Flap section of ramp for ship

Abstract

To provide detachable flap sections which can be replaced by easy methods when damaged or worn, regarding flaps for ship access ramps.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a flap section for ship access that includes a front-end region and a rear-end region, where the flap section is made of polymeric material and the flap section is adapted to be detachably attached to a flap. The flap section includes a fastening section including at least one transverse upper groove in an upper surface and at least one transverse lower groove in a lower surface. The present invention also relates to a flap and an end piece for a flap and a kit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to flaps for marine access ramps, and more particularly to removable flap portions that can be replaced in an easy manner when damaged or worn. [Background technology]

[0002] A ship that is adapted to carry any kind of vehicle is called a roll-on / roll-off (Ro-Ro) ship. A Ro-Ro ship is a vessel designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and rail cars, on or off the ship, either on their wheels or using platform vehicles, such as self-propelled modular carriers.

[0003] Ro-Ro ships are equipped with either built-in or shore-mounted ramps, which allow efficient loading and unloading of cargo when discharging cargo in port. Most of the larger ships have built-in ramps, which may also act as watertight doors and close off the interior of the ship. The ramps may be located at the stern, bow or sides, or may be located in multiple locations. There may also be various ramps installed inside the ship to allow vehicles to move between different levels of the ship.

[0004] There are different types of ramps, adapted to their use and their location on the ship. They can be controlled by hydraulic cylinders or wires. What is common to all ramps is that the end area of ​​the ramp, the part of the ramp that will come into contact with the supporting ground, is equipped with at least one hinged flap, and most commonly the ramps have several hinged flaps arranged side by side. The flaps are adapted to compensate for differences in ground height and unevenness. The width of the flap can be 1-3 meters, the flap width is usually around 2 meters. For flaps installed inside the ship, where the supporting surface is flat, the ramp can have a single flap that covers the entire width of the ramp. The width of such a flap can be up to 10 meters. The flap is made of steel and is relatively thin on the outer edge, allowing vehicles to drive over the edge without problems. The edge should therefore be less than 2 cm high, preferably less.

[0005] One problem with flaps is that they create noise when a vehicle drives over them. As the ground is not perfectly flat, the flap only comes up against the ground at a certain point. Thus, the flap tilts somewhat when a vehicle drives over it, creating noise. This can be problematic especially for ships landing in urban areas where noise levels may be regulated by law. A further problem with the noise created is the working environment for the ship's crew and vehicle drivers, especially those driving trailers on board.

[0006] A solution to the above problem is found in WO2019004921. In WO2019004921, the flap is provided with a removable flap portion, and the flap portion is flexible, so that the noise when the vehicle moves can be reduced or eliminated. However, one problem with the removable flap portion presented in WO2019004921 is that replacing worn or damaged flap portions is relatively complicated and time-consuming.

[0007] Thus, there is scope for improved removable flap designs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved removable flap portion for a flap included in a marine vessel access ramp. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flap included in a marine vessel access ramp. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an end piece for a flap included in a marine vessel access ramp. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The solution to the problem according to the invention is shown in the characterising portion of claim 1. Claim 12 comprises an advantageous end piece and claim 20 comprises an advantageous flap.

[0010] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flap portion for a flap included in a marine access ramp, the flap portion comprising a forward end region and an aft end region, the flap portion being made from a polymeric material and configured for removably attaching to the flap, the flap portion comprising a fastening portion at the forward end region, the fastening portion comprising at least one lateral upper groove on an upper surface and at least one lateral lower groove on a lower surface.

[0011] An advantage of the present invention is that the flap portion is easily removed and installed on the flap of the marine access ramp.

[0012] In various example embodiments of the present invention, the height of the rear end region is greater than the height of the front end region.

[0013] An advantage of these embodiments is that a vehicle can enter the vessel access ramp with minimal force. Another advantage of these embodiments is that they further reduce the noise of the flap section on the supporting ground as a vehicle enters said flap section.

[0014] In various embodiments of the invention, the upper groove is provided in an upper lateral recess of the fastening part and the lower groove is provided in a lower lateral recess of the fastening part.

[0015] An advantage of these embodiments is that the upper and / or lower surfaces of the flap portion may be configured to be flush with the upper and / or lower surfaces of the flap when attached thereto.

[0016] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the underside of the flap portion may be flat or may have any other shape that corresponds to the shape of the supporting ground.

[0017] An advantage of these embodiments is that the flap portion can have any suitable shape that corresponds to the supporting ground on which it is provided.

[0018] In various example embodiments of the present invention, the upper surface of the flap portion includes a plurality of protruding lateral ribs.

[0019] An advantage of these embodiments is that they may provide anti-skid functionality for vehicles entering and / or exiting the vessel.

[0020] In various embodiments of the invention, the flap portion is configured to be removably attached to the flap end piece.

[0021] An advantage of these embodiments is that the flap portions may be substituted when damaged, worn, and / or adapted to a particular supporting surface.

[0022] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the end piece is configured to be attached to the flap by at least one screw joint. The end piece may be made of a metallic material.

[0023] An advantage of these embodiments is that the end pieces are easily detachable from the flaps.

[0024] In various embodiments of the invention, the end pieces are welded to the flaps.

[0025] The advantage of these embodiments is that they provide a robust and quick installation.

[0026] In various embodiments of the invention, the fasteners of the flap portions are configured to be fastened between upper and lower flanges of the end pieces.

[0027] An advantage of these embodiments is that they provide easy installation.

[0028] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, at least one of the upper flange and / or the lower flange is configured to be removably attached to the end piece.

[0029] An advantage of these embodiments is that the flap portion can be easily replaced with another flap portion.

[0030] In another aspect of the invention, there is provided an end piece for a flap included in a marine access ramp, said end piece comprising an upper flange and a lower flange spaced a predetermined distance from each other, said upper flange comprising a lateral upper projection pointing towards said lower flange, and said lower flange comprising a lateral lower projection pointing towards said upper flange, at least one of said upper and / or lower flanges being removably attached to said end piece.

[0031] An advantage of these embodiments is that the end pieces for attaching the flap portions to the flaps in the ship access ramp can be provided when the flaps are manufactured, or alternatively, the end pieces can be retrofitted onto the inboard flaps used to provide the flap portions, which can reduce noise from vehicles entering and leaving the ship.

[0032] In various embodiments, the upper protrusion of the upper flange is configured to cooperate with the upper lateral groove of the flap portion, and the lower protrusion of the lower flange is configured to cooperate with the lower lateral groove of the flap portion.

[0033] An advantage of these embodiments is that they provide strong, easy and flexible attachment of the flap portions to the end pieces.

[0034] In various embodiments, the end piece is configured to be attached to the flap with at least one threaded joint, or alternatively, the end piece may be welded to the flap.

[0035] The advantage of these embodiments is that the end pieces can be made for different installation methods on the flap.

[0036] In various embodiments, the upper and / or lower flanges are attached to the base of the end piece using at least one threaded joint.

[0037] An advantage of these embodiments is that they provide multiple easy installations of the flap portions, which can be done in the event of damage to the flap portions, wear, or use of different designs where the flap portions can be adapted to different supporting grounds of different shapes.

[0038] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the upper flange has a slope angle relative to the lower flange of less than 10 degrees. The slope angle of the upper flange may be essentially the same as the slope angle of the upper surface of the flap portion relative to the lower surface of the flap portion.

[0039] An advantage of these embodiments is that they provide a smooth transition from flap portion to flap.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention provides a kit comprising a flap portion and an end piece configured for a flap configured in a marine access ramp. The kit may comprise one or more different types of end pieces to accommodate different types of flaps. The difference between the different end pieces may be the distance between the lower flange and the upper flange and / or the slope of the upper flange relative to the lower flange. The kit may comprise one or more flap portions adapted to be installed with the one or more end pieces. The kit may be sold in the form of one end piece with one flap portion, or multiple end pieces with multiple flap portions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 shows a side view of an end piece according to the present invention for a flap included in a marine access ramp. [Diagram 2] 1 shows a perspective view of an end piece according to the present invention for a flap included in a marine access ramp. [Diagram 3] 1 shows a side view of a flap portion according to the present invention, the flap being included in a marine access ramp. [Figure 4] 1 shows a side view of an end piece with a flap portion according to the present invention, where said end piece is attached to a flap of a marine access ramp; [Diagram 5] 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of a flap according to the invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] The embodiments of the invention with further developments described below are to be regarded merely as examples and do not limit the scope of protection provided by the claims.

[0043] 1 and 2 show a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of an end piece 100 according to the invention for a flap to be included in a marine access ramp. FIG. 3 shows a side view of a flap portion 200 according to the invention for a flap to be included in a marine access ramp. The flap portion 200 may be molded from a polymeric material such as a plastic material, but it is also possible to manufacture the flap portion 200 from rubber or to use a two-component manufacturing method with a stiffer inner material and a softer outer material. The flap portion 200 may be extruded. The desired length of the flap portion may be cut from the extrusion. The polymeric material is better suited to absorbing noise because it is softer / flexible than the metallic material of the rest of the flap. The flap portion 200 may be constructed of a single polymeric material throughout the flap portion. Alternatively, the flap portion may be made of at least two different types of polymeric materials in a sandwich structure. The sandwich structure may have two or more layers of material. The different layers may have different sound absorption properties, strength, and flexibility. The flap portion 200 has an upper surface 270 and a lower surface 280. The layers in the sandwich structure may be parallel to the upper surface 270 or the lower surface 280.

[0044] The upper surface 270 may be provided with a vehicle and / or pedestrian anti-skid pattern comprising laterally projecting ribs 275. Other anti-skid patterns such as chevron patterns or circular studs are also possible. The lower surface 280 may be essentially flat, but may also be provided with some type of surface pattern. To save weight, the lower surface 280 may be provided with voids. However, it is important that said voids do not reduce the stability of the flap portion 200.

[0045] The flap part 200 is further provided with a front end region 210 and a rear end region 220. The front end region 210 constitutes the outer part of the flap part 200 and is the region that a vehicle hits first when traveling on a ship. The height h of the front end region 210 is thus the lowest part of the flap part 200. The rear end region 220 is the end of the flap part 200 and is intended to be attached to a flap of a ramp in a ship. The height H of the rear end region 220 is therefore the highest part of the flap part 200. The rear end region 220 may be provided with a transverse upper recess 240 and a transverse lower recess 250, as shown in FIG. 3. A fastening portion 230 in the rear end region 220 of the flap part 200 is intended to cooperate with a fastening portion 150 in the end piece 100. The lateral upper recess 240 is adapted to cooperate with the upper flange 110 of the end piece 100, and the lateral lower recess 250 is adapted to cooperate with the lower flange 122 of the end piece 100. The upper groove 234 in the upper surface 232 of the fastener 230 is adapted to cooperate with the upper protrusion 112 in the upper flange 110 of said end piece 100. The lower groove 233 in the lower surface 231 of the fastener 230 is adapted to cooperate with the lower protrusion 142 in the lower flange 122 of said end piece 100. At least one of the upper flange 110 and / or the lower flange 122, respectively, is removable from said end piece 100. The fastener 230, when provided between said upper flange 110 and lower flange 122, provides a secure retention of the flap portion 200. A fastener can be attached between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 122 by moving one or both of the flanges 110, 122 to provide a rear face 237 of the fastener 230 toward the vertical base member 124 of the end piece 100. In Figure 4, the removable upper flange 110 is attached to the horizontal base member 126 of the end piece 100 by one or more threaded joints 132.

[0046] The length L of the flap portion 200 may vary and is adapted to the dimensions of the flap to which it is attached. A suitable length is 0.4 to 0.9 m. The angle between the upper surface 270 and the lower surface 280 may depend on the flap to which it is attached, but an angle of less than 10 degrees is suitable.

[0047] The end piece 100 can be welded onto a flap provided in the vessel access ramp. The end piece has a left side 190 and a right side 192. The lateral upper projection 112 on the upper flange 110 extends from one side to the other, i.e., from the left side 190 of the end piece 100 to the right side 192 of the end piece 100. The lateral lower projection 142 in the lower flange 122 also extends from one side to the other, i.e., from the left side 190 of the end piece 100 to the right side 192 of the end piece.

[0048] The end piece 100 and lower flange 122 are configured to be essentially parallel to the lower surface 280 of the flap portion 200. The upper flange 110 of the end piece 100 is configured to be essentially parallel to the upper surface 270 of the flap portion 200. In Figure 1, only the upper flange is removable from the end piece 100. However, the lower flange 122 may be removable in addition to or instead of the removable upper flange 110.

[0049] Figure 4 illustrates a side view of an end piece 100 with a flap portion 200 according to the present invention, attached to a flap 410 of a marine access ramp. The open end 412 of the horizontal base member 126 of the end piece 100 is welded to the flap. In Figure 4 the weld is shown at 412. This weld can preferably be welded from above, as there is limited space to weld from below. An opening 450 exists between the end piece 100 and the flap 410 to access the screw joint 132 from below.

[0050] 5 illustrates a top view of the flap part 200 according to the invention. An upper surface 270, with a laterally protruding rib 275 and an upper groove 234, is provided on the upper surface 232 of the fastening part 230. The laterally protruding grooves 233, 234 run from one side to the other, i.e. from the left side 260 to the right side 262 of said flap part. The laterally protruding rib 275 also runs from one side to the other, i.e. from the left side 260 to the right side 262 of the flap part 200. The width of the flap part 200 from the left side to the right side is indicated by W and the length of the flap part 200 is indicated by L.

[0051] The flap may have a single flap portion covering the full width of the flap, or multiple flap portions covering the full width of the flap.

[0052] The invention is not considered limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and numerous additional variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the following claims. The flap part can have any size and be made of any suitable material. Instead of a single protrusion on the upper and lower flanges adapted to cooperate with a corresponding groove on the flap part, there can be two or more alternative embodiments. The upper and / or lower flanges can be a single unit or several units. Several flaps can be installed with a gap between them.

Claims

1. a flap portion (200) for a flap provided on a vessel access ramp, comprising a forward end region (210) and an aft end region (220), said flap portion (200) being made of a polymeric material, said flap portion (200) being removably attached to the flap; The flap portion (200) comprises a fastening portion (230) in the rear end region (220), the fastening portion (230) comprising at least one lateral upper groove (234) on the upper surface (232) and at least one lateral lower groove (233) on the lower surface (231).

2. The flap portion (200) of claim 1, wherein the height of the trailing end region (220) is greater than the height of the leading end region (210).

3. 3. A flap portion (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper groove (234) is provided in a lateral upper recess (240) of the fastening portion (230), and the lower groove (233) is provided in a lateral lower recess (250) of the fastening portion (230).

4. The flap portion (200) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the underside (280) of the flap portion (200) is flat.

5. 3. The flap portion (200) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper surface (270) of the flap portion (200) comprises a plurality of protruding lateral ribs (275).

6. 3. The flap portion (200) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the flap portion (200) is configured to be removably attached to the flap end piece (100).

7. 7. The flap portion (200) of claim 6, wherein the fastening portion (230) of the flap portion (200) is configured to be fastened between an upper flange (110) and a lower flange (122) of the end piece (100).

8. An end piece (100) for a flap included in a vessel access ramp, said end piece (100) including an upper flange (110) and a lower flange (122) at a predetermined distance from each other, said upper flange (110) having a lateral upper projection (112) directed toward said lower flange (122), said lower flange (122) having a lateral lower projection (142) directed toward said upper flange (110); An end piece (100), characterized in that at least one of said upper flange (110) and / or lower flange (122) is removably attached to said end piece (100).

9. 9. The end piece (100) of claim 8, wherein the lateral upper protrusion (112) in the upper flange (110) is configured to cooperate with the lateral upper groove (234) in the flap portion (200), and the lateral lower protrusion (142) in the lower flange (122) is configured to cooperate with the lateral lower groove (233) in the flap portion (200).

10. 10. An end piece (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the end piece (100) is configured to be attached to a flap with at least one screw joint.

11. 10. The end piece (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the end piece (100) is made of a metallic material.

12. The end piece (100) of claim 11, wherein the end piece (100) is configured to be weldable to a flap.

13. 10. The end piece (100) of claim 8 or 9, wherein the upper flange (110) and / or the lower flange (122) are attached to the base (124, 126) of the end piece (100) by at least one threaded joint (132).

14. 10. An end piece (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the upper flange (110) is provided with an inclination angle relative to the lower flange (122) that is less than 10 degrees.

15. 15. The end piece (100) of claim 14, wherein the angle of inclination of the upper flange (110) is essentially the same as the angle of inclination of the upper surface (270) of the flap portion (200) relative to the lower surface (280) of the flap portion (200).

16. A flap included in a marine access ramp, comprising an end piece (100) according to claim 8 or 9.

17. A flap as described in claim 16, further comprising a flap portion (200) as described in claim 1.

18. A kit comprising a flap portion (200) according to claim 1 or 2 and an end piece (100) according to claim 8 or 9.

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