the outer diameter of the ring spring assembly.

8. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The upper sleeve and the lower sleeve are connected at one end with a corresponding snap-fit ​​structure to prevent the vertical load-bearing reset component from being pulled out under impact load.

9. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The ring spring assembly adopts a three-layer ring spring, which includes a middle half ring, an outer ring, an inner ring, and a middle ring. The contact surface of each ring adopts a conical surface design. Under vertical load, relative sliding and friction occur between the rings to dissipate energy.

10. A novel multi-dimensional quay fender system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The energy-absorbing buffer assembly includes a contact plate and a rubber pad. The contact plate and the rubber pad are integrally fixed by a vulcanization process. The contact plate is used to bear external impact loads, and the rubber pad is fixed on the side of the contact plate away from the impact surface. The rubber pad is used to perform energy absorption and buffering.

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