Helipad delimitation system on vessels

Abstract

A helipad delimitation system for vessels, comprising railings (10) provided with a lower section (11) intended to be fixed to a vessel, and means for fixing and releasing said lower section from the vessel. Said fixing and releasing means consist of pneumatic devices (2) comprising: a hollow body (3) embedded in the deck of the vessel and comprising a side wall (31) and a lower wall that delimit a cavity (33) provided with an upper opening (34) for the insertion of the lower section (11) of the railing (1); at least one pneumatic cushion (40), disposed in the cavity (33) of the hollow body (3); and at least one pneumatic circuit (7) for inflating and deflating said pneumatic cushions (40), and for fixing or releasing the lower section (11) of the railing housed in the cavity (33) of the hollow body (3).

Description

Helipad delimitation system on vessels Technical sector. The device in question is applicable to yachts or vessels of a certain size that have at least one helipad on deck. Prior art Helipads located on yachts and boats, given their location, have a series of conditions such as reduced dimensions and the need to delimit the helipad for safety reasons for people. Another constraint is that, given the small size of the heliport, the system used to delimit it must be removable so that it does not obstruct helicopter landing and takeoff operations. In the state of the art, the use of a helipad delimiting system on vessels is known, consisting of a series of fences provided with: a lower section that is housed, with the possibility of extraction, in metal bushings embedded in the deck, specifically in the perimeter of the helipad, and a perimeter ring fixed to the fence, above the aforementioned lower section, and which forms a stop for mounting and inserting the lower end of the fence into the corresponding bushing embedded in the deck. The perimeter hoops of the fences have a series of holes for mounting screws to fix the fences to the corresponding bushings embedded in the deck of the vessel. Given the necessary tolerance, to easily assemble and disassemble the fences in the bushings, ensure stable fixing of the fences in this mounting position, and prevent the fences from rattling against the bushings, each of the perimeter rings of the fences usually has four to six fixing screws. This system has several drawbacks, which are listed below: The first and main drawback is that assembling and disassembling the fences requires screwing and unscrewing a large number of screws, requiring several operators and a considerable amount of time to perform these operations, which poses a problem when an emergency landing or takeoff is necessary. - A second drawback is that the successive assembly and disassembly of the fences causes wear on the screw threads and the threaded holes of the bushings embedded in the roof, and the replacement, especially of the embedded bushings, involves a high expense. - A third drawback is that the perimeter rings protrude from the body of the fences, which are generally made of stainless steel tubing, increasing the space needed for storage. These perimeter rings prevent the fence bodies from being stacked stably, causing them to overlap and become entangled in storage, making them difficult to handle. Document JPH04272306A describes a system for raising the structure of a helipad runway built on the roof of a building. The system consists of a set of inflatable cushions housed in a lower space defined by a perimeter and columns which, in combination with beams, support the runway. When the runway is not in use, it remains flush with the roof surface. When the runway needs to be used, the cushion system is inflated by a blower, and the cushions propel the runway upwards, raising it above the roof surface. Explanation of the invention. The proposed invention is a system for delimiting helipads on vessels, which eliminates the aforementioned drawbacks. The system is of the type comprising railings provided with a lower section intended to be fixed to the yacht or vessel, with the possibility of removal, so that in the mounted position the railings offer protection to people and in the disassembled position they do not constitute an obstacle to the landing and take-off operations of helicopters. This system comprises pneumatic devices for clamping and releasing the railings, eliminating the problems involved in assembling and disassembling screws in current systems and the associated problems of wear on the screw threads and nuts defined in the embedded bushings. Said pneumatic devices comprise: a hollow body embedded in the deck of the vessel and comprising a side wall and a bottom wall that delimit a cavity provided with an upper opening for the insertion of the lower section of the railing to be fixed; at least one pneumatic cushion, arranged in the cavity of the hollow body; and at least one pneumatic circuit for inflating and deflating the aforementioned pneumatic cushions, and for fixing or releasing the lower section of the railing housed in the corresponding cavity of the hollow body. The aforementioned pneumatic circuit, or circuits, are intended to be controlled from a control center, allowing the pneumatic cushions of the pneumatic devices to be inflated and deflated, simultaneously or by sectors, quickly, easily, practically instantaneously and without any effort, which represents a clearly advantageous alternative to the state-of-the-art systems for delimiting helipads on yachts or vessels. In the invention, it is provided that the lower section of the railing comprises in an intermediate zone at least one external recess that prevents the railing from sliding relative to the pneumatic cushion in the extraction direction and consequently the disassembly of the railing when the pneumatic cushion is inflated. According to the invention, the lower section of the railing is a tubular section and the hollow body has internally a central axis that together with the pneumatic cushion defines a tubular duct for housing the lower section of the railing when the pneumatic cushion is deflated and for fixing said lower section in the inflated position of the pneumatic cushion. The invention provides that the system can incorporate inside said tubular conduit a helical spring arranged between the lower wall of the hollow body and an annular trim that can be moved longitudinally and that forms a closing cap of the said tubular conduit when the lower end of the railing is removed from it. The annular trim also forms a surface for supporting the lower end of the railing, moving in the trim towards the lower area, compressing the helical spring when it is inserted into the lower end of the railing in the aforementioned tubular conduit; the lower end is immobilized in the railing's mounting position when the pneumatic cushion is inflated and exerts pressure against the outer surface of the lower end of the railing. To ensure that the annular trim remains in the closed position of the tubular conduit when the handrail is removed and to prevent the spring thrust from dislodging it from the hollow body, the central axis has been provided with a perimeter thickening at its upper end that forms a displacement stop for said annular trim. According to the invention, the pneumatic devices can be housed, at least partially, in weldable bushings, for attachment to the vessel, provided with a lower cover and side screws for adjusting the position of said pneumatic devices inside. The features of the invention, set forth in the attached claims, will be more easily understood in view of the exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying figures. Brief description of the content of the drawings. To complement the description being made and in order to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is included with this descriptive report in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: - Figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of a vessel equipped with the vessel helipad delimiting system, according to the invention. - Figure 2 shows a schematic elevation view of an example of a railing with two lower ends housed in two pneumatic devices embedded in the deck of a vessel. - Figure 3 shows an elevation view of an example of the embodiment of one of the pneumatic devices sectioned by a vertical plane and an enlarged detail of an upper area of ​​the same showing the annular trim in a closed position, abutting against a perimeter thickening of the upper end of the central axis of the hollow body. - Figure 4 shows a view analogous to the previous one with the lower section of a railing housed and locked by the pneumatic cushion in the corresponding pneumatic fixing device. Detailed exposition of modes of implementation of the invention. Figure 1 schematically represents an example of the embodiment of the system of the invention, with a series of railings (10) fixed to a vessel (E) by means of pneumatic devices (20) embedded in the deck of said vessel, delimiting a helipad (H). Figure 2 shows one of the railings (10) with a "U" shaped configuration, made of stainless steel and provided with two lower sections (11) fixed to two pneumatic devices (20) embedded in the deck of the vessel (E). In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pneumatic devices (2) comprise: a hollow body (3) embedded in the deck of the vessel and comprising a side wall (31) and a bottom wall that delimit a cavity (33) provided with an upper opening (34) for the introduction of the lower section (11) of the handrail (1) to be fixed; at least one pneumatic cushion (40), arranged inside the cavity (33) of the hollow body (3); and a pneumatic circuit (7) for inflating and deflating the aforementioned pneumatic cushions (40), and for fixing or releasing the lower section (11) of the handrail housed in the corresponding cavity (33) of the hollow body (3). The hollow stainless steel body (3) comprises in its upper mouth (34) an annular plug (5) for retaining the air cushion (40) inside. In the example shown, the lower section (11) of the railing (1) has a tubular section, as shown in figure 3, and the hollow body (3) comprises a central axis (35) attached to its lower wall (32) and which together with the air cushion (40) delimits a tubular duct (6), provided for the accommodation of the lower section (11) of the railing in the deflated position of the air cushion (40) and the fixing of said lower section (11) of the railing in the inflated position of the air cushion (40). As shown in Figure 3, the lower section (11) of the railing (10) may include in an intermediate area an outer recess (12), whose purpose is to allow the pneumatic cushion (40) to adapt in the inflated position to said outer contour, preventing the slippage or displacement of the lower section of the railing in the extraction direction and thus reinforcing the fixing of the railing (10) in the assembly position. The adaptation of the air cushion (40) to the outer surface of the lower section of the railing and the pressure exerted by the air cushion on said outer surface prevents any lateral displacement of the railing and its hitting against the metal of the hollow body (30), eliminating the annoying clinking and repetitive noises. In the example shown, the tubular duct (6) comprises inside a helical spring (61) disposed between its lower wall (32) and an annular trim (62) that is longitudinally displaceable inside said tubular duct (6). Said annular trim forms a support surface for the lower section (11) of the railing (1) in the mounted position of said railing, and a closing cover for the tubular duct (6) in the dismounted position of the railing (1). The central axis (35) comprises at its upper end a perimeter thickening (36) which, as shown in figure 2, forms a displacement stop of the annular trim (62) towards an extreme position of closing the tubular conduit (6) when the railing (10) is disassembled. The air cushion (40) comprises an elastic wall (41), in this case of tubular configuration, fixed peripherally from its upper to lower ends to the side wall (31) of the hollow body (3) and an inflatable chamber (42) defined between said elastic wall (41) and the side wall of the hollow body (3). This inflatable chamber is connected to the pneumatic inflation and deflation circuit (7) through ducts (37) defined in the hollow body (3) itself; so that, when the lower section (11) of the rod is inserted into the tubular duct (6) and pressurized air is introduced into this inflatable chamber (42), the elastic wall (41) deforms, exerting pressure against the outer surface of the lower section (11) of the railing, and immobilizing it. The lower wall (32) of the hollow body (30) comprises a drainage hole (38) for the evacuation of seawater or rainwater that may enter its interior. In the example shown, the pneumatic devices (20) are housed, at least partially, in weldable bushings (80) for fixing to the vessel. These bushings are equipped with a lower cover (81) and side screws (82) for adjusting the position of the pneumatic devices (20) within them. These side screws (82) allow the pneumatic devices (20) to be moved laterally and provide suitable mounting tolerances to adjust their spacing to the distance between the lower sections (11) of the railing (10) to be inserted into them. These weldable bushings (80) define around the respective pneumatic devices (20) an annular cavity (83) provided at the bottom with a sealing gasket (84) suitable for pouring and retaining in said annular cavity (83) a sealing resin (not shown). The aforementioned lower cover (81) of the weldable bushings (80) comprises an opening (85) for supplying air to the corresponding air cushion (40) and a drain hole (86) for evacuating water or dirt. Once the nature of the invention has been sufficiently described, as well as an example of a preferred embodiment, it is noted for the appropriate purposes that the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements described may be modified, provided that this does not imply an alteration of the essential characteristics of the invention claimed below.

Claims

1. A system for delimiting helipads on vessels, comprising railings (10) provided with a lower section (11) intended to be fixed to a vessel and means for fixing and releasing said lower section to the vessel; characterized in that the means for fixing and releasing the railings to the vessel are constituted by pneumatic devices (2) comprising: - a hollow body (3) embedded in the deck of the vessel and comprising a side wall (31) and a lower wall that delimit a cavity (33) provided with an upper opening (34) for the insertion of the lower section (11) of the railing (1) to be fixed, - at least one pneumatic cushion (40), disposed in the cavity (33) of the hollow body (3) and, - at least one pneumatic circuit (7) for inflating and deflating said pneumatic cushions (40),and for fixing or releasing the lower section (11) of the railing housed in the corresponding cavity (33) of the hollow body (3).

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body (3) comprises in its upper opening (34) an annular plug (5) for retaining the air cushion (40) inside the hollow body (3).

3. System according to any preceding claim, wherein at least the lower section (11) of the railing (1) has a tubular cross-section, and the hollow body (3) comprises a central axis (35) attached to its lower wall (32) and which, together with the air cushion (40), defines a deformable tubular conduit (6), provided for housing the lower section (11) of the railing in the deflated position of the air cushion (40) and for fixing said lower section (11) of the railing in the inflated position of the air cushion (40).

4. System according to any preceding claim,wherein the lower section (11) of the railing (10) comprises an external recess (12) in an intermediate zone.

5. System, according to the claims, wherein the tubular duct (6) comprises internally a helical spring (61) disposed between the lower wall (32) of the hollow body (3) and an annular trim (62) longitudinally displaceable inside said tubular duct (6) and which forms a support surface for the lower section (11) of the railing (1) in the mounted position of said railing, and a closing cover for the tubular duct (6) in the disassembled position of the railing (1).

6. System, according to the preceding claims, wherein the central axis (35) comprises at its upper end a peripheral thickening (36) which forms a displacement stop for the annular trim (62) towards an extreme closing position of the tubular duct (6).

7. System, according to any preceding claim,wherein the air cushion (40) comprises an elastic wall (41) fixed at its ends to the side wall (31) of the hollow body (3) and an inflatable chamber (42) defined between said elastic wall (41) and the side wall of the hollow body (3), and connected to the pneumatic inflation and deflation circuit (7) through conduits (37) defined in the hollow body (3).

8. System according to any preceding claim, wherein the lower wall (32) of the hollow body comprises a drain hole (38).

9. System according to any preceding claim, wherein the pneumatic devices (20) are housed, at least partially, in weldable bushings (80) for attachment to the vessel, provided with a lower cover (81) and side screws (82) for adjusting the position of said pneumatic devices (20) therein.

10. System according to claim 9,wherein the weldable bushings (80) define around the respective pneumatic devices (20) an annular cavity (83) provided at its lower end with a sealing gasket (84) suitable for pouring and retaining in said annular cavity (83) a sealing resin.

11. System, according to claims 9 and 10, wherein the lower cover (81) of the weldable bushings (80) comprises an opening (85) for supplying air to the corresponding pneumatic cushion (40) and a drain opening (86).