Automatic mooring equipment for ships

Abstract

A mooring device (10) for automatic mooring and berthing of vessels (4) ranging from 10 to 70 feet, the mooring device being equipped with attachment plates (62) having strong adhesion properties for pressing against the two sides of the hull (6) of the vessel. The mooring device (10) has a floating U-shaped structure (20) comprising two horizontal beams (22) connected to a pier (2) and retaining units (50) fixedly attached to the two horizontal beams (22). The retaining units (50) hold retaining heads (60) which are rotatable in all directions, and the attachment plates (62) are mounted on the retaining heads. When the vessel (4) is moored, the horizontal beams (22) rotate about their longitudinal axes in the direction of the hull (6) to ensure locking, which is achieved by the connection between the attachment plates (62) and the surfaces of the hull (6). When departing, the process is reversed. The mooring equipment (10) is equipped with an automatically operating locking mechanism (90), wherein a compression spring (92) applies the necessary rotational force. An electric motor (96) is included to enable automatic operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mooring device for automatic mooring and safe berthing of vessels ranging from 10 to 70 feet in length, which are preferably attached to a floating dock.

[0002] The present invention relates to a device assembled from simple structural elements, the use of which does not require subsequent modifications to the vessel or the installation of any additional components on the vessel. Background Technology

[0003] In shipping practice, mooring vessels with ropes and securing them to the berth is a common solution. Even state-of-the-art luxury ships use this method—although mooring with ropes presents safety risks and requires additional personnel.

[0004] Recognizing the need for state-of-the-art, automated, cordless mooring technologies for mooring vessels, a variety of technical solutions have been developed. These solutions include the following recently announced inventions, which, while possessing sound basic concepts, still have several practical shortcomings.

[0005] The invention disclosed in WO2017144927 (A1), entitled "Watercraft mooring apparatus, method and system," relates to a U-shaped device with a motorized cylindrical locking mechanism on two supports. The vessel is moored and held in the berthing space by hook-shaped capture elements mounted on the vessel, which are connected to the locking mechanism during mooring and holding. The mooring equipment is motorized and equipped with a control panel and associated ICT technology. The disadvantages of this technical solution are as follows:

[0006] ● Accident-prone capture elements must be installed on the vessel in a permanently standby state or temporarily fixed to the vessel before mooring—both solutions present numerous problems.

[0007] ● The manufacturing cost and transportation cost to remote locations of mooring equipment are very high, thus limiting its potential for widespread adoption.

[0008] ● The mooring equipment is designed to connect to fixed quays and is not suitable for connection to commonly used quay finger breakwaters.

[0009] ● In the event of large waves, the vessel may be damaged by impact with the rigid structure of the mooring equipment.

[0010] The mooring apparatus described in WO2020058734 (A1), entitled "Automatic mooring apparatus for watercraft," is a technical solution for automated mooring. At the heart of this solution is an independent quay finger-shaped jetty structure equipped with an automatically operating locking mechanism that engages with a capture element subsequently fixed to the side of the vessel during mooring and berthing. Another feature of this solution is the attachment of flexible tentacle elements at a distance to the structural elements of the quay finger-shaped jetty, the purpose of which is to guide and hold the vessel in place by contacting the hull. The mooring apparatus requires two quay finger-shaped jetty elements, fixed perpendicular to the quay but parallel to each other. The mooring apparatus is equipped with ICT technology. The main disadvantages of the solution of this invention are as follows:

[0011] ● The capture element must be modified to the side of the vessel, which is something that owners of expensive vessels are unwilling to do; for new vessels, installation may cause damage and may void the warranty.

[0012] ●Capture elements attached to the hull may cause damage and accidents to other vessels in foreign ports.

[0013] ● The solution is not applicable to common dock finger breakwater systems.

[0014] ● The manufacturing and on-site delivery costs of mooring equipment are high.

[0015] Clearly, there is a need for an automated mooring system that can solve the above problems and does not have the listed drawbacks.

[0016] Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to provide an automatic mooring device that does not require any modification to the vessel or the installation of any additional devices to ensure that the vessel is moored and held in a moored position.

[0017] Another objective of the mooring equipment is to be mass-produced, cost-effective, easy to transport to remote ports, and easy to install on-site.

[0018] Another objective is to equip the mooring equipment with state-of-the-art information and communication technologies (ICT) to support its operation and monitor it. Summary of the Invention

[0019] The present invention relates to a ropeless automatic mooring device (10) for mooring and berthing a vessel (4), the mooring device (10) having attachment plates (62) with strong adhesion characteristics that press against the two sides of the hull (6).

[0020] The mooring device (10) has a U-shaped structure (20) that floats on the water and is connected to the dock (2), and has retaining units (50) fixedly attached to two horizontal beams (22). The retaining units (50) hold retaining heads (60) mounted on balls (70) and rotatable in all directions, with attachment plates (62) mounted on the retaining heads (60). When the vessel (4) is moored, the horizontal beams (22) rotate about their longitudinal axis toward the hull (6) to ensure locking, which is achieved by a secure connection between the attachment plates (62) and the surface of the hull (6).

[0021] An automatic locking mechanism (90) is designed to rotate the horizontal beam (22), wherein a compression spring (92) applies the necessary rotational force. A controlled electric motor (96) is installed to enable automatic operation.

[0022] Advantages of the present invention

[0023] The mooring equipment:

[0024] ●Automatic, untethered mooring is permitted.

[0025] ●No modifications to the ship or hull are required, nor is any auxiliary equipment or adapters to be installed on the ship.

[0026] ●Suitable for hulls of any geometry.

[0027] ● It consists of a small number of parts that can be mass-produced and economically transported to ports far from the manufacturing plant.

[0028] ● No complicated installation, assembly or debugging is required, and no large machines are needed.

[0029] ●Suitable for common dock finger-shaped breakwater systems.

[0030] ● It takes up almost no space on the water surface.

[0031] ●Safe mooring can be achieved without external assistance.

[0032] ● Mooring at the stern or bow is permitted.

[0033] ● Operate and monitor using modern ICT technologies. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of a ship moored in mooring equipment.

[0035] Figure 2 A view of the design of the mooring equipment.

[0036] Figure 3A view of the main structural units of the mooring equipment.

[0037] Figure 4 A view showing the mooring equipment secured to the dock.

[0038] Figure 5 A view of a vessel in mooring equipment that is in standby or locked status.

[0039] Figure 6 View of the attachment plate being fixed to the retaining head.

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating how to maintain the rotational and linear movement of the head.

[0041] Figure 8 A view of a mooring facility with an automatic locking mechanism.

[0042] Figure 9 A view of the design for an automatic locking mechanism.

[0043] Figure 10 A view that maintains linear movement of the head.

[0044] Figure 11 A view that maintains the rotational movement of the head.

[0045] Figure 12 To maintain a view of the main structural elements and operation of the head.

[0046] Figure 13 A view of the ship's mooring process.

[0047] Figure 14 A view of the installation options for mooring equipment.

[0048] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the ITC system for mooring equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The mooring equipment (10) will be described in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

[0050] This specification and accompanying drawings illustrate possible implementations of the technical solutions of the present invention; however, this does not limit the scope of the patent claims of the present invention to the implementations described herein.

[0051] Figure 1 The mooring state of the vessel (4) in the mooring equipment (10) attached to the floating dock (2) is depicted.

[0052] The vessel (4) is held in the moored position on both sides of the hull (6) by retaining units (50) provided with attachment plates (62) that are firmly attached to the surface of the hull (6). The adhesion of the attachment plates (62) is due to the physical properties of the material. For example, silicone is such a material.

[0053] The attachment plate (62) transmits the force generated by the oscillating movement of the vessel (4) to the structure of the mooring equipment (10) via the retaining unit (50), and then these forces are damped by the built-in springs and finally by the dock (2).

[0054] Figure 2 Design details of the mooring equipment (10) are shown.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the mooring device (10) has a U-shaped structure (20), the main components of which are made of tubing. The tubing may be made of steel, carbon fiber composite material, or other statically suitable material.

[0056] A horizontal beam (22) forming a U-shaped structure (20) and a connecting pipe element (28) are connected to a corner unit (30). The corner unit (30) is fixed to the structure of the dock (2) by a fixing rod (32). The horizontal beam (22) is rotatably connected to the corner unit (30) about its longitudinal axis.

[0057] The retaining unit (50) is fixedly connected to two horizontal beams (22) so that when the horizontal beams (22) rotate about their longitudinal axis, the retaining unit (50) rotates simultaneously.

[0058] A steering plate (40) is mounted on a horizontal beam (22) to steer the vessel (4) during berthing and anchoring. The tubular structural elements are covered with a flexible soft covering (44) to cushion any potential impacts. End stops (42) are positioned to prevent impacts with the connecting tubular elements (28). The material used for impact cushioning is, for example, silicone.

[0059] An entry pedal (46) is provided for entering the vessel (4), and in this solution, the entry pedal (46) is also equipped with a control panel (110).

[0060] Figure 3 The main structural units of the mooring equipment (10) are shown. These structural units can be manufactured independently and sequentially, are easy to transport, and are assembled at the mooring site to fit the size of a given vessel (4).

[0061] One element of the horizontal beam (22) is a rotary tube (24), which is clamped in a sealing tube element (26) for static and mechanical reasons. In the clamping section, the connection between the rotary tube (24) and the sealing tube element (26) is ensured by sliding rings (34) installed at a given distance from each other.

[0062] The rotary tube (24) and the encapsulating tube element (26) are fixed to the corner unit (30). As described below, an automatic locking mechanism (90) connected to the corner unit (30) is provided to enable the rotation of the rotary tube (24).

[0063] The corner unit (30) is connected by a connecting tube element (28) to form a U-shaped structure (20). The entry pedal (46) is mounted on the connecting tube element (28). The corner unit (30) is attached to the dock (2) by a fixing rod (32).

[0064] The assembled retaining unit (50) is fixedly attached to the rotary tube (24), and the attachment method can be, for example, welding or bolting.

[0065] Figure 4 The mooring equipment (10) is schematically fixed to the dock (2). Typically, the fixed section to the edge of the dock (2) is secured by a fixing assembly (36) formed at the end of the fixing rod (34). Considering that the height of the mooring equipment (10) changes due to water level variations, the other end of the fixing rod (32) is mounted to a corner unit (30) so that it can rotate about the horizontal axis.

[0066] Figure 5 A view of the vessel (4) in the mooring equipment (10) in both standby and locked states is shown. In the standby state, the holding unit (50) does not rotate toward the hull (6), and its axis is almost vertical. In this case, the vessel (4) can move freely between the horizontal beams (22).

[0067] In the locked state, the retaining unit (50) rotates toward the vessel (4), and the attachment plate (62) on the retaining head (60) is attached to the surface of the hull (6). The vessel (4) is then in a fixed mooring position between the horizontal beams (22).

[0068] Figure 6The placement of the attachment plate (62) on the retaining head (60) is shown, the attachment plate (62) being fixed to the front of the housing (72) by adhesive bonding. On the longitudinal sides of the attachment plate (62) at the bottom and top, rigid strips (64) with springs I-s (66) are mounted parallel to each other, the rigid strips (64) typically protruding from the plane of the attachment plate (62) (part A). When the hull (6) contacts the rigid strips (64), the rigid strips are pressed into the plane of the attachment plate (62) (part B).

[0069] The rigid strip (64) protects the attachment plate (62) from potentially large stresses, impacts or friction that may occur, for example, during mooring.

[0070] The size of the attachment plate (62) is typically 15 cm × 30 cm, but can vary considerably. The size of the attachment plate must always be determined with reference to the characteristics of the vessel (4). The attachment plate is made of a highly adhesive material, such as a special silicone.

[0071] Figure 7 A diagram illustrating the spatial movement of the head (60).

[0072] Due to the influence of waves, wind, and other weather conditions, the vessel (6) moored in the mooring equipment (10) moves in all directions in space, which is called oscillating movement. Taking into account the attachment plate (62) to the given surface of the hull (6), the retaining head (60) of the present invention also enables all spatial movement.

[0073] The rotation and repositioning of the entire retaining unit (50) toward the hull (6) are achieved by the rotation of the horizontal beam (22) about its axis. This rotation is caused by... Figure 8-9 The automatic locking mechanism (90) shown is executed.

[0074] The linear movement within the holding unit (50) that changes the position of the holding head (60) is the movement of the telescopic leg (52) in the direction of axis B and the movement of the holding head (60) in the direction of axis C. The spatial rotation of the holding head (60) around the pivot point P2 is the rotation around axes B, C, and D. In practice, linear movement and rotation may occur in combination.

[0075] Figure 10-11 The basic situation of maintaining the movement of the head (60) is schematically shown.

[0076] Figure 8-9 The automatic locking mechanism (90) is shown. Figure 8 A front view of the mooring equipment (10) is shown, in which the automatic locking mechanism (90) is in standby and locked states, respectively.

[0077] In the standby state of the automatic locking mechanism (90), the retaining unit (50) mounted on the horizontal beam (22) and the retaining head (60) fixed on the telescopic leg (52) are in their basic positions. In the locked state, the retaining unit (50) rotates toward the hull (6), and the retaining head (60) rotates with the plane of the hull (6) to attach the attachment plate (62) to the surface of the hull (6).

[0078] Figure 9 The example illustrates the details of the automatic locking mechanism (90).

[0079] In the automatic locking mechanism (90), a compression spring (92) is installed to rotate the horizontal beam (22) in the direction of the hull (6). The compression spring (92) is connected to the horizontal beam (22) via a rotating arm (94). The activation of the compression spring (92) and the rotation of the horizontal beam (22) by the rotating arm (94) are achieved by an electric motor (96). The electric motor (96) allows the free end of the retractable arm (102) fixed to the horizontal beam (22) to move downward by rotating the lead screw (98) connected to it, thereby causing the threaded element (100) on it to move downward. At this time, the released compression spring (92) applies a force of appropriate magnitude to rotate the horizontal beam (22) and press the retaining head (60) against the surface of the hull (6). The attachment plate (62) is attached to the surface of the hull (6), thereby forming the “locked” state of the mechanism and holding the vessel (4) in the proper position.

[0080] The automatic locking mechanism (90) is put into standby mode by rotating the electric motor (96) in the opposite direction. At this time, the threaded element (100) moves the free end of the retraction arm (102) upward, thereby causing the horizontal beam (22) to rotate back and the compression spring (92) to be compressed by the rotating arm (94). The holding head (60) moves away from the surface of the hull (6), and the ship (4) can move freely.

[0081] The automatic operation is described below.

[0082] In the event of a power failure, the lead screw (98) can be manually rotated in the desired direction. To access the lead screw (98), the cover element (104) must be removed.

[0083] Figure 10-11 A schematic diagram illustrating how to maintain linear and rotational movement of the head.

[0084] Figure 10The linear movement of the retaining head (60) is shown. The movement along axis B (part A) can be achieved by spring 2 (54) placed in the telescopic leg (52). When the vessel (4) is stationary, the retaining head (60) moves away from and towards the horizontal beam (22) as the hull (6) moves, which causes the telescopic leg (52) to extend and compress.

[0085] Keep the head (60) moving linearly along axis C, which is also caused by the movement of the ship (4).

[0086] Figure 12 The schematic diagram shows the main direction of rotation of the holding head (60) around the theoretical center point (P2). In reality, any combination of rotations A, B, and C may occur.

[0087] According to the present invention, all these movements can be achieved by the holding unit (50) and the holding head (60).

[0088] Figure 12 The main structural elements and operation of the retaining head (60) are shown.

[0089] The retaining head (60) is attached to the telescopic leg (52) via a fixing element (68). The fixing element (68) holds the ball (70) at the theoretical center (P2), and the housing (72) is mounted on the ball (70), allowing for linear movement and rotation. A slot (74) is cut into the housing (72) to allow it to move freely around the fixing element (68).

[0090] To limit the linear movement (axis C) of the housing (72), horizontal springs (76) are installed on both sides of the ball (70), one end of which is hooked to a support element (80) and the other end to a sliding disc (78). The support element (80) is designed to fit the ball (70) and can rotate freely on it. The sliding disc (78) is fixed to the housing (72) and slides on the support rod (82) under the action of the springs (76).

[0091] To limit the rotational movement of the housing (72), a vertical spring (84) is installed, one end of which is connected to the housing (72) and the other end is connected to the ball (70).

[0092] Figure 13 The mooring and departure process of the vessel (4) is shown. In Figures P1-P2, the vessel (4) approaches the dock (2) and then sails into the mooring facility (10) between the horizontal beams (22). The distance is continuously measured by a laser rangefinder (118) built into the control panel (110) and transmitted to the relevant / designated party via the communication module (112).

[0093] Upon reaching the berthing position P3, when the vessel (4) is at a predetermined distance from the dock (2), the motor controller (114) receives a signal to start the electric motor (96). The operation of the electric motor (96) enables the aforementioned locking function of the automatic locking mechanism (90).

[0094] Figure P4 shows the fixed position. At this position, the attachment plate (62) is attached to the hull (6) and holds the vessel (4) in place.

[0095] When the vessel departs, a manual command sent to the motor controller (114) can be used to start the electric motor (96), which rotates in the opposite direction, thereby realizing the aforementioned standby function of the automatic locking mechanism (90). The vessel (4) can then depart freely from the mooring equipment (10).

[0096] Figure 14 Installation options for the mooring equipment (10) are shown. The mooring equipment can be installed on a quay (2) forming a quay finger pier (part A), and multiple mooring equipment (10) can be arranged side by side on a longitudinal floating quay (2) (part B).

[0097] The vessel (4) may moor and anchor in the mooring facility (10) by either stern-down or bow-forward approach. These options are shown in Figure CD.

[0098] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the ITC system for mooring equipment.

[0099] A motor controller (114) is provided for the electric motor (96) built into the automatic locking mechanism (90) installed on the mooring equipment (10), which is located in the control panel (110). The control panel (110) also includes a laser rangefinder (118), a camera (116), and a communication module (112) for measuring the distance to the vessel (4).

[0100] Operators or other authorized personnel can access the control panel (110) via the Internet or radio waves using a suitable operating device (120). The operating device (120) can be an onboard unit (122) installed on the vessel (4), a smartphone (124), a remote control (126), a tablet computer (128), or other suitable device.

[0101] The control panel (110) is also connected to the port central server (130) so that port management personnel can monitor the current status of the mooring equipment (10), collect relevant data on the mooring equipment (10), and intervene in the operation of the mooring equipment (10) if necessary. For example, in the event of a severe storm, the authorities can issue an order prohibiting departure.

[0102] List of reference numerals

[0103] 2-Dock

[0104] 4- Ships

[0105] 6-Hull

[0106] 10-Mooring Equipment

[0107] 20-U-shaped structure

[0108] 22-Horizontal Beam

[0109] 24-Rotary tube

[0110] 26-Encapsulated Tube

[0111] 28-Connecting pipe element

[0112] 30-Corner Unit

[0113] 32-Fixed Rod

[0114] 34-Sliding Ring

[0115] 36-Fixed Components

[0116] 40-Steering plate

[0117] 42-End stop

[0118] 44- Flexible soft covering

[0119] 46- Enter the pedal

[0120] 50-holding unit

[0121] 52-Retractable Legs

[0122] 54-Spring 2

[0123] 60-Keep head

[0124] 62-Attachment Plate

[0125] 64-Hard strip

[0126] 66-Spring 1

[0127] 68-Fixed Components

[0128] 70-ball

[0129] 72-Shell

[0130] 74-slot

[0131] 76-Horizontal Spring

[0132] 78-Sliding disk

[0133] 80-Supporting element

[0134] 82-Support Rod

[0135] 84-Vertical Spring

[0136] 90-Automatic locking mechanism

[0137] 92-Compression Spring

[0138] 94-Rotating Arm

[0139] 96-Electric Motor (M)

[0140] 98-lead screw

[0141] 100-Threaded Components

[0142] 102-Retracting Arm

[0143] 104-Covering Element

[0144] 110-Control Panel

[0145] 112-Communication Module

[0146] 114-Motor Control

[0147] 116-Camera

[0148] 118-Laser Rangefinder

[0149] 120-Operating Device

[0150] 122-Onboard Unit (OBU)

[0151] 124-Smartphone

[0152] 126-Remote Control

[0153] 128-Tablet PC

[0154] 130 - Port Central Server.

Claims

1. A mooring device (10) comprising a U-shaped structure (20) fixed to a pier (2) and floating on water, wherein each horizontal beam (22) is provided with a retaining unit (50) and an automatic locking mechanism (90) for capturing and securing a vessel (4) during mooring and berthing, characterized in that, Each holding unit (50) has a telescopic leg (52) fixed to a corresponding horizontal beam (22) and a holding head (60) pivotally connected to the other end of the telescopic leg (52), wherein the holding head (60) includes an attachment plate (62) designed to be pressed against the side of the hull (6) to hold the vessel (4) in a moored position and to be removable from the side of the hull when sailing out.

2. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The U-shaped structure (20) includes an airtight sealing tube connected to the dock (2) via a corner unit (30) fixed by a fixing assembly (36), such that the horizontal beam (22) is designed to rotate about its longitudinal axis (axis A).

3. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The horizontal beam (22) includes a rotary tube (24) element, which is placed in a sealing tube (26) element fixed to the corner unit (30), and the rotation between the rotary tube and the sealing tube is ensured by a segmented sliding ring (34).

4. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining unit (50) is fixed to the horizontal beam (22) (axis B) perpendicular to the axis (axis A) of the horizontal beam, and its rotation in the direction of the hull (6) occurs together with the rotation of the horizontal beam (22).

5. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining head (60) is mounted on the telescopic leg (52) so as to rotate in all directions about the theoretical point (P2) and move linearly in the direction corresponding to its longitudinal axis (axis C).

6. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining head (60) has a structure including a housing (72) which is rotatably and linearly movable to a ball (70) element, which is fixed to the telescopic leg (52) by a fixing element (68), and the attachment plate (62) is attached to the housing.

7. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The housing (72) is provided with a horizontal spring (76) to limit axial movement relative to the ball (70), one end of which is fixed to a support element (80) adapted to and rotatable on the ball (70), and the other end is fixed to a sliding disk (78) fixed to the housing (72).

8. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The housing (72) is provided with a vertical spring (84) to limit rotation around the ball (70), one end of the vertical spring being fixed to the ball (70) and the other end being fixed to the housing (72).

9. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The attachment plate (62) has rigid strips (64) arranged on two longitudinal edges, the rigid strips being pressable into the plane of the attachment plate (62).

10. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The attachment plate (62) is made of highly adhesive silicone.

11. The mooring equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic locking mechanism (90) is used to rotate the retaining unit (50) toward the vessel (4) and thus to attach the attachment plate (62) to the hull (6). The automatic locking mechanism includes a compression spring (92) connected to the horizontal beam (22) via a rotating arm (84). To achieve rotation in the opposite direction, a lead screw (98) rotated by an electric motor (96) is included. A threaded element (100) on the lead screw moves a retractable arm (102) fixed to the horizontal beam (22) and thus sets the retaining unit (50) to its ready position.

12. The mooring apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The mooring equipment (10) is equipped with a control panel (110) in which the electric motor (96) of the automatic locking mechanism (90) can be remotely controlled via a communication module (112).

Images