Quick connector for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system and method therefor

Abstract

A quick connector for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system comprises a base structure 6 connected to an upper body 2 of the offshore floating structure, a mooring interface 13 attached to a lower body 3 of the existing mooring system, and a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism comprising a grooved surface 16 formed on the mooring interface 13, a locking claw 10 movably mounted on the base structure 6, and a hydrodynamic device associated with the base structure 6 and operably connected to move the locking claw 10 between a released position in which the locking claw 10 is withdrawn from the grooved surface 16 of the mooring interface 13 and a locked position in which the locking claw 10 engages with the grooved surface 16 of the mooring interface 13.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a quick connector for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system, in the field of floating offshore structures, more particularly in the field of floating offshore wind turbines, wave makers and tidal turbines.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a method of connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system using a quick connector. [Background technology]

[0003] Traditionally, floating offshore platforms, and particularly floating wind turbine platforms, are tethered to the seabed with multiple mooring lines that limit the displacement and rotation of the structure. This is to provide the station-keeping necessary for the wind turbines to operate and maintain their position. Additionally, floating platforms with wind turbines are traditionally transported fully assembled to their installation site by towing them with tugboats. However, the installation and tensioning of the mooring lines can require the use of multiple vessels and can be complex to execute, necessitating the use of specialized teams, vessels, and favorable weather conditions. It is expected that floating wind turbine platforms may need to be towed to port multiple times during their 20-25 year service life to perform maintenance work on the turbines or the platform itself. It is therefore highly desirable to have a means to safely and quickly disconnect and reconnect the platform.

[0004] The document US 2007 / 0133633 describes an offshore structure consisting of a frame and several wind turbines, said structure being mounted on a floating platform connected to a vertical shaft in a manner that allows weather vaning of said structure. The shaft is kept stationary by an anchoring system. The connection between said shaft and the frame of the rotatable structure is designed to support said shaft in several planes, thereby keeping the wind turbines upright and stable.

[0005] In some other designs, the floating structure can rotate around a single mooring point, as explained in the case of the system in US Pat. No. 5,399,633. The invention further comprises means for disconnecting the floating platform from the permanently moored structure by moving the lower and upper bodies relative to each other using a semi-submersible barge. Furthermore, a centering means consisting of a pair of cones and inverted cones guides the connection and disconnection operations.

[0006] In recent decades, numerous quick connectors have been developed in the offshore oil and gas industry to facilitate the connection and disconnection of vessels to semi-submersible buoys. The buoys are traditionally anchored to the seabed, equipped with risers and drilling equipment, and capable of withstanding ocean waves and currents acting on the vessel, thus keeping the buoy in place without the use of a dynamic positioning system. The quick connectors are usually located in the vessel under any kind of yaw system, which allows the vessel to align with the wind by allowing it to rotate freely around the buoy.

[0007] US Patent No. 5,399,633 discloses a disconnectable mooring system for production vessels, which includes a turret with a yaw system with top and bottom bearings and a quick connector that runs under the vessel, allowing the vessel to be weathervaned and aligned with the wind, current or waves, and to be navigated to port during severe storms or the presence of drifting ice. The quick connector consists of a number of bear locks that are forced into annular cavities machined into the buoy upper interface by a collet driven by a hydraulic cylinder.

[0008] The '493 patent also describes a disconnectable mooring system with a receiving member rotatably connected to a floating structure. The structural connection between the mooring buoy and the receiving member is made by means of a ring-shaped actuating member, which engages with latch-engaging members arranged all around. The centering means used only allow the receiving member and the mooring buoy to be connected in one specific rotational position.

[0009] US Patent No. 5,399,633 describes a mooring method that allows a vessel to be weathervaned around a submersible buoy. The buoy's bearing assembly has an inner hub coupled to an outer ring fixed to the buoy. A structural connector attached to the vessel's hull is arranged for releasable connection to the inner hub. The connector includes a plurality of collet segments that engage with the inner hub to securely secure the inner hub to the connector. Radial loads associated with the process of receiving the inner hub are transferred between the vessel and the buoy through a radial bushing seat defined by the outer periphery of a circular recess formed in the buoy.

[0010] US Patent No. 6,399,633 relates to a method for installing wind, wave and tidal turbines offshore using mechanical guides requiring only a self-propelled barge. The method includes the use of a socket and intermediate support piece, which provide an internal guide surface for the cone-shaped end of the structure to be installed. The structure is initially held in a reclined position by a clamp attached to the barge. The end of the structure is then introduced into the installation socket by means of a guide wire and lowered and released from the clamp by adjusting a removable alignment means until the geometric alignment of the installation surface is achieved. The installation is then fixed using grout injection.

[0011] Patent Document 7 discloses a connector used to connect multiple pressure vessels, which includes a donut-shaped member that slides parallel to the movement of the locking segments. One of the donut-shaped members, an actuating torus, engages with an inner piston and moves it downward, thereby rocking multiple locking segments arranged around it toward a hub on the surface of the pressure vessel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 6,294,844 [Patent Document 2] European Patent No. 3642479 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 5,356,321 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 5,363,789 [Patent Document 5] International Publication No. 2007127531 [Patent Document 6] European Patent No. 1567727 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 6,609,734 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for connecting and disconnecting an offshore floating platform to an existing mooring system, which makes this operation quick and easy, and does not require complex planning such as multiple dedicated vessels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The present invention comprises a quick connector configured to connect an upper body of an offshore floating structure to a lower body of an existing mooring system. In some embodiments, the offshore floating structure may be, for example, a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) platform of the weather vaning type and the existing mooring system may be, for example, a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) type, although the device may also find application in other types of floating systems. The offshore floating structure and the existing mooring system may be arranged in line along a longitudinal axis. The quick connector may be configured to connect (preferably coaxially connect) the offshore floating structure to the existing mooring system along the longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis may be a geometric longitudinal axis that does not correspond to a physical part of the quick connector.

[0015] The quick connector comprises a base structure configured to be connected to an upper body of an offshore floating structure, a mooring interface configured to be attached to a lower body of an existing mooring system, and a hydrodynamically (hydraulic or pneumatically) actuated locking mechanism configured to connect and disconnect the base structure to the mooring interface.

[0016] Preferably, the mooring interface is shaped as an outer female member designed to receive the base structure of the quick connector as an inner male member and geometrically matches the inner male member. However, the technical solution provided by the present invention is also applicable in a configuration in which the mooring interface is configured as an inner male member and the base structure is configured as an outer male member. The base structure of the quick connector can be attached to a floating upper body of a FOWT platform or other type of offshore platform in order to fix the floating upper body to a mooring system. The base structure and the mooring interface are configured to be connected to each other (e.g. coaxially connected) along a longitudinal axis. In a preferred embodiment, the longitudinal axis is configured as a vertical axis in the operating position.

[0017] When the base structure of the quick connector is guided until it achieves a connection with the mooring interface, a number of peripheral or circumferentially (e.g. circumferentially) disposed locking tabs embedded in the base structure (i.e. the locking tabs may be disposed at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis) are aligned with a grooved surface of a ring-shaped portion of the mooring interface. In a preferred embodiment, the grooved surface may be configured as an inner grooved surface of the ring-shaped portion of the mooring interface (e.g. the grooved surface may be configured as an inner surface of the ring-shaped portion).

[0018] A plurality of hydraulic or pneumatic pistons may be mounted on the base structure and operatively connected to move the locking pawls between a released position in which the locking pawls are withdrawn (i.e., disconnected) from the grooved surface of the mooring interface and a locked position in which the locking pawls engage (i.e., connect) with the grooved surface of the mooring interface.

[0019] In one embodiment, each of the locking pawls may be included in one locking assembly that is guided to slide perpendicular or at least partially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In the context of the present invention, "partially perpendicular" must be interpreted as describing a movement, a first component of the movement being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second component of the movement being parallel to the longitudinal axis, whereas "mainly perpendicular" or "mostly perpendicular" is interpreted as a partially perpendicular movement, where the movement is mainly perpendicular (i.e. the parallel component of the movement is less than the perpendicular component). A plurality of wedges may be mounted to the base structure for movement parallel to the longitudinal axis (or partially parallel or mostly parallel; where "partially parallel" and "mainly parallel" build upon the "partially vertical" and "mostly vertical" descriptions above), and the hydraulic or pneumatic piston may be operatively connected to lower and raise the wedges. Each of the wedges may have a wedge surface constructed and arranged to interact with an inclined surface of the locking assembly to move the locking pawls outwardly and inwardly between the locked and released positions.

[0020] According to some embodiments, each of the wedges may comprise at least one expansion wedge surface and at least one retraction wedge surface, and each of the locking assemblies may comprise at least one expansion inclined surface and at least one retraction inclined surface. The at least one expansion wedge surface may be constructed and arranged to interact with the at least one expansion inclined surface of the locking assembly, and the at least one retraction wedge surface may be constructed and arranged to interact with the at least one retraction inclined surface, thereby moving the locking pawls outwardly and inwardly.

[0021] In some embodiments, each wedge may be configured as a part with a wedge body and a base plate. The base plate may be configured to project laterally from the wedge body to form one or two lateral wings. The wedge body may be arranged in a central position relative to the two lateral wings or laterally (if there is only one lateral wing). The extending wedge surface and the receding wedge surface may be configured as opposing surfaces of the base plate, the extending wedge surface being preferably parallel to the extending wedge surface. The wedge body may further comprise a guide surface arranged at an angle relative to the extending wedge surface and the receding wedge surface, the guide surface being configured such that when the wedge slides into the inclined passage, the guide surface is pressed against a surface of the base structure, thus transferring a pressing force from the wedge to the locking pawl, thereby moving the locking pawl towards the grooved surface.

[0022] The extending ramp and the receding ramp of each of the locking assemblies may be configured to form a ramped passage configured to receive the base plate of each of the wedges. The extending ramp and the receding ramp may be arranged parallel to each other. The ramped passage may also be called a slot (although any side may be arranged to connect with the extending ramp and the receding ramp). The ramped passage may be open (i.e., not closed but has an opening) at the receding ramp to allow movement of the wedge body as the base plate slides in the ramped passage and to limit lateral displacement of the wedge body (i.e., transverse to the direction in which the base plate slides in the ramped passage) as the base plate slides in the ramped passage.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the intermediate actuator may comprise one or more intermediate resilient elements, which may be at least partially housed in respective cavities of the corresponding locking pawls. The intermediate actuator may include at least one of the one or more extending ramps of the locking assembly, which may be configured as a protruding extending ramp. The at least one protruding extending ramp may be configured to protrude from the cavity and contact the at least one extending wedge surface of the wedge. Thus, the at least one protruding extending wedge surface may be configured to protrude into the ramp passage, such that upon insertion of a wedge (or the base plate of a wedge) into the ramp passage, the extending wedge surface of the wedge presses each of the locking pawls towards each of the grooved surfaces by contacting the protruding extending ramp.

[0024] The intermediate actuators may be arranged at an inclination angle relative to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The inclination angle may be configured such that when the intermediate actuators receive a compressive force from the wedges, the intermediate actuators transmit a primary portion of the force (i.e., more than 50% of the force) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a secondary portion of the force (i.e., less than 50% of the force) in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis in response to (i.e., in line with) the movement of the wedges. The inclination angle is an optional feature that ensures that in the locked position, the locking pawls engage with the grooved surfaces while simultaneously providing a transverse (i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis) force, thereby creating a pretensioning force in the connection between the base structure and the anchoring interface. Furthermore, the transverse force serves to connect the locking ribs of the locking pawls with the grooved surfaces. This last mentioned effect is particularly important if the locking ribs are configured with a tooth pattern, and even more so if the tooth pattern has an inclination angle opposite to the direction of connection of the base structure and the mooring interface along the longitudinal axis. The inclination angle may be between 5 and 25°, preferably between 10 and 20°, more preferably between 15 and 18°. In another embodiment, the intermediate actuator may be arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0025] The protruding inclined extension surface of the intermediate actuator may be disposed on the at least one intermediate elastic element. Optionally, the intermediate actuator may further comprise a push element, which is connected to an end of the at least one intermediate elastic element such that the protruding inclined extension surface of the intermediate actuator is disposed on the push element. In a preferred embodiment, the push element may be configured to have a larger cross-sectional area than the at least one intermediate elastic element. The cavity of each locking pawl, in which the intermediate actuator is housed, comprises a side wall surrounding the cavity. Preferably, at least a portion of the side wall may be configured to provide a sliding contact with the push element and to remain clear of the intermediate elastic element. This may be achieved by providing a straight wall dimension to receive the wide cross-section of the push element. This forms a space between the intermediate elastic element and the portion of the side wall configured to provide a sliding contact with the push element, thus significantly reducing friction between the side wall of the cavity and the intermediate elastic element.

[0026] To ensure alignment, the wedges may be disposed around or around (e.g., all around) an optional actuator ring that is lowered and raised by, for example, the hydraulic or pneumatic pistons, which may have a first end connected to an optional collet disposed on top of the base structure and a second end connected to the actuator ring. In some embodiments, in a coupling operation, the actuator ring may be lowered by the hydraulic or pneumatic pistons, and each of the wedges may push a corresponding one of the locking pawls into the locked position by interacting with an intermediate actuator of the locking assembly that includes one or more intermediate elastic elements, such as rubber mounts.

[0027] In the locked position, each of the pawls is configured to press against the grooved surface of the anchoring interface and is locked in place by alignment with the groove in the ring cavity. The intermediate elastic element is located behind each of the locking pawls and is used to ensure that the pawls press against the groove with a known force resulting from the known stiffness of the intermediate elastic element which remains preloaded when coupling is performed. This makes the locking force of the device almost independent of the presence of manufacturing tolerances or wear, which could otherwise cause very large and difficult to predict variations in the force applied by the individual pawls.

[0028] The uncoupling operation is exactly the same as the coupling operation but in reverse. In the uncoupling operation, the hydraulic or pneumatic piston is actuated to raise the actuator ring, causing the wedge to retract the locking claws and releasing the preload of the intermediate elastic element, which moves the locking claws to the release position and withdraws them from the grooved surface of the mooring interface. Then, the base structure of the quick connector can be removed from the mooring interface attached to the mooring system, thereby uncoupling the offshore floating structure from the existing mooring system.

[0029] In an alternative embodiment, the wedge may be constructed and arranged such that when the actuator ring is raised, the wedge pushes the locking pawl into the locked position and when the actuator ring is lowered, the wedge retracts the locking pawl into the released position.

[0030] In a further alternative embodiment, the locking pawls may be guided relative to the base structure to slide perpendicularly (or at least partially perpendicularly or generally perpendicularly) to the longitudinal axis, with intermediate resilient elements being interposed between each of the locking pawls and the base structure. In this embodiment, the intermediate resilient elements are fluid-dynamically extendable and retractable, and the fluid-dynamic device comprises a source of pressurized fluid, a valve arrangement and a fluid conduit. Each of the intermediate resilient elements has an internal cavity which is in fluid communication with the source of pressurized fluid via the fluid conduit and the valve arrangement.

[0031] With this configuration, when the fluid-dynamic device injects pressurized fluid into the internal cavity of the intermediate resilient element, the intermediate resilient element expands, moving the corresponding locking pawl outwardly to the locked position, and conversely, when the fluid-dynamic device withdraws pressurized fluid from the internal cavity of the intermediate resilient element, the intermediate resilient element retracts, thus moving the corresponding locking pawl inwardly to the released position.

[0032] Another alternative embodiment is also envisaged where the base structure of the quick connector may be moulded as the outer female member and the tethering interface is moulded as the inner male member, such that the base structure is configured to receive the tethering interface therein and to geometrically match the tethering interface, which may typically be conical, spherical or a combination thereof.

[0033] A preferred embodiment of the quick connector is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a quick connector for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of a quick connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the quick connector taken along a vertical mid-plane, showing the locking pawls of the hydrodynamically actuated locking mechanism in the released position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the quick connector in a vertical mid-plane with the locking pawls in the locked position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the quick connector, showing how the locking pawls are arranged all around the periphery. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a quick connector for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system with a yaw system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a wedge of a hydrodynamically actuated locking mechanism, according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a locking assembly including a locking pawl and a middle actuator. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a wedge interacting with a locking assembly. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a vertical mid-plane cross-sectional view of a locking assembly compatible with the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, said locking assembly including a locking pawl and an intermediate actuator with an intermediate resilient element. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view in a vertical central plane of a locking assembly according to another embodiment, compatible with the solution shown in FIG. 8, said locking assembly including a locking pawl and an intermediate actuator with a push element and an intermediate elastic element. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a locking assembly according to yet another embodiment, the locking assembly including a locking pawl, an inner support, and an intermediate actuator with an intermediate resilient element. [Figure 13] 13 is a vertical mid-plane cross-sectional view of the locking assembly of FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a vertical mid-plane cross-sectional view of a hydrodynamically actuated locking mechanism and locking assembly according to a further embodiment, the locking assembly including a locking pawl and an intermediate elastic element that can be extended and retracted, the locking pawl being shown in a released position. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 14, but with the locking pawl shown in the locked position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] Referring first to FIG. 1, reference number 5 designates a quick connector for connecting an offshore floating structure 31 to an existing mooring system 32 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the offshore floating structure 31 is configured as a weather vaning structure with an upper body 2 supporting a floating offshore wind turbine 33 and partially submerged relative to the mean water level 35, and the existing mooring system 32 is configured as a tension leg platform with a submersible floating lower body 3 tethered to the seabed 34 by a number of mooring lines 4. However, it should be noted that these particular configurations for the floating structure 31 and the existing mooring system 32 are merely exemplary and not limiting, as other configurations for the floating structure 31 and the existing mooring system 32 may also be compatible with the quick connectors 5 of FIG.

[0037] 2-6, the quick connector 5 comprises a base structure 6 configured to be connected to the upper body 2 of the offshore floating structure 31. In an embodiment compatible with the embodiment of FIG. 2, the base structure may be connected (preferably rotatably connected) by a yaw member 37 and a mooring interface 13 attached to the lower body 3 of the existing mooring system. The quick connector 5 further comprises a locking mechanism, which is operable to connect and disconnect the base structure 6 to the mooring interface 13, thereby enabling the offshore floating structure 31 to be quickly connected and disconnected to the existing mooring system 32. For example, the locking mechanism is hydraulically or pneumatically operated.

[0038] The base structure 6 is designed as an inner male member having a longitudinal axis 50 aligned with the axis around which the offshore floating structure 31 can be weathervaned, and the mooring interface 13 is configured as an outer female member configured to snugly receive therein the base structure 6. However, in some embodiments of the invention, this solution can be adapted for use with a base structure 6 configured as an outer female member configured to snugly receive a mooring interface 13 configured as an inner male member.

[0039] As shown more clearly in Figure 6, the base structure 6 is connected to an optional yaw member 37, which is rotatably connected to a through passage 42 in the upper body 2 of the offshore floating structure by a bearing 23 coaxial with a longitudinal axis 50. The yaw member 37, base structure 6 and mooring interface 13 have hollow interiors, and the lower body 3 of the existing mooring system has a through passage 43 aligned with the longitudinal direction 50. Electrical conductor wires 44 (shown in Figure 1) that conduct power generated by the floating offshore wind turbine 33 are installed through the passage 43 in the lower body 3 and the hollow interiors of the yaw member 37, base structure 6 and mooring interface 13.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an optional collet 7 is disposed on top of the base structure 6 and connected thereto by a screw 45. The yaw member 37 has a cylindrical portion disposed coaxially inside the cylindrical portion of the base structure 6, and elastic connecting elements 14, 15 are disposed between the yaw member 37 and the base structure 6 and between the yaw member 37 and the collet 7. The elastic connecting elements 14, 15 include an upper elastic connecting element 14 and a lower elastic connecting element 15. The upper elastic connecting element 14 is located between the upper outer conical surface 24 of the yaw member 37 and the upper inner conical surface 25 of the collet 7. The lower elastic connecting element 15 is located between the lower outer conical surface 26 of the yaw member 37 and the lower inner conical surface 27 of the base structure 6. The upper exterior and interior conical surfaces 24, 25 and the lower exterior and interior conical surfaces 26, 27 are coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis 50 of the base structure 6 and have opposite cone or sphere angles.

[0041] Alternatively, instead of the upper outer and inner conical surfaces 24, 25 and the lower outer and inner conical surfaces 26, 27, upper outer and inner spherical surfaces and lower outer and inner spherical surfaces may be provided.

[0042] The locking mechanism comprises a number of locking assemblies 36 movably mounted on the base structure 6, arranged radially and distributed around the longitudinal axis 50. Each locking assembly 36 is guided to slide vertically to the longitudinal axis 50 (although in some alternative embodiments the sliding may be at least partially vertical) and includes a locking pawl 10 having a number of outwardly facing locking ribs 10a, preferably configured as horizontal locking ribs 10a. The mooring interface 13 has a ring-shaped portion sized to receive therein the area of ​​the base structure 6 in which the locking assembly 36 is mounted, and a grooved surface 16 having a circumferential groove is formed on the inner surface of said ring-shaped portion of the mooring interface 13.

[0043] The base structure 6 and the mooring interface 13 are configured such that, when connected together, the locking assembly 36 is disposed at a set height where the locking rib 10a of the locking claw 10 faces the groove around the entire periphery of the grooved surface 16 formed in the mooring interface 13.

[0044] The locking mechanism further comprises a plurality of wedges 18 attached to an actuator ring 9 disposed about the base structure 6 and guided to move parallel (or at least partially parallel) to the longitudinal axis 50, and a plurality of hydraulic pistons 8 mounted on the base structure 6 and operatively connected to lower and raise the actuator ring 9 together with the wedges 18 attached thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, each hydraulic piston 8 has a first end 8a connected to the collet 7 and a second end 8b connected to the actuator ring 9.

[0045] Alternatively, the first end 8a of each wedge 18 may be connected to any other element of the base structure 6 and / or the second end 8b of each wedge 18 may be connected directly to one of the wedges 18, and the actuator ring 9 may be omitted.

[0046] In any event, the hydraulic piston 8 is operatively connected to lower and raise the wedges 18, each having a wedge surface 38, 39 configured and arranged to interact with the inclined surfaces 17, 21, 22, 28, 30, 48 of one of the locking assemblies 36 to move the locking pawls 10 included in the locking assembly 36 outwardly and inwardly between a released position (shown in FIG. 3) in which the locking pawls 10 are withdrawn from the grooved surface 16 of the mooring interface 13, and a locked position (shown in FIG. 4) in which the locking pawls 10 engage the grooved surface 16 of the mooring interface 13.

[0047] An intermediate actuator comprising an intermediate resilient element 11 is interposed between each wedge 18 and the locking pawl 10 of the corresponding locking assembly 36. The intermediate resilient element 11 can be selected to have a given stiffness suitable to ensure that the locking pawl 10 is pressed against the grooved surface 16 with a known force.

[0048] 7 shows an isometric view of one of the wedge 18 according to embodiments of the present invention for clarity of illustration. The wedge 18 has an outwardly facing extending wedge surface 38 and an inwardly facing retracting wedge surface 39. The extending wedge surface 38 and the retracting wedge surface 39 are parallel to one another. An optional lug 41 is provided on the top of the wedge 18 for connection to the second end 8b of a corresponding hydraulic piston 8, and a vertical guide surface 40 is formed on the inside of the wedge 18.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows a wedge configured as a part with a wedge body and a base plate. The base plate is configured to laterally protrude from the wedge body to form two lateral wings. The extending wedge surface 38 and the receding wedge surface 39 are formed on the base plate, preferably parallel to each other (i.e., they are an integral part with the base plate). In a preferred embodiment, the wedge is configured as a monoblock part with both the wedge body and the base plate. The base plate in FIG. 7 is illustrated as having two lateral wings, and therefore the wedge body is disposed centrally with respect to these two wings. However, according to other embodiments, the base plate may have a single lateral wing, and therefore the wedge body may be disposed laterally with respect to said single lateral wing.

[0050] 8 and 10 show one of the locking assemblies 36, which comprises a locking pawl 10 and a middle actuator with a middle elastic element 11. In this particular configuration, the middle actuator in fact comprises only one middle elastic element 11 (although the middle actuator may comprise one or more middle elastic elements 11), and therefore the middle actuator is configured as the middle elastic element 11. The locking assembly 36 comprises a locking pawl 10 with a horizontal locking rib 10a on its outer side, extending ramps 17, 48, and a receding ramp 28 near the inner side. The extending ramps 17, 48 and the receding ramps are configured to form a ramp passage near the inner side. This ramp passage is configured to receive the extending wedge surface 38 and the receding wedge surface 39 of the wedge 18, preferably when these surfaces 38, 39 are formed on one base plate. The ramp passage can be configured as a slot. The locking pawl 10 is formed with a cavity that opens outwardly of the inclined passage, and the receding inclined surface 28 is formed inside said inclined passage. The cavity is formed in the locking pawl 10 such that it is accessible from the inclined passage. The inclined passage opens inwardly at the front side of the cavity to allow the movement of the wedge body when the base plate of the wedge slides in the inclined passage. The intermediate actuator with the intermediate elastic element 11 has an extension inclined surface 17 that is housed in the cavity and protrudes into the inclined passage. It should therefore be noted that at least one of the extension inclined surfaces 17 can be configured as an extension inclined surface (or a protruding extension inclined surface 17) formed in the intermediate actuator. In particular, the protruding extension wedge surface 17 can be configured to protrude into the inclined passage, so that when a wedge 18 is inserted into the inclined passage, the extension wedge surface 38 of this wedge 18 contacts the protruding extension inclined surface 7.

[0051] The extending ramp 17 and the receding ramp 28 are preferably parallel to each other and to the extending wedge surface 38 and the receding wedge surface 39 of the wedge 18. Additionally, the locking assembly 36 is shown as including an optional extending ramp 48 (also called a secondary extending ramp) configured to contact the extending wedge surface 38 when the intermediate elastic element 11 is subjected to a predetermined compression force by the extending wedge surface 38 interacting with the protruding extending ramp 17, preferably located on the locking pawl 10. The secondary extending ramp 48 may be configured as a surface disposed to at least partially surround the protruding extending ramp 17. In some embodiments, the predetermined compression force may be selected to be greater than the range of operating compression forces of the quick connector under standard operating conditions. Thus, in such cases, the locking assembly 36 can be configured such that contact between the secondary ramp 48 and the tension wedge surface 38 can only occur when abnormal compressive forces are generated (e.g., due to non-standard operation such as in a failure situation) or when the intermediate actuator (e.g., the intermediate resilient element 11) has deteriorated. In these cases, contact between the tension wedge surface 38 and the secondary ramp 48 reduces stress concentrations by providing force distribution over a larger surface area.

[0052] It should be noted that the receding ramp 28 shown in Figure 8 can be interpreted as consisting of two surfaces disposed in one and the same plane, one on each side of the ramp 28. Such duality may also be applicable to the receding wedge surface 39 shown in Figure 7, where said surface can be interpreted as consisting of two independent surfaces. Thus, in an alternative embodiment, the wedge 18 may comprise one or more extending wedge surfaces 38 and one or more receding ramps 39, and the locking assembly 36 may comprise one or more extending ramps 17, 21, 22, 48 and one or more receding ramps 28, 30.

[0053] Figure 9 shows a wedge 18 inserted into a locking assembly 36 compatible with any of the embodiments shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, and 11. Figure 9 shows the wedge 18 inserted into the angled passage of the locking pawl 10. An extending wedge surface 38 of the wedge 18 is constructed and arranged to interact with one or more of the extending angled surfaces 17, 21, 48, and a retracting wedge surface 39 of the wedge 18 is constructed and arranged to interact with the retracting angled surface 28 of the locking pawl 10.

[0054] The inclined surfaces 17, 21, 28 and the wedge surfaces 38, 39 are configured such that when the wedge 18 is driven by the hydraulic piston 8 to perform a vertical movement in the extension direction (downward movement in this embodiment), the wedge 18 moves the intermediate resilient element 11 and the locking pawl 10 outward as a unit to the locked position, and when the wedge 18 is driven by the hydraulic piston 8 to perform a vertical movement in the retraction direction (upward movement in this embodiment), the wedge 18 moves the intermediate resilient element 11 and the locking pawl 10 outward as a unit to the locked position.

[0055] Fig. 11 shows a locking assembly 36 according to another embodiment, which differs from the one described above with reference to Figs. 8 and 10 only in that the intermediate actuator further comprises a push element 20, which is connected to the intermediate elastic element 11 at its inner side, and thus a protruding extended inclined surface 21 is included in the push element 11. Thus, the push element 20 has an extended inclined surface 21 that protrudes into the inclined passage of the locking pawl 10. In this embodiment, the wedge 18 interacts with the locking assembly 36 as described above with reference to Fig. 9, but unlike Fig. 9, the extended wedge surface 38 of the wedge 18 is now constructed and arranged to interact with the extended inclined surface 21 of the push element 20.

[0056] The embodiment of Fig. 11 further shows that the push element 20 is configured to have a larger cross-sectional area than the intermediate elastic element 11 such that the push element 20 is configured to encase the first end of the intermediate elastic element 11, and the cavity of each locking pawl 10 in which the intermediate actuator is stored comprises a side wall, at least a part of said side wall being configured to provide sliding contact with the push element 20 but not with the at least one intermediate elastic element 11 (i.e. said part of said wall is spaced apart from the elastic element 11). This is an optional feature of this embodiment. This creates a space between the intermediate elastic element and said part of the side wall configured to provide sliding contact with the push element, thus significantly reducing friction between the side wall of the cavity and the intermediate elastic element. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the intermediate elastic element 11 is configured with optional lateral ribs which provide additional structural rigidity to the intermediate elastic element, thereby ensuring stable linear compression of the intermediate elastic element 11, even in areas of the element that are spaced away from the side walls of the cavity, so that there is no lateral contact during compression of the intermediate elastic element 11.

[0057] 10 and 11 show the intermediate actuators disposed at an inclination angle relative to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 50, the inclination angle being configured such that when the intermediate actuators receive a compressive force from each wedge 18, the intermediate actuators transmit a primary portion of the force (i.e., more than 50% of the force) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 50 and a secondary portion of the force (i.e., less than 50% of the force) in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 50 in response to (i.e., in line with) the movement of the wedges 18. The inclination angle is an optional feature that ensures that in the locked position the locking pawls 10 engage with the respective grooved surfaces 16 while providing a transverse (i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis 50) force that provides a pretensioning force to the connection between the base structure 6 and the mooring interface, while helping to connect the locking ribs 10a of the locking pawls 10 with the grooved surfaces 16. This last mentioned effect is particularly important if the locking ribs 10a are configured with a toothed pattern, and even more so if said toothed pattern has a slope opposite to the direction of connection between the base structure 6 and the mooring interface 13 along the longitudinal axis 50. In other embodiments, the intermediate actuators may be arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0058] It should be noted that the embodiment of Figure 8 also represents the configuration shown in Figure 11 if reference numeral 17 is replaced by reference numeral 21 and reference numeral 11 is replaced by reference numeral 20. Thus, the protruding extension ramp 17 of Figure 8 can also be interpreted as representing the protruding extension ramp 21 of Figure 11, while the intermediate elastic element 11 shown in Figure 8 can also be interpreted as representing the push element 20 of Figure 11 (the intermediate elastic element is not visible in this figure as it is behind the push element 20).

[0059] 12 and 13 show yet another embodiment of a locking assembly 36 with a locking pawl 10, an intermediate actuator with an intermediate elastic element 11, and an inner support 12, the locking pawl 10 being coupled to the inner support 12 at its inner side, and the intermediate actuator with an intermediate elastic element 11 being interposed between the locking pawl 10 and the inner support 12. In this embodiment, at least one extending ramp 22 and at least one receding ramp 30 are disposed on the inner support and form a ramp passage near its inner side. The ramp passage opens inwardly with respect to the base structure 6 (similarly to that disclosed for the embodiment of FIG. 8) and defines the extending ramp 22 and the receding ramp 30.

[0060] The locking assembly 36 of Figures 12 and 13 is configured to interact with the wedge 18 of Figure 7. The extending ramp 22 and retracting ramp 30 are parallel to each other and to the extending wedge surface 38 and retracting wedge surface 39 of the wedge 18. The extending wedge surface 38 of the wedge 18 is configured and arranged to interact with the extending ramp 22 of the inner support 12 to cause outward movement of the locking assembly 36 to the locked position, and the retracting wedge surface 39 of the wedge 18 is configured and arranged to interact with the retracting ramp 30 of the inner support to cause inward movement of the locking assembly 36 to the released position.

[0061] 14 and 15 show a hydrodynamically actuated locking mechanism and a locking assembly 36 according to yet another embodiment. Each locking assembly 36 is guided relative to the base structure 6 so as to slide perpendicularly or at least partially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 50 and in this embodiment comprises a locking claw 10 and an intermediate elastic element 11 interposed between each locking claw 10 and the base structure 6. Each intermediate elastic element 11 can be hydrodynamically extended and retracted by the actuation of a hydrodynamic device.

[0062] More specifically, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the intermediate resilient element 11 has an internal cavity 19, and the hydrodynamic device comprises a pressurized fluid source 29, a valve arrangement 47 and a fluid conduit 46. The internal cavity 19 of the intermediate resilient element 11 is in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid source 29 through the fluid conduit 46 and the valve arrangement 47.

[0063] In the situation shown in FIG. 14, the valve arrangement 47 is set to allow pressurized fluid to be vented from the internal cavity 19 of the intermediate resilient element 11 through the fluid conduit 46 (as indicated by the arrow), which causes the intermediate resilient element 11 to retract the locking pawls 10 and pull them inwardly to the released position.

[0064] In the situation shown in FIG. 15, the valve arrangement 47 is set to allow pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source 29 to be injected through the fluid conduit 46 (as shown by the arrow) into the internal cavity 19 of the intermediate resilient element 11, which causes the intermediate resilient element 11 to extend the locking pawls 10 and push them outwardly to the locked position.

[0065] In summary, in one embodiment of the present invention shown in figures 2-13, a quick connector 5 for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system comprises a base structure 6, preferably configured as a cone holding a locking assembly 36 arranged all around, and a cylinder configured to maintain the locking mechanism at a set height. A collet 7 is preferably placed on top of the cylinder of the base structure 6 and is attached to a hydraulic piston 8 of a hydrodynamic device that connects the collet 7 to an actuator ring 9 located outside the cylinder of the base structure 6. An elastic connecting element 14 serves as an intermediate element between the inner wall of the cylinder of the base structure 6 and the collet 7, and a yaw member 37 designed to be inserted into the base structure 6 of the quick connector. The main purpose of the elastic connecting element 14 is to allow a limited relative movement and rotation between the yaw member 37 and the mooring interface 13, resisting all other load components. It is also present to improve the self-alignment of the structure and to protect it from shocks that may occur during the installation process.

[0066] The locking assemblies 36 are mounted in the cone of the base structure 6 and each consist of a number of parts, which in one embodiment are the locking claws 10 and the intermediate elastic element 11, in another embodiment are the locking claws 10, the intermediate elastic element 11 and the push element 20, and in yet another embodiment are the locking claws 10, the intermediate elastic element 11 and the inner support 12. As explained with reference to Figures 8 to 13, the two or three parts are geometrically interlocked so that they are always held firmly together.

[0067] The actuator ring 9 has a set of wedges 18, each passing through a socket designed to match its shape into the corresponding intermediate elastic element 11 or inner support 12. The released state of the quick connector described with reference to Figure 3 shows how only part of the wedges 18 of the actuator ring 9 are inserted into the inner support 12 to keep the locking pawls retracted.

[0068] Once the base structure 6 of the quick connector 5 has been guided into the receiving part of the mooring interface 13, the longitudinal axis 50 of the base structure 6 being aligned with the vertical axis of the mooring interface 13 and the base structure 6 being located at a set height within the mooring interface 13, the piston 8 is actuated until the actuator ring 9 is lowered, whereby the wedge 18 attached to the actuator ring 9 is fully inserted into the locking pawl 10 or into the inner support 12 coupled to the locking pawl 10, depending on the embodiment. The wedge 18 is then pressed down against the intermediate elastic element 11 or against a push element connected to the intermediate elastic element 11, depending on the embodiment, whereby the locking pawl 10 is driven out of the base structure 6 away from the longitudinal axis 50 to the locked position. This causes the locking claws 10 to press against the inner grooved surface 16 of the mooring interface 13 as described above with reference to Figure 4, thereby coupling the male portion of the base structure 6 to the female portion of the mooring interface 13, thereby connecting the upper body 2 of the offshore floating structure to the lower body 3 of the existing mooring system.

[0069] It is worth noting that in the embodiment shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, only two hydraulic pistons 8 are strictly necessary to actuate the locking mechanism of the quick connector 5. Thus, if more than two pistons are included, this is firstly to provide a more evenly distributed force within the collet 7 and within the actuator ring 9, and secondly as a redundancy measure - for example if the system has four or more pistons in two independent hydraulic systems, if one of the hydraulic systems fails, there is still another hydraulic system that is fully operational to provide an even load on the collet and actuator ring 9.

[0070] The different stages of connection methods or operations for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system using the quick connector according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1 to 23 are as follows: Stage 1 - Guiding the base structure 6 of the quick connector into the receiving part of the mooring interface 13. Stage 2 - The base structure 6 is perfectly aligned with the mooring interface 13 and positioned at a set height, but the locking claws 10 are in the released position so the base structure 6 and the mooring interface 13 are not locked together. Stage 3 - By actuating the hydraulic piston 8 of the quick connector 5, the locking claws 10 in the base structure 6 are moved to the locked position and pressed against the grooved surface 16 of the mooring interface 13, thereby fixing the base structure 6 connected to the upper body 2 of the offshore floating structure to the mooring interface 13 attached to the lower body 3 of the existing mooring system.

[0071] The decoupling method or operation for decoupling an offshore floating structure from an existing mooring system using the quick connector of the present invention involves performing the above-mentioned stages in reverse order.

[0072] In another embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 14 and 15, a quick connector 5 for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system comprises a locking assembly 36 guided relative to a base structure 6 to slide perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis 50, each locking assembly 36 comprising said locking claw 10 and a hydrodynamically extendable and retractable intermediate elastic element 11 interposed between said locking claw 10 and said base structure 6. The hydrodynamic device is configured to inject pressurized fluid into the internal cavity 19 of each intermediate elastic element 11 to extend it and move the corresponding locking claw 10 outward to the locked position, or to withdraw pressurized fluid from the internal cavity 19 of each intermediate elastic element 11 to retract it and move the corresponding locking claw 10 inward to the released position.

[0073] The method or stages of operation for coupling and decoupling using the quick connector according to the embodiment shown in Figures 14 and 15 are identical to the embodiment described above, but instead of operating a hydraulic piston 8 to move the actuator ring 9 and wedge 18 up and down, a hydrodynamic device is operated to extend and retract the intermediate elastic element 11, thereby moving the locking claws 10 outward and inward between the locked and released positions.

Claims

1. A quick connector (5) for connecting an offshore floating structure (31) to an existing mooring system (32) in line with a longitudinal axis (50), comprising: The quick connector (5) is A base structure (6) configured to be connected to the upper body (2) of the offshore floating structure (31); a mooring interface (13) configured to be attached to a lower body (3) of the existing mooring system (32); and a hydrodynamically actuated locking mechanism for coupling and decoupling the base structure (6) to the mooring interface (13); The locking mechanism includes: a grooved surface (16) formed on said mooring interface (13); A locking claw (10) movably mounted on the base structure (6); and the quick connector (5), characterized in that it comprises a hydrodynamic device associated with the base structure (6) and operatively connected to move the locking claws (10) between a released position, in which the locking claws (10) are withdrawn from the grooved surface (16) of the mooring interface (13), and a locked position, in which the locking claws (10) engage with the grooved surface (16) of the mooring interface (13).

2. the locking claws (10) are radially arranged and distributed around the longitudinal axis (50) and face the grooved surface (16), the mooring interface (13) has a ring-shaped portion sized to coaxially connect an area of ​​the base structure (6) where the locking claws (10) are installed, the grooved surface (16) being formed on a surface of the ring-shaped portion of the mooring interface (13) facing the locking claws (10); 2. The quick connector (5) according to claim 1, preferably wherein the locking claws (10) are configured outwardly towards the grooved surface (16), the grooved surface (16) being formed on the inside of the ring-shaped portion of the mooring interface (16) or wherein the locking claws (10) are configured inwardly towards the grooved surface (16), the grooved surface (16) being formed on the outside of the ring-shaped portion of the mooring interface (13).

3. Each of the locking pawls (10) comprises a plurality of locking ribs (10a) configured to engage the grooved surface (16); Preferably, said locking ribs (10a) are configured to define a tooth-shaped pattern; More preferably, the tooth pattern is configured with a slope such that the tooth pattern is inclined in a direction opposite to a direction of connection between the base structure (6) and the mooring interface (13) along the longitudinal axis (50).

4. Each of the locking pawls (10) is included in a locking assembly (36) and is guided to slide at least partially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (50); The quick connector (5) further comprises a wedge (18) configured to be mounted on the base structure (6) for movement at least partially parallel to the longitudinal axis (50); the hydrodynamic device is operatively connected to lower and raise the wedge (18); Each of the wedges (18) comprises at least one extending wedge surface (38) and at least one receding wedge surface (39); Each of said locking assemblies (36) comprises at least one extending ramp (17, 21, 22, 48) and at least one receding ramp (28, 30); 4. The quick connector (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one extending wedge surface (38) is configured and arranged to interact with the at least one extending ramp (17, 21, 22, 48) of the locking assembly (36) and the at least one receding wedge surface (39) is configured and arranged to interact with the at least one receding ramp (28, 30) of the locking assembly (36), thereby moving the locking pawls (10) outwardly and inwardly.

5. Each wedge (18) is constructed as a part having a wedge body and a base plate; the base plate protruding laterally from the wedge body to form one or two lateral wings, the extending wedge surface (38) and the receding wedge surface (39) being configured as opposing faces of the base plate, 5. The quick connector (5) according to claim 4, wherein preferably the extending ramp surfaces (17, 21, 22, 48) and the receding ramp surfaces (28, 30) of each of the locking assemblies (36) are configured to form an inclined passage configured to receive the base plate of each of the wedges (18).

6. Each of said locking assemblies (36) further comprises an intermediate actuator comprising one or more intermediate resilient elements (11); Each of the intermediate actuators is disposed between a respective one of the wedges (18) and a respective one of the locking pawls (10) of the corresponding one of the locking assemblies (36); 6. The quick connector (5) according to claim 4 or 5, preferably configured such that when the base plate of each of the wedges (18) slides within the inclined passage of each of the locking assemblies (36), the intermediate actuator is subjected to a compressive force which causes the intermediate actuator to push the locking pawls (10) thereby engaging the locking pawls (10) with the grooved surface (16) of the mooring interface (13) in the locked position.

7. Each of the intermediate actuators is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (50) or at an inclination angle relative to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (50); The quick connector (5) according to claim 6, wherein the inclination angle is preferably between 5 and 25°, more preferably between 10 and 20°, and even more preferably between 15 and 18°.

8. Each of the intermediate actuators comprising the at least one intermediate elastic element (11) is at least partially housed within a cavity of the corresponding locking pawl (10); one of the at least one extending ramp (17, 21, 22) of the locking assembly is configured as a protruding extending ramp (17, 21), the protruding extending ramp (17, 21) being an integral part of the intermediate actuator and configured to protrude from the cavity and contact the at least one extending wedge surface (38) of the wedge; said at least one tension wedge surface (38) is configured to interact with said protruding tension ramp surface (17, 21) of said intermediate actuator, thereby causing a movement of said at least one intermediate elastic element (11) with said locking pawl (10) to said locked position as a result of a movement of said wedge (18) in the tension direction, 8. The quick connector (5) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the at least one retracting wedge surface (39) is configured to interact with the at least one retracting ramp surface (28) of the locking assembly (36) to cause movement of the locking pawl (10) together with the at least one intermediate resilient element (11) to the released position as a result of movement of the wedge (18) in a retracting direction.

9. said at least one tension ramp (17, 21, 22, 48) comprises a secondary tension ramp (48) configured such that said at least one tension wedge surface (38) interacts with said protruding tension ramp (17, 21) such that said secondary tension ramp (48) comes into contact with said at least one tension wedge surface (38) when said at least one intermediate elastic element (11) is subjected to a predetermined compression force; The quick connector (5) according to claim 8, wherein said secondary extension ramp (48) is preferably located on said locking pawl (10).

10. said protruding extending inclined surface (17) being an integral part of said intermediate elastic element (11), or Each of the intermediate actuators further comprises a push element (20), the push element (20) being connected to the at least one intermediate elastic element (11) such that the protruding extending ramp surface (21) is part of the push element (11); Preferably, said push element (20) has a larger cross-sectional area than said at least one intermediate elastic element (11) such that said push element (20) is configured to encase a first end of said at least one intermediate elastic element (11); The cavity of each locking pawl (10) in which the intermediate actuator is at least partially housed comprises a side wall; 10. The quick connector (5) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least a part of the side wall is configured to provide sliding contact with the push element (20) but remain spaced apart from the at least one intermediate resilient element (11).

11. Each of the locking assemblies (36) further comprises an inner support (12) coupled to each of the locking pawls (10); the at least one extending ramp (22) and the at least one receding ramp (30) are disposed on the inner support (12); the intermediate actuator comprising the at least one intermediate elastic element (11) is arranged as a coupling element between each of the locking pawls (10) and the corresponding inner support (12); the at least one expanding wedge surface (38) is configured to interact with the at least one expanding ramp (22) of the inner support (12) to cause a movement of the inner support (12) together with the at least one intermediate elastic element (11) and the locking pawl (10) to the locked position as a result of a movement of the wedge (18) in the expanding direction, 8. The quick connector (5) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the at least one retracting wedge surface (39) is configured to interact with the at least one retracting ramp surface (30) of the inner support (12) to cause movement of the inner support (12) together with the at least one intermediate resilient element (11) and the locking pawl (10) to the released position as a result of movement of the wedge (18) in a retracting direction.

12. The quick connector (5) according to any one of claims 4 to 11, wherein the wedge (18) is attached to an actuator ring (9) arranged around the base structure (6) and guided to move parallel to the longitudinal axis (50), and the hydrodynamic device is arranged to move the actuator ring (9).

13. said hydrodynamic device being a hydrodynamically actuated piston (8); The quick connector (5) further comprises a collet (7) disposed and attached to the upper portion of the base structure (6); 13. The quick connector (5) according to claim 12, wherein each of the hydrodynamically actuated pistons (8) has a first end (8a) connected to the collet (7) and a second end (8b) connected to the actuator ring (9).

14. Each of said locking pawls (10) is contained within a locking assembly (36) that is guided relative to said base structure (6) so as to slide at least partially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (50); The quick connector (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one intermediate elastic element (11) is interposed between each of the locking claws (10) and the base structure (6), and each of the intermediate elastic elements (11) is hydrodynamically extendable and retractable by operation of the hydrodynamic device in order to move the corresponding locking claw (10) between the release position and the lock position.

15. Each of said intermediate elastic elements (11) comprises an internal cavity (19), The hydrodynamic device comprises a source of pressurized fluid (29), a valve arrangement (47) and a fluid conduit (46); 14. The quick connector (5) of claim 13, wherein the internal cavity (19) of the intermediate resilient element (11) is in fluid communication with the source of pressurized fluid (29) through the fluid conduit (46) and the valve device (47).

16. The quick connector (5) is configured to allow the offshore floating structure to be weathervaned about the longitudinal axis (50); Preferably, the quick connector (5) further comprises a yaw member (37), The quick connector according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the base structure (6) is connected to the yaw member (37), which is rotatably connected to the upper body (2) of the offshore floating structure by a bearing (23) coaxial with the longitudinal axis (50), thereby enabling the offshore floating structure to be weathervaned around the longitudinal axis (50).

17. Further comprising a collet (7) disposed and attached to the upper portion of the base structure (6), The yaw member (37) has a cylindrical portion disposed coaxially inside the cylindrical portion of the base structure (6), 17. The quick connector according to claim 16, wherein elastic connecting elements (14, 15) are arranged between the yaw member (37) and the base structure (6) and / or between the yaw member (37) and the collet (7).

18. The elastic connecting elements (14, 15) include an upper elastic connecting element (14) and a lower elastic connecting element (15), the upper elastic connecting element (14) is located between an upper outer conical or spherical surface (24) of the yaw member (37) and an upper inner conical or spherical surface (25) of the collet (7); the lower elastic connecting element (15) being located between a lower outer conical or spherical surface (26) of the yaw member (37) and a lower inner conical or spherical surface (27) of the base structure (6); 18. The quick connector of claim 17, wherein the upper outer and inner conical or spherical surfaces (24, 25) and the lower outer and inner conical or spherical surfaces (26, 27) are coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis (50) and have opposite conical or spherical angles.

19. A method for connecting an offshore floating structure to an existing mooring system using the quick connector according to any one of claims 1 to 18, comprising the steps of: a step of guiding a base structure (6) connected to an upper body (2) of the offshore floating structure into a mooring interface (13) attached to a lower body (3) of the existing mooring system, the locking claws (10) of the base structure (6) being kept in a released position; perfectly aligning the longitudinal axis (50) of the base structure (6) with the mooring interface (13) and positioning the base structure (6) at a set height with the locking claws (10) facing the grooved surface (16) of the mooring interface (13), while the locking claws (10) are still kept in the released position; and the method comprising the step of moving the locking claws (10) to the locked position by activating a hydrodynamic device until the locking claws (10) engage with the grooved surface (16) of the mooring interface (13) and secure the base structure (6) to the mooring interface (13), thereby connecting the upper body (2) of the offshore floating structure to the lower body (3) of the existing mooring system.

Images