Mooring bollard and associated maritime building
The retractable mooring bollard addresses the complexity and maintenance issues of telescopic systems by enabling manual operation with a rotating base, ensuring reliability and ease of use.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NAVAL GRP
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Mooring bollard and associated marine vessel
[0001] The present invention relates to a mooring bollard, as well as a marine vessel comprising such a mooring bollard.
[0002] In the field of maritime vessels such as ships or submarines, it is known to place mooring bollards on the deck of these vessels in order to secure them to a quay or to other vessels. A mooring bollard has an attachment structure designed for tying ropes, in particular hawsers.
[0003] It is useful, particularly in the case of a submarine, for the deck surface to be as smooth as possible in order to reduce drag when the submarine is submerged. Thus, it is known to incorporate retractable mooring bollards, which are deployed when the submarine is on the surface and retracted when the submarine is submerged, leaving the deck smooth. Telescopic mooring bollards, in particular, are known; these are operated by machinery located below the deck, for example, pistons. Typically, each piston supports a load of about fifty kilograms, or even more. However, the machinery is relatively complex, and these telescopic mooring bollards are relatively difficult to maintain.
[0004] It is these problems that the invention intends to remedy in particular, by proposing a retractable mooring bollard that is more reliable.
[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a mooring bollard for a maritime vessel, the mooring bollard comprising: - a base, which extends overall along a higher plane, - a mooring structure, which is attached to the base and is designed to that ropes be tied around the mooring structure,
[0006] in which: - the mooring bollard also includes a frame, which is configured to be attached to a deck of the maritime vessel and which provides a storage space, the storage space being configured to receive the mooring structure and emerging from the deck, along a vertical axis, through a mouth, - the base is mobile in rotation relative to the frame around a tilting axis orthogonal to the height axis, between: • a retracted position, in which the mooring structure is received within the storage compartment, the base at least partially blocking the opening, the mooring bollard then being in a retracted configuration, and • a deployed position, in which the docking structure is not received within the storage volume, the base at least partially blocking it the mouth, the mooring bollard then being in a deployed configuration, - the mooring bollard also includes locking means, which are configured to selectively hold the mooring bollard in the retracted and deployed configurations, - the mooring bollard is configured to be switched between the retracted configuration and the configuration deployed manually by a user.
[0007] Thanks to the invention, the mooring bollard can be manually moved between the retracted and deployed positions by a user, without requiring the installation of complex machinery such as a piston. The rotational connection between the base and the frame is simple to implement, for example by means of a lubricated shaft or bearings, resulting in a reduced risk of failure, in other words, increased reliability of the mooring bollard.
[0008] According to advantageous but not mandatory aspects of the invention, such a mooring bollard may incorporate one or more of the following features taken individually or in any technically permissible combination: - The mooring structure has an overall symmetrical shape with respect to a transverse plane, the transverse plane passing through the tilting axis and being orthogonal to the upper plane. - The mooring structure includes: • two pillars, which extend orthogonally to the upper plane, and • a bar, which connects the two pillars to each other and extends parallel to the upper plane. - The mooring bollard includes fixing devices, which are provided on the base and which are intended for the attachment of a lever, so that the base can be moved, by hand by a user, between the retracted position and the deployed position. - The mooring bollard includes a motor, which is configured to tilt the mooring structure between the deployed and retracted positions.
[0009] The invention also relates to a maritime vessel, which includes: - a deck having an opening, - a copy of the mooring bollard as described above,
[0010] in which the frame of the mooring bollard is secured to the deck by being subject to the opening.
[0011] Advantageously, the maritime vessel is a submarine.
[0012] The invention will be better understood, and other advantages thereof will become more apparent in the light of the following description of two embodiments of a mooring bollard and a maritime vessel, conforming to its principle, given solely as an example and made with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
[0013] - [Fig. 1] [Fig. 1] schematically represents, on two insets a) and b), a view in view of a maritime building conforming to a first embodiment of the invention, and a mooring cleat, also according to the invention, belonging to this maritime building, the mooring cleat being represented in a first configuration;
[0014] - [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents, on two inserts a) and b), the mooring bollard of the [Fig. 1], shown in two other configurations, and
[0015] - [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of a mooring bollard conforming to a second embodiment of the invention.
[0016] A building 10 conforming to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in [Fig. 1]#a). The building 10 is a maritime vessel. In the preferred example shown, the building 10 is a submarine. In an alternative not shown, the building 10 is a ship.
[0017] The building 10 includes a deck 12, which is represented by an upper wall of the deck. The deck 12 is designed so that people can stand on it, for example, when the building is stationary on the surface, for example, at the dock. The deck 12 extends globally along a principal plane P12. In [Fig. 1]#a), the deck 12 is considered to be globally planar and horizontal. A height axis H12 is defined as an axis orthogonal to the principal plane P12. The height axis H12 is therefore a vertical axis here. The description is made with respect to the orientation of the various elements as represented in the figures, bearing in mind that this may be different in reality.
[0018] The building 10 comprises at least one mooring bollard 100. In the non-limiting example shown, the building 10 comprises three mooring bollards 100, which are similar to each other, preferably identical to each other. The mooring bollard shown in [Fig. 1]#b) and [Fig. 2] is described below, bearing in mind that what applies to one of the mooring bollards 100 is applicable to the other mooring bollards.
[0019] The mooring bollard 100 includes a frame 110, which is configured to be secured to the deck 12. The frame 110 is partially shown here. The frame 110 includes a body 112, which is parallelepiped in shape, providing a storage space VI12. The frame 110 includes mounting flanges 114, which are provided for attachment to the building 10.
[0020] For each mooring bollard 100, an opening is provided in the deck 12, so that when the frame 110 is fixed to the building 10, the storage volume VI12 emerges from the deck 12, along the height axis H12, through an opening El 12. In other words, the mouth El 12 is geometrically supported by the main plane P12. The opening made in the bridge 12 is not referenced.
[0021] The mooring bollard 100 comprises a base 120 and a mooring structure 130, which is integral with the base 120 and designed for ropes to be wound and / or knotted around the mooring structure 130. The base 120 has an upper surface 122, which extends globally along an upper plane P122 and to which the mooring structure 130 is attached. The base 120 has a lower surface 124, which extends globally along a lower plane P124. The lower plane P124 is parallel to the upper plane P122.
[0022] The base 120 includes an axis 125, which is received in an additional bearing provided on the frame 110, so that the base 120 is movable in rotation relative to the frame 110 around a rocker axis R120, the rocker axis R120 being orthogonal to the height axis H12, between: - a retracted position, in which the mooring structure 130 is received in the storage volume VI12, the base 120 at least partially blocking the opening El 12, the mooring bollard 100 then being in a retracted configuration, as illustrated in [Fig.2]#b), and - a deployed position, in which the mooring structure 130 is not received in the storage volume VI12, the base 120 at least partially blocking the opening El 12, the mooring bollard 100 then being in a deployed configuration, as illustrated in [Fig.l]#b).
[0023] When the mooring bollard 100 is in the retracted configuration, the lower plane P124 is advantageously coplanar with the main plane P12. In other words, the lower surface 124 is flush with the deck 12, the sub-assembly formed by the base 120 and the mooring structure 130 does not protrude from the opening El 12.
[0024] In the deployed configuration, the docking structure 130 is located opposite the storage volume VI12 with respect to the base 120. The docking structure 130 is then located above the deck 12. Preferably, the upper surface 122 is flush with the deck 12, that is to say that the upper plane P122 is coplanar with the main plane P12.
[0025] The mooring bollard 100 is configured to be manually tilted between the retracted and deployed positions by a user. Advantageously, the mooring bollard 130 includes fastening elements 126, which are provided on the base 120 and are intended for attaching a lever 140, so that the base 120 can be manually moved by a user between the retracted and deployed positions. The lever 140 and the fastening means 126 are shown schematically in [Fig. 2]#a). Thus, the mooring bollard 100 is configured so that the user does not have to lift a load exceeding 25 kg to tilt it. The mooring bollard between the retracted and deployed configurations. The mooring bollard 100 according to the invention is robust, easy and quick to switch between the retracted and deployed configurations, and presents little risk of failure.
[0026] Optionally, the mooring bollard 100 also includes a motor, which is configured to rotate the mooring structure between the deployed and retracted positions. The motor is not shown. For example, a gear mounted on the shaft 125 is driven by the motor. The motor is preferably disengageable so as not to interfere with manual operation of the base 120 between the retracted and deployed positions.
[0027] The mooring bollard 100 advantageously includes locking means configured to selectively hold the mooring bollard in the retracted and deployed configurations. The locking means are not shown.
[0028] Preferably, the mooring structure 130 is balanced about the rocker axis R120. More specifically, the mooring structure 130 has a generally symmetrical shape with respect to a transverse plane T130, the transverse plane T130 passing through the rocker axis R120 and orthogonal to the upper plane P122. Preferably, the mooring structure 130 comprises two pillars 132A and 132B, which extend from the upper surface 122 orthogonally to the upper plane P122, and a bar 134, which connects the two pillars 132A / 132B to each other and extends parallel to the upper plane P122, at a distance from the upper plane P122. The mooring structure 130 thus has an "H" shape. The two pillars 132A / 132B are placed opposite each other, symmetrically on either side of the transverse plane T130. The two pillars 132A / 132B are thus parallel to the height axis H12 when the mooring bollard 100 is in the deployed configuration.
[0029] A second embodiment of the invention is shown in [Fig. 3]. In the second embodiment, the elements analogous to those of the first embodiment bear the same reference numerals and function in the same way. The following primarily describes the differences between the first and second embodiments. If a reference numeral is mentioned in the description but not shown in a figure, or if it is shown in a figure but not mentioned in the description, this reference numeral designates the same element as the one bearing the same reference numeral in the first embodiment.
[0030] Compared to the first embodiment, the mooring bollard 100 of the second embodiment includes a frame 210 which is shown more fully. Thus, it is understood that the storage volume VI12 is intended to receive completely the base 120 and the mooring structure 130 when the mooring bollard 100 is in retracted configuration.
[0031] The embodiments and variants mentioned above can be combined with each other to generate new embodiments of the invention.
Claims
1. Demands Mooring bollard (100) for a maritime vessel (10), the mooring bollard comprising: • a base (120), which extends overall along a superior plane (P 122), • a mooring structure (130), which is integral with the base (120) and which is designed so that ropes can be tied around the mooring structure (130), in which: • the mooring bollard (100) also includes a frame (110; 210), which is configured to be attached to a deck (12) of the maritime building and which provides a storage volume (VI12), the storage volume (VI12) being configured to receive the mooring structure (130) and emerging from the deck (12), along a height axis (H12), through an opening (El 12), • the base (120) is movable in rotation relative to the frame (110;210) around a pivot axis (R120) orthogonal to the height axis (H12), between: • a retracted position, in which the mooring structure (130) is received in the storage compartment (VI12), the base (120) at least partially blocking the opening (El12), the mooring cleat (100) then being in a retracted configuration, and • a deployed position, in which the mooring structure (130) is not received in the storage compartment (VI12), the base (120) at least partially blocking the opening (El12), the mooring cleat (100) then being in a deployed configuration, • the mooring cleat (100) also includes locking means, which are configured to selectively hold the mooring cleat (100) in the configuration retracted and in the deployed configuration, • the mooring bollard (100) is configured to be switched between the retracted and deployed configurations manually by a user.;
2. Mooring bollard (100) according to claim 1, wherein: • the mooring structure (130) has a shape that is globally symmetrical with respect to a transverse plane (T130), the transverse plane (T130) passing through the rocker axis (R 120) and being orthogonal to the upper plane (P122).
3. Mooring bollard (100) according to claim 2, wherein: • the mooring structure (130) comprises: • two pillars (132A, 132B), which extend orthogonally to the upper plane (P 122), and • a bar (134), which connects the two pillars (132A, 132B) to each other and which extends parallel to the upper plane (P 122).
4. Mooring cleat (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: • the mooring cleat (100) includes fastening members (1236), which are provided on the base (120) and which are intended for the attachment of a lever (140), so that the base (120) can be moved, by hand by a user, between the retracted position and the deployed position.
5. Mooring cleat (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: • the mooring cleat (100) includes a motor, which is configured to tilt the mooring structure (130) between the deployed position and the retracted position.
6. Maritime vessel (10), comprising: • a deck (12) having an opening, • a copy of the mooring cleat (100) conforming to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the frame (110; 210) of the mooring cleat (100) is attached to the deck (12) by being subjected to the opening.
7. Marine building (10) according to claim 6, wherein: The maritime vessel is a submarine.