A gangway safety access device
By installing fixed components and sliding safety ropes on the side of the gangway, the problem of people slipping and falling on the gangway is solved, and safety is guaranteed under various conditions.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGZHOU SHIPYARD INTERNATIONAL LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-14
Smart Images
Figure CN122379740A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of ship passage equipment technology, and in particular to a safe passage device for gangways. Background Technology
[0002] A gangway is a specialized passageway widely used for transferring personnel and goods between ships and land, typically installed on both sides of the ship. During berthing, gangways ensure the safe boarding and disembarking of crew, passengers, and dock workers; they also assist in loading and unloading cargo, enabling efficient transfer of goods. In emergencies, gangways can also serve as a rapid evacuation route.
[0003] Existing gangways typically consist of an upper platform, a tilting mechanism, the gangway itself, ladder cables, fastening devices, pillars, a base, a safety net, and safety net rings. When a ship docks at a pier or approaches a small boat, operators use the tilting mechanism to tilt and flatten the gangway, with the upper platform serving as the fixed end and the other end being the free end. A motor located at the pillars drives the steel cables to wind and gradually lower the free end of the gangway, causing the entire gangway to move in an arc with the upper platform as the fixed fulcrum, eventually landing smoothly on the pier or small boat, creating a passageway for personnel. To ensure the safety of personnel, existing gangways are usually equipped with a safety net. One end of the safety net is fixed to the gangway frame, and the other end is installed on a pre-installed safety net ring on the side of the gangway to prevent accidental falls from the side of the gangway.
[0004] However, existing gangway structures still pose significant safety hazards in actual use. Specifically, while safety nets can prevent people from falling from the sides of the gangway to some extent, there is a lack of effective active protection measures for personnel going up and down the gangway. When the gangway surface becomes slippery due to rain, splashes, or oil, or due to ship movement, personnel carrying heavy loads, or unstable walking, personnel are highly susceptible to slipping and falling. Once a person slips on the gangway, because there are no protective structures on both sides of the gangway to effectively intercept or catch them, they can easily fall directly from the gangway into the air or water outside the gangway, causing serious personal injury or even death. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a gangway safety passage device that can protect personal safety at all times when people are going up and down.
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides the following technical solution: A gangway safety passage device includes: Fixed components, installed on the side gangway; A safety rope, one end of which is connected to the fixing component, and the other end is fitted onto the user to connect the user to the fixing component; The safety rope is slidably connected to the fixing component so that the movement of the user causes the safety rope to slide against the fixing component.
[0007] Understandably, by fixing the anchoring components to the side gangway and attaching the safety rope to these components, the user's movement causes the safety rope to move along the anchoring components. As the user ascends or descends the gangway, their movement causes the safety rope to move horizontally in sync. Since the user typically walks along the inclined direction of the gangway, their movement has a horizontal component, causing the safety rope to slide horizontally relative to the anchoring components. This ensures the safety rope remains taut without hindering the user's free movement. Through this sliding connection between the safety rope and the anchoring components, if the user slips, loses their balance, or accidentally falls off the gangway, the safety rope will instantly bear the tension, preventing further falls to the outside of the gangway or into the water below. Simultaneously, the anchoring components, securely installed on the side gangway, provide a stable anchor point, effectively suspending or confining the user within a safe area.
[0008] In one embodiment, the fixing component includes a steel cable with fixing parts at both ends, the fixing parts being fixed to the side gangway, and a safety rope being looped around the outside of the steel cable and slidably connected to the steel cable.
[0009] In one embodiment, the fixing component includes an eye plate, a shackle, and a cable tie. The eye plate is installed on the side gangway, one end of the shackle is connected to the eye plate, and the other end of the shackle is connected to the cable tie. The cable tie is fixed to the cable so that both ends of the cable are connected to the eye plate via the cable tie and the shackle, respectively.
[0010] In one embodiment, at least one of the shackles is provided with a locking screw between it and the eye plate.
[0011] In one embodiment, a steel wire rope is threaded between the shackle and the eye plate to prevent the shackle from loosening.
[0012] In one embodiment, a safety ring is provided on the side of the safety rope near the fixing component, and the safety ring is sleeved on the fixing component.
[0013] In one embodiment, one end of the safety ring is connected to a connecting rope, and one end of the connecting rope is connected to the end of the fixing component so as to pull the safety ring back via the connecting rope.
[0014] In one embodiment, the connecting rope is a retractable structure.
[0015] In one embodiment, one end of the connecting rope is connected to a winding roller, and the connecting rope is wound around the winding roller.
[0016] In one embodiment, a safety net is provided on the outside of the gangway, and one side of the safety net is fixed to the side gangway.
[0017] Compared to existing technologies, a new gangway safety passage device fixes a fixed component to the side gangway, with a safety rope looped around the fixed component. This allows the safety rope to move along the fixed component as the user moves. When the user ascends or descends the gangway, their movement causes the safety rope to move horizontally in sync. Since the user typically walks along the inclined direction of the gangway, their movement has a horizontal component, causing the safety rope to slide horizontally relative to the fixed component. This ensures the safety rope remains taut without hindering the user's free movement. Through this sliding connection between the safety rope and the fixed component, if the user slips, loses balance, or accidentally falls off the gangway, the safety rope will instantly bear the tension, preventing further falls to the outside of the gangway or into the water below. Simultaneously, the fixed component, securely installed on the side gangway, provides a stable anchor point, effectively suspending or confining the user within a safe area. Attached Figure Description
[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a gangway safety passage device provided in this application.
[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the fixing components of a gangway safety passage device provided in this application.
[0021] The component labels are as follows: 1. Side gangway; 2. Fixing components; 21. Steel cable; 22. Fixing parts; 221. Eye plate; 222. Shackle; 223. Steel wire rope; 224. Steel cable swivel; 225. Steel cable buckle; 226. Locking screw buckle; 3. Safety rope; 31. Safety ring. Detailed Implementation
[0022] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0023] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0025] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0027] A gangway is a specialized passageway widely used for transferring personnel and goods between ships and land, typically installed on both sides of the ship. During berthing, gangways ensure the safe boarding and disembarking of crew, passengers, and dock workers; they also assist in loading and unloading cargo, enabling efficient transfer of goods. In emergencies, gangways can also serve as a rapid evacuation route.
[0028] Existing gangways typically consist of an upper platform, a tilting mechanism, the gangway itself, ladder cables, fastening devices, pillars, a base, a safety net, and safety net rings. When a ship docks at a pier or approaches a small boat, operators use the tilting mechanism to tilt and flatten the gangway, with the upper platform serving as the fixed end and the other end being the free end. A motor located at the pillars drives the steel cables to wind and gradually lower the free end of the gangway, causing the entire gangway to move in an arc with the upper platform as the fixed fulcrum, eventually landing smoothly on the pier or small boat, creating a passageway for personnel. To ensure the safety of personnel, existing gangways are usually equipped with a safety net. One end of the safety net is fixed to the gangway frame, and the other end is installed on a pre-installed safety net ring on the side of the gangway to prevent accidental falls from the side of the gangway.
[0029] However, existing gangway structures still pose significant safety hazards in actual use. Specifically, while safety nets can prevent people from falling from the sides of the gangway to some extent, there is a lack of effective active protection measures for personnel going up and down the gangway. When the gangway surface becomes slippery due to rain, splashes, or oil, or due to ship movement, personnel carrying heavy loads, or unstable walking, personnel are highly susceptible to slipping and falling. Once a person slips on the gangway, because there are no protective structures on both sides of the gangway to effectively intercept or catch them, they can easily fall directly from the gangway into the air or water outside the gangway, causing serious personal injury or even death.
[0030] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a gangway safety passage device that can protect personal safety at all times when people are going up and down.
[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 2 The gangway safety passage device provided in this application includes a side gangway 1, which is arranged parallel to the plane of the ship's deck and serves as the installation base platform for the entire safety passage device. Specifically, the side gangway 1 extends along the side of the ship, and its length direction is approximately parallel to the edge of the ship's deck, thereby providing a stable and straight bearing surface for the subsequent installation of safety protection components.
[0032] At least one set of fixing components 2 is arranged parallel to the side gangway 1. The fixing component 2 extends along the length of the side gangway 1, and its installation position is preferably close to the passage side of the gangway or close to the side railing. The fixing component 2 can be in the form of a smooth metal tube, an I-beam guide rail, or a wire slide rail, and both ends of the fixing component 2 are fixed to the side gangway 1 to ensure that it does not loosen or shift during use.
[0033] A safety rope 3 is movably mounted on the fixed component 2. One end of the safety rope 3 is fitted onto the fixed component 2, forming a relative sliding connection with it. For example, the end of the safety rope 3 can be equipped with a slip ring, pulley buckle, or self-locking connector, allowing the safety rope 3 to slide freely along the length of the fixed component 2 while bearing a certain tension without slipping off. The other end of the safety rope 3 is fitted onto the user's body, specifically at the attachment point of personal fall protection equipment such as a safety belt, harness, or waist belt worn on the body, to achieve a reliable connection between the safety rope 3 and the user.
[0034] As users move up and down the gangway, their movement causes the safety rope 3 to move horizontally in sync. Specifically, one end of the safety rope 3 (i.e., the end connected to the fixing component 2) slides horizontally along the fixing component 2 as it follows the user's movement. Since users typically walk along the inclined direction of the gangway, their movement has a horizontal component. Therefore, the safety rope 3 slides horizontally relative to the fixing component 2, ensuring that the safety rope 3 remains taut without hindering the user's free movement.
[0035] Through the sliding connection between the safety rope 3 and the fixing component 2, if a user slips, loses balance, or accidentally falls off the gangway, the safety rope 3 will instantly bear the tension. At this time, the end of the safety rope 3 will brake or limit the user's fall through the sliding connection structure (such as a self-locking slip ring or friction damping structure) between it and the fixing component 2, preventing the user from falling further to the outside of the gangway or the water below. At the same time, the fixing component 2, because it is firmly installed on the side gangway 1, can provide a stable anchor point, thereby effectively suspending or confining the user within a safe range.
[0036] In some embodiments, the fixing component 2 includes a steel cable 21 extending along the length of the side ladder 1. Fixing components 22 are provided at both ends of the steel cable 21 to securely install the steel cable 21 onto the side ladder 1. It should be noted that the steel cable 21 maintains a certain distance from the upper surface or passageway of the side ladder 1 in the installed state, especially a gap between the portion of the steel cable 21 near the bottom end of the side ladder 1 and the surface of that bottom end. This spacing is designed to ensure smooth and stable sliding when the end of the safety rope 3 (e.g., the end with a slip ring or pulley) is fitted onto the steel cable 21 and slides along it, preventing friction, jamming, or snagging between the safety rope 3 and the surface of the side ladder 1. Simultaneously, reducing contact also helps reduce wear on the safety rope 3 and the surface of the side ladder 1, extending the service life of the device, and ensuring that the safety rope 3 can flexibly follow the user during walking, without affecting normal passage or causing accidental pulling due to excessive resistance.
[0037] In some embodiments, the fixing component 22 specifically includes an eye plate 221. The eye plate 221 is a metal connector with through holes, widely used in marine and crane applications. A support plate is fixedly connected to the side of the side gangway 1 near the eye plate 221. The support plate and the side gangway 1 can be connected by welding, for example, through fillet welds or butt welds for permanent fixation; alternatively, the support plate can be integrally formed with the side gangway 1, for example, by casting or bending to form an integral structure, thereby improving connection strength and fatigue resistance. The eye plate 221 and the support plate are also preferably fixed by welding, for example, by fully welding the bottom edge or back of the eye plate 221 to the surface of the support plate, thereby stably fixing the eye plate 221 to the support plate. Through the transition connection of the support plate, the contact area between the eye plate 221 and the side gangway 1 can be effectively increased, dispersing tensile loads and preventing stress concentration or tearing risks caused by direct welding of the eye plate 221 to the thin-walled gangway.
[0038] Furthermore, a shackle 222 is provided on the side of the eyeplate 221 facing away from the support plate. The shackle 222 is a standard rigging connector, U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped, with its opening passing through a cross pin to form a closed loop. The shackle 222 is used to connect the eyeplate 221 and the steel cable 21. Specifically, the U-shaped body of the shackle 222 passes through the through hole of the eyeplate 221, while its closed end or cross pin portion connects to the end of the steel cable 21, thereby forming a detachable flexible connection. To reduce the risk of the shackle 222 and the eyeplate 221 detaching during use due to vibration, shaking, or accidental stress, in some preferred embodiments, a steel wire rope 223 is also provided on the side wall of the eyeplate 221. One end of the wire rope 223 passes through the auxiliary hole on the eye plate 221 or wraps around the neck of the eye plate 221, and the other end passes through the cross pin end of the shackle 222 or the reserved hole on the body of the shackle 222. Then, the two ends of the wire rope 223 are twisted or pressed to fix them, thereby connecting the eye plate 221 and the shackle 222 together. This secondary safety structure can maintain the connection between the eye plate 221 and the shackle 222 through the thin wire rope 223 even if the cross pin of the shackle 222 is loose or the shackle 222 is accidentally opened, thus avoiding complete separation of the shackle 222 and the eye plate 221 and significantly improving the safety redundancy.
[0039] In addition, a cable sling 224 is provided on the side of the shackle 222 near the cable 21. The cable sling 224 is a metal ring with an arc-shaped groove, used to protect the cable 21 from excessive bending stress and wear at the connection end. The cable sling 224 is inserted into the end cavity of the shackle 222 or passed through a cross pin, and the cable 21 is folded back after passing around the arc-shaped groove of the cable sling 224. A cable snap fastener 225 is provided at the end of the cable 21. The cable snap fastener 225 is usually an aluminum sleeve or a stainless steel sleeve, which is pressed onto the end of the cable 21 with special crimping pliers to form a permanent eyelet at the end of the cable 21. This eyelet tightly wraps around the cable sling 224, thereby reliably fixing the cable 21 to the cable sling 224. The combination of steel cable sling 224 and steel cable buckle 225 can ensure connection strength and prevent fatigue fracture of steel cable 21 at the bend, thus further improving the reliability and service life of the entire safe passage device.
[0040] In some embodiments, at least one of the fixing components 22 further includes a locking screw 226. The locking screw 226 is disposed between the shackle 222 and the eye plate 221, that is, one end of the locking screw 226 is connected to the eye plate 221 and the other end is connected to the shackle 222, thereby indirectly fixing the end of the steel cable 21 to the eye plate 221 through the shackle 222 and the locking screw 226. The locking screw 226 typically includes a screw, a sleeve, and a locking nut structure, and its overall length can be adjusted by rotating the sleeve. In actual installation, the operator can use the locking screw 226 to apply an appropriate preload to the steel cable 21, pulling the steel cable 21 taut along the length of the side gangway 1 to keep it straight and under certain tension. The benefits of this design are twofold: First, the taut steel cable 21 provides a more stable and smooth sliding track for the safety rope 3, preventing it from becoming obstructed or stuck due to slackness or sagging. This ensures the safety rope 3 can flexibly follow the user during walking, without affecting normal passage. Second, the taut steel cable 21 has higher load-bearing stiffness. When a user accidentally slips and experiences impact tension on the safety rope 3, the cable 21 effectively resists bending deformation, quickly transferring the load to the fixed components 22 at both ends and the side ladder 1. This provides a more reliable and stable anchoring support for the safety rope 3, significantly improving fall protection. Furthermore, the locking screw buckle 226 has a fine-tuning function, allowing for re-tensioning based on the long-term elongation of the steel cable 21 or changes in ambient temperature, facilitating maintenance.
[0041] In some embodiments, a safety ring 31 is provided on the side of the safety rope 3 near the fixing component 2. The safety ring 31 is sleeved on the safety rope 3 and is slidably connected to the safety rope 3. In a specific embodiment, a winding roller is also provided on one side of the safety rope 3. The winding roller can be fixed to the side gangway 1, and a connecting rope is wound on the winding roller. The end of the connecting rope is fixedly connected to the safety rope 3, so that when the user pulls the safety rope 3 to move on the steel cable 21 of the fixing component 2, the safety rope 3 pulls the connecting rope to move together, and the connecting rope drives the winding roller to rotate. When it is necessary to retract the safety rope 3, the winding roller is rotated so that the winding roller drives the safety rope 3 to move through the connecting rope, which facilitates the operation of the operator.
[0042] In some other embodiments, the connecting rope may also be an elastic structure, so that when the operator moves the safety rope 3, the safety rope 3 causes the connecting rope to stretch, and when the user finishes using it, the connecting rope retracts, causing the safety rope 3 to be retracted.
[0043] In some embodiments, a safety net is also provided on the outside of the gangway, with the top end of the safety net fixed to the gangway 1 on the side and the other end fixed to the gangway to protect the user.
[0044] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0045] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A safe passage device for gangways, characterized in that, include: Fixed component (2), installed on the side gangway (1); The safety rope (3) is connected at one end to the fixing component (2) and at the other end to the user so as to connect the user to the fixing component (2). The safety rope (3) is slidably connected to the fixing component (2) so that the movement of the user causes the safety rope (3) to slide against the fixing component (2).
2. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing component (2) includes a steel cable (21), and fixing parts (22) are respectively provided at both ends of the steel cable (21). The fixing parts (22) are fixed to the side gangway (1). The safety rope (3) is sleeved on the outside of the steel cable (21) and is slidably connected to the steel cable (21).
3. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing component (22) includes an eye plate (221), a shackle (222) and a cable (21) connector. The eye plate (221) is installed on the side gangway (1). One end of the shackle (222) is connected to the eye plate (221), and the other end of the shackle (222) is connected to the cable (21) connector. The cable (21) connector is fixed to the cable (21) so that both ends of the cable (21) are connected to the eye plate (221) through the cable (21) connector and the shackle (222) respectively.
4. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the shackles (222) is provided with a locking screw (226) between it and the eye plate (221).
5. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A steel wire rope (223) is threaded between the shackle (222) and the eye plate (221) to prevent the shackle (222) from loosening.
6. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The safety rope (3) has a safety ring (31) on the side near the fixing component (2), and the safety ring (31) is fitted onto the fixing component (2).
7. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 6, characterized in that, One end of the safety ring (31) is connected to a connecting rope, and one end of the connecting rope is connected to the end of the fixing component (2) so as to pull the safety ring (31) back through the connecting rope.
8. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting rope is a retractable structure.
9. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 7, characterized in that, One end of the connecting rope is connected to a winding roller, and the connecting rope is wound around the winding roller.
10. The gangway safety passage device according to claim 7, characterized in that, A safety net is installed on the outside of the gangway, and one side of the safety net is fixed to the side gangway (1).