Floating structure

The floating structure addresses load concentration on connecting members by using complementary-shaped ends and connection state maintaining mechanisms to maintain stability and prevent breakage, enhancing structural integrity in wave conditions.

JP2025145135APending Publication Date: 2025-10-03SUMITOMO HEAVY IND MARINE & ENG
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024045162
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-21
Publication Date
2025-10-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional floating structures experience load concentration on connecting members like ropes, leading to potential breakage and difficulty in maintaining the connected state.

Method used

A floating structure design that connects floating bodies using complementary-shaped ends and incorporates connection state maintaining mechanisms, including motion suppression units and absorbing sections, to reduce load on connecting parts and prevent breakage.

Benefits of technology

The design effectively maintains the connected state by reducing load on connecting members, suppressing motion, and absorbing fluctuations, thereby preventing breakage and ensuring stability in various wave conditions.

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Abstract

To provide a floating structure capable of maintaining a connecting state.SOLUTION: A floating structure 100 is composed by connecting at least a floating body 1A and a floating body 1B. The floating body 1A and the floating body 1B are connected with connection parts 3A, 3B, 3C. In contrast to this, connecting state maintenance mechanisms 4A, 4B, 4C maintain the connecting state of the floating body 1A with the floating body 1B. Therefore, the floating structure 100 can favorably maintain the connecting state of the floating body 1A with the floating body 1B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a floating structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional floating structure is known to be formed by connecting a plurality of floating bodies. In such a floating structure, the floating bodies are connected by ropes or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2018-225135 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, between the floating bodies, the load is concentrated on the connecting members such as ropes, and if they break, it may become difficult to maintain the connected state.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide a floating structure that can maintain a connected state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The floating structure of the present invention is a floating structure constructed by connecting at least a first floating body and a second floating body, and is equipped with a connecting part that connects the first floating body and the second floating body, and a connection state maintaining mechanism that maintains the connection state between the first floating body and the second floating body.

[0007] The floating body structure according to the present invention is configured by connecting at least a first floating body and a second floating body. The first floating body and the second floating body are connected by a connecting portion. In contrast, the connection state maintaining mechanism maintains the connection state between the first floating body and the second floating body. Therefore, the floating body structure can maintain the connection state between the first floating body and the second floating body in a good condition.

[0008] The connecting portion may connect the forward end of the second floating body to the aft end of the first floating body, and the connection state maintaining mechanism may be configured by making the forward end and the aft end complementary in shape. In this case, since the forward end of the second floating body and the aft end of the first floating body have complementary shapes, if lateral displacement or twisting occurs between the first and second floating bodies, not only the connecting portion but also the connection state maintaining mechanism can withstand the load. Therefore, the connection state maintaining mechanism can maintain the connection state by reducing the load acting on the connecting portion and preventing breakage of ropes, chains, stays (metal pieces), etc.

[0009] The connecting part may connect the first floating body and the second floating body without using a string-like member. Because string-like members are easily broken, by connecting the first floating body and the second floating body without using a string-like member, breakage at the connecting part can be suppressed.

[0010] The first and second floating bodies may be connected to each other laterally, and the connection state maintaining mechanism may have a motion suppression unit that suppresses motion in at least one of the first and second floating bodies. In this case, the connection state maintaining mechanism suppresses motion of at least one of the first and second floating bodies, thereby reducing the load on the connecting part that occurs due to motion. Therefore, the connection state maintaining mechanism can maintain the connection state by suppressing breakage, etc.

[0011] The first and second floating bodies may be connected to each other in the lateral direction, and the connection state maintaining mechanism may have an absorbing section that absorbs fluctuations in the distance and height caused by the rocking of the first and second floating bodies. In this case, the connection state maintaining mechanism can prevent the connection state from being released due to fluctuations in the distance and height caused by the rocking of the first and second floating bodies, and can maintain the connection state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a floating structure that can maintain a connected state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a first mechanism of the floating body structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of connecting members of a connecting portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the structure in the vicinity of the connecting portion as viewed from the side. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the second mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a vibration suppression unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a third mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the third mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms "front" and "rear" refer to one end and the other end of the float in the longitudinal direction, the terms "left" and "right" refer to the lateral direction when the float is viewed from the rear to the front, and the terms "up" and "down" refer to the up-down direction of the float. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction may be referred to as the "front-to-rear direction D1," and the lateral direction may be referred to as the "lateral direction D2."

[0015] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a floating structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the floating structure 100 is configured by connecting a plurality of floating bodies 1. The floating structure 100 may have a plurality of floating bodies 1 connected to each other in the longitudinal direction D1. The floating structure 100 may also have a plurality of floating bodies 1 connected to each other in the lateral direction D2. The number of connected floating bodies 1 is not limited and may be two, three, or more. The floating body 1 is a member that floats on the water surface in the open ocean, coastal waters, bays, rivers, lakes, etc. Examples of the floating body 1 include a floating pier that is mainly installed at a predetermined location and a barge for transporting cargo. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a barge is used as the floating body 1. The floating structure 100 according to this embodiment can be well applied even in places with high waves, such as the open ocean.

[0016] [First mechanism] First, a first mechanism for maintaining the connected state of the floating body structure 100 in a state in which the floating bodies 1 are connected in the fore-and-aft direction D1 will be described. The first mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the example shown in Figure 1, the floating body structure 100 has two floating bodies 1 connected in the fore-and-aft direction D1. For ease of explanation, the front floating body 1 will be referred to as floating body 1A (first floating body), and the rear floating body 1 will be referred to as floating body 1B (second floating body).

[0017] The configuration of the floating body 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the floating body 1. The floating body 1 comprises a main body 2, a connecting portion 3A, and a connection state maintaining mechanism 4A. The main body 2 has a plate-like shape extending in the front-rear direction D1. The main body 2 has an upper surface 2a that extends in the front-rear direction D1 and the lateral direction D2.

[0018] The connecting section 3A is a mechanism for connecting the front float 1A and the rear float 1B. The float 1 has a front connecting section 6 and a rear connecting section 7 as connecting sections 3A. The front connecting section 6 is provided on the front side of the main body 2. The rear connecting section 7 is provided on the rear side of the main body 2. When connecting the front float 1A and the rear float 1B, the floats 2A and 2B are connected by the rear connecting section 7 provided on the rear end of the main body 2 of the float 1A and the front connecting section 6 provided on the front end of the main body 2 of the float 1B (see Figure 1). The front connecting section 6 has a bow ramp 8 that is bridged to the other front float 1. The bow ramp 8 is a flat member that serves as a vehicle passageway. When in use, the bow ramp 8 is provided so as to protrude forward from the front end 1a of the float 1. The bow ramp 8 is provided in a central position in the lateral direction D2. However, the bow ramp 8 can be folded and stored within the confines of the main body 2. The aft connecting part 7 has a stern ramp 9 that is connected to the bow ramp 8 spanning from the other floating body 1 aft. The stern ramp 9 is a flat member on whose upper surface the tip of the bow ramp 8 of the other floating body 1 is located. The stern ramp 9 is located at the center of the aft end 1b of the main body 2 in the lateral direction D2.

[0019] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the connecting portion 3A has a connecting member 10 that generates a connecting force so that the floats 1A and 1B do not separate in the fore-and-aft direction. The connecting member 10 is provided between the aft end 1b of the float 1A and the forward end 1a of the float 1B. In FIG. 3(a), a string-like member 11 such as a rope or wire is used as the connecting member 10. One end of the string-like member 11 is fixed to the mooring portion 12 of the float 1A, and the other end of the string-like member 11 is fixed to the mooring portion 12 of the float 1B. In this way, the string-like member 11 can prevent the floats 1A and 1B from separating in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0020] In FIG. 3(b), a pin 13 is used as the connecting member 10. An insertion portion 14 provided on the float 1A and an insertion portion 14 provided on the float 1B are overlapped, and the pin 13 is inserted into these insertion portions 14, 14. As a result, the pin 13 can prevent the float 1A and the float 1B from separating in the fore-and-aft direction. In FIG. 3(c), a suction cup 16 is used as the connecting member 10. Here, the suction cup 16 provided on the front end 1a of the float 1B is attached to the rear end 1b of the float 1A. As a result, the suction cup 16 can prevent the float 1A and the float 1B from separating in the fore-and-aft direction. In FIG. 3(d), a magnet 17 is used as the connecting member 10. A magnet 17 is provided on the rear end 1b of the float 1A, and a magnet 17 of the opposite polarity is provided on the front end 1a of the float 1B. The magnets 17, 17 are connected to each other. As a result, the magnets 17, 17 can prevent the floating bodies 1A and 1B from separating in the front-to-rear direction. By using the connecting member 10 shown in Figures 3(b), (c), and (d), the connecting member 10 can connect the floating bodies 1A and 1B without using the string-like member 11 (see Figure 3(a)).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 , the connection state maintaining mechanism 4A maintains the connection state between the front floating body 1A and the rear floating body 1B. The floating body 1 has a front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 and a rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 as the connection state maintaining mechanism 4A. The front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 is provided on the front side of the floating body 1. The rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 is provided on the rear side of the floating body 1. The connection state maintaining mechanism 4A is configured by making the front end 1a and the rear end 1b complementary in shape. The complementary shapes mean that the front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 can be fitted into the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21. In this embodiment, when viewed from above, the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 is curved so as to be recessed toward the front. On the other hand, the front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 is curved so as to protrude toward the front. The protruding shape of the front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 can be fitted into the recessed shape of the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21.

[0022] The front coupling state maintaining mechanism 20 protrudes upward from the upper surface 2a at a position near the front end 1a. When viewed from above, the front coupling state maintaining mechanism 20 has a curved portion 20a that curves rearward from the center in the lateral direction D2 toward the right and left. A downwardly recessed groove 22 is formed in the center of the front coupling state maintaining mechanism 20. The bow ramp 8 described above is provided at the bottom of the groove 22. The groove 22 is connected to the upper surface 2a rearward of the front coupling state maintaining mechanism 20. This allows the vehicle to pass over the bow ramp 8 and move up to the upper surface 2a of the main body 2.

[0023] The rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 protrudes upward from the upper surface 2a at a position near the rear end 1b. When viewed from above, the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 has a curved portion 21a that curves rearward from the center in the lateral direction D2 to the right and left. A downwardly recessed groove 23 is formed in the center of the front connection state maintaining mechanism 20. The aforementioned stern ramp 9 is provided at the bottom of the groove 23. The groove 23 communicates with the upper surface 2a forward of the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21. This allows the vehicle to pass the stern ramp 9 and move up to the upper surface 2a of the main body 2.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, when the floats 1A and 1B are connected, the curved portions 20a, 20a on both the left and right sides of the front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 and the curved portions 21a, 21a on both the left and right sides of the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 are arranged to face each other. At least one of the curved portions 20a, 20a and the curved portions 21a, 21a is provided with a cushioning material. Therefore, if the floats 1A and 1B attempt to shift in the lateral direction D2, the curved portions 20a and 21a come into contact with each other, thereby preventing the shift. Furthermore, if the floats 1A and 1B undergo a twisting movement, the curved portions 20a and 21a come into contact with each other, thereby preventing the twisting.

[0025] 4, the front connection state maintaining mechanism 20 and the rear connection state maintaining mechanism 21 rise to a position higher than the upper surface 2a of the main body 2. Therefore, even if the positions of the floats 1A and 1B in the height direction are significantly misaligned, the curved portions 20a and 21a can maintain a state in which they face each other. Note that these members may be rotatable in the vertical direction so that the connection between the bow ramp 8 and the stern ramp 9 can be maintained even if the positions of the floats 1A and 1B in the height direction are significantly misaligned.

[0026] [Second mechanism] Next, a second mechanism for maintaining the connection state of the floating body structure 100 in a state in which the floats 1 are connected in the lateral direction D2 will be described. The second mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 2, 5, and 6. In the example shown in Figure 5, the floating body structure 100 has two floats 1 connected in the lateral direction D2. For ease of explanation, the float 1 on the right side will be referred to as float 1A (first float), and the float 1 on the left side will be referred to as float 1B (second float). The left end of the main body 2 of float 1A and the right end of the main body 2 of float 1B are connected to each other by a connecting member 10 of the connecting portion 3B. Note that the connecting member 10 of the connecting portion 3B may be the one exemplified in Figure 3.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the float 1 has side hulls 30 extending downward from the left and right ends of the main body 2. Near the bottom ends of the side hulls 30 on both the left and right sides of the float 1, they extend below the water surface F and are positioned underwater. When wave force acts on the floats 1A and 1B, the floats 1A and 1B oscillate with the waves. As shown in FIG. 5(a), when the connecting portion 3B between the floats 1A and 1B rides on a wave crest, the connecting portion 3B is subjected to tensile stresses F1A and F1B from both the left and right sides. The tensile stress F1A is a right-side stress caused by the float 1A tending to move to the right due to the wave. The tensile stress F1B is a left-side stress caused by the float 1B tending to move to the left due to the wave. As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the connecting portion 3B between the floats 1A and 1B sinks in a wave trough, the connecting portion 3B is subjected to compressive stresses F2A and F2B from both the left and right sides. Compressive stress F2A is a stress on the left side caused by the floating body 1A tending to move to the left due to the waves. Compressive stress F2B is a stress on the right side caused by the floating body 1B tending to move to the right due to the waves. When compressive stresses F2A and F2B act, no load that could cause breakage acts on the connecting member 10. On the other hand, when tensile stresses F1A and F1B act, a load that could cause breakage acts on the connecting member 10. In the case of oblique waves, a phase difference occurs in the movement of the floating bodies 1A and 1B, and shear stress is also added, making the conditions for the connecting member 10 even more severe.

[0028] In contrast, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4B has a motion suppression unit 40 that suppresses motion of the floating bodies 1A, 1B. A mechanism such as that shown in FIG. 6 may be used as the motion suppression unit 40. The motion suppression unit 40 shown in FIG. 6 is a mechanism known as a side thruster. The motion suppression unit 40 has a cylindrical body 41 and a propeller 42 provided inside the cylindrical body 41. The cylindrical body 41 and the propeller 42 are arranged so that their central axes face horizontally. Therefore, when the propeller 42 rotates in the water, it is possible to generate thrust in any horizontal direction.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, in this embodiment, the vibration suppression section 40 is provided at the lower end of each side hull 30. There is no particular limit to the number of vibration suppression sections 40 provided on each side hull 30. In the example shown in Fig. 2, two vibration suppression sections 40 are provided in the front-to-rear direction on the side hull 30, but the number is not particularly limited.

[0030] The motion suppression unit 40 may generate thrust in a direction that suppresses the motion of the floats 1A and 1B. The motion suppression unit 40 generates a water current in the opposite direction to the direction in which the thrust is desired to be generated. Specifically, the motion suppression unit 40 generates thrust in a direction that compresses the floats 1A and 1B. Therefore, the motion suppression unit 40 of the float 1A generates a thrust T1A toward the float 1B, i.e., toward the left. The motion suppression unit 40 of the float 1B generates a thrust T1B toward the float 1A, i.e., toward the right. The motion suppression units 40 of the floats 1A and 1B always generate thrusts T1A and T1B that compress the floats 1A and 1B, regardless of wave conditions. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5(a), when the floating bodies 1A, 1B attempt to oscillate in the direction in which the tensile stresses F1A, F1B act, the oscillating suppression unit 40 suppresses the oscillating of the floating bodies 1A, 1B by generating thrust forces T1A, T1B in a direction that offsets the tensile stresses F1A, F1B.

[0031] [Third mechanism] Next, a third mechanism for maintaining the connected state of the floating structure 100 when the floats 1 are connected in the lateral direction D2 will be described. The third mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 2, 7, and 8. In the third mechanism, the floats 1A and 1B are aligned in the lateral direction D2, as in the second mechanism. As shown in Figure 7(a), the left end of the main body 2 of the float 1A and the right end of the main body 2 of the float 1B are connected to each other by a connecting member 10 of the connecting portion 3C. The connecting member 10 of the connecting portion 3C may be the one exemplified in Figure 3. The connecting portion 3C also includes a side lamp 50 and a movable deck 51.

[0032] The side lamp 50 is a flat member that spans from the floating body 1B toward the floating body 1A in the horizontal direction D2. The side lamp 50 extends from the right end of the main body 2 so as to protrude toward the right. The movable deck 51 is a flat member on whose upper surface the tip of the side lamp 50 extending from the floating body 1B is located. The movable deck 51 is located near the left end of the main body 2. As shown in Figure 7(b), the side lamp 50 and the movable deck 51 are located near the front end of the main body 2 (see also Figure 2).

[0033] In the third mechanism, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4C has absorbing parts 52, 53 that absorb fluctuations in the distance and height between the floating bodies 1A and 1B caused by the motion of the floating bodies 1A and 1B. The absorbing part 52 is provided on the side lamp 50. The absorbing part 53 is provided on the movable deck 51.

[0034] The side lamp 50 has multiple (here, two) plate portions 55 and a tip plate portion 56. Hinge portions 54 are provided at the base of the plate portions 55 and the main body 2, between the plate portions 55, and between the plate portions 55 and the tip plate portion 56. These mechanisms allow the plate portions 55, 56 of the side lamp 50 to assume an appropriate angle around the hinge portions 54. These mechanisms form the absorption portion 52 of the side lamp 50. The right end of the movable deck 51 is attached to the main body by a hinge portion 57. The movable deck 51 is reciprocated up and down by a drive portion 59 provided between the movable deck 51 and a lower support portion 58. The drive portion 59 may be formed, for example, by a hydraulic cylinder capable of hydraulic control or an electric drive mechanism. These mechanisms allow the movable deck 51 to rotate to an appropriate angle around the hinge portions 57. These mechanisms form the absorption portion 53 of the movable deck 51.

[0035] Next, the operation of the absorbing sections 52 and 53 of the connection state maintaining mechanism 4C will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8(a) shows the state when the connecting section 3C between the floating bodies 1A and 1B rides on a wave crest. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the left end of the floating body 1A tilts upward, and the right end of the floating body 1B tilts upward. The left end of the floating body 1A and the right end of the floating body 1B also move away from each other. In response to this, the left end of the movable deck 51 rotates upward, thereby maintaining the connection state with the tip plate 56 of the side lamp 50. Furthermore, the tip plate 56 of the side lamp 50 is adjusted to an angle that maintains the connection state with the movable deck 51 in accordance with the angle of the movable deck 51. FIG. 8(b) shows the state when the connecting section 3C between the floating bodies 1A and 1B sinks into the wave trough. As shown in FIG. 8(b), the left end of float 1A tilts downward, and the right end of float 1B tilts downward. Furthermore, the left end of float 1A and the right end of float 1B move closer to each other. In response to this, the movable deck 51 rotates so that the tip of the left side lowers, thereby maintaining its connected state with the tip plate portion 56 of the side lamp 50. Furthermore, the tip plate portion 56 of the side lamp 50 is adjusted to an angle that maintains its connected state with the movable deck 51, depending on the angle of the movable deck 51. The movement of the movable deck 51 by the drive unit 59 may repeatedly extend and retract in accordance with the wave period.

[0036] Next, the actions and effects of the floating structure 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0037] The floating structure 100 according to this embodiment is configured by connecting at least floating body 1A and floating body 1B. Floating body 1A and floating body 1B are connected by connecting parts 3A, 3B, and 3C. In contrast, connection state maintaining mechanisms 4A, 4B, and 4C maintain the connection state between floating body 1A and floating body 1B. Therefore, the floating structure 100 can maintain the connection state between floating body 1A and floating body 1B in a good condition.

[0038] In the first mechanism, the connecting part 3A connects the forward end 1a of the float 1B to the aft end 1b of the float 1A, and the connection state maintaining mechanism 4A may be configured by making the forward end 1a and the aft end 1b complementary in shape to each other. In this case, since the forward end 1a of the float 1B and the aft end 1b of the float 1A have complementary shapes to each other, if a shift or twist occurs in the lateral direction D2 between the floats 1A and 1B, not only the connecting part 3A but also the connection state maintaining mechanism 4A can bear the load. Therefore, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4A can maintain the connection state by reducing the load acting on the connecting part 3A and preventing breakage of the rope, chain, stay (metal piece), etc.

[0039] The connecting portion 3A may connect the floating body 1A and the floating body 1B without using the string-like member 11. Since the string-like member 11 is easily broken, by connecting the floating body 1A and the floating body 1B without using the string-like member 11, breakage of the connecting portion 3A can be suppressed.

[0040] In the second mechanism, the floating bodies 1A and 1B are connected to each other in the lateral direction D2, and the connection state maintaining mechanism 4B may have a motion suppression unit 40 that suppresses motion in at least one of the floating bodies 1A and 1B. In this case, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4B suppresses motion of at least one of the floating bodies 1A and 1B, thereby reducing the load on the connecting unit 3B that occurs due to motion. Therefore, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4B can maintain the connection state by suppressing breakage, etc.

[0041] In the third mechanism, the floats 1A and 1B are connected to each other in the lateral direction D2, and the connection state maintaining mechanism 4C may have absorbing sections 52, 53 that absorb fluctuations in the distance and height between the floats 1A and 1B caused by the motion of the floats 1A and 1B. In this case, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4C can prevent the end plate section 56 of the side lamp 50 from being disconnected from the movable deck 51 due to fluctuations in the distance and height caused by the motion of the floats 1A and 1B, thereby maintaining the connection state. For example, if the end plate section 56 lifts or tilts from the surface of the movable deck 51 due to motion, unevenness will occur on the running surface for the vehicle. In this case, interference may occur between the vehicle and the running surface. In response to this, the connection state maintaining mechanism 4C can maintain a running surface with reduced unevenness.

[0042] The present invention is suitable for supporting transportation to disaster areas in emergencies such as earthquakes, supporting evacuation from disaster areas, etc. It is also suitable for supporting the construction of emergency port facilities, etc.

[0043] For example, the floating structure may have at least one of the first mechanism, the second mechanism, and the third mechanism. The structure of the floating structure is not limited to that shown in Fig. 2 and may be changed as appropriate depending on the application, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1...floating body, 3A, 3B, 3C...connecting portion, 4A, 4B, 4C...connected state maintaining mechanism, 11...string-like member, 40...motion suppression portion, 52, 53...absorption portion, 100...floating body structure.

Claims

1. A floating structure configured by connecting at least a first floating body and a second floating body, a connecting portion that connects the first floating body and the second floating body; A floating body structure comprising: a connection state maintaining mechanism that maintains the connection state between the first floating body and the second floating body.

2. the connecting portion connects a front end portion of the second floating body and an aft end portion of the first floating body, The floating structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connection state maintaining mechanism is configured by making the front end portion and the rear end portion complementary in shape to each other.

3. The floating body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion connects the first floating body and the second floating body without using a string-like member.

4. The first floating body and the second floating body are connected to each other in the transverse direction, The floating body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connection state maintaining mechanism has a motion suppressing part that suppresses motion in at least one of the first floating body and the second floating body.

5. The first floating body and the second floating body are connected to each other in the transverse direction, The floating body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connection state maintaining mechanism has an absorbing section that absorbs fluctuations in the distance and height between the first floating body and the second floating body caused by the rocking of the first floating body and the second floating body.