Cargo ship hatch cover

Abstract

The present invention provides a hatch cover that facilitates the loading of heavy machinery and containers, and prevents problems such as over-compression of the packing. [Solution] The wind and rain sealing mechanism 20 is composed of a packing 21 attached to the end of one cover panel P1 and a pressing member 23 attached to the end of the other cover panel P2 in a pair of adjacent cover panels P1 and P2; the clamp mechanism 10 is composed of a clamping protrusion 11 attached to the end of one cover panel P1 and a clamping recess 12 attached to the end of the other cover panel P2; the first pivot 41 attached to the end of one cover panel P1 and a first support base 46 attached to the end of the other cover panel P2; the second pivot 42 attached to the end of one cover panel P1 and a second support base 47 attached to the end of the other cover panel P2. The second pivot 42 and the second support base 47 prevent over-compression of the packing 21.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hatch cover of a cargo ship. More specifically, it relates to a hatch cover that opens and closes the upper surface of a hatch coaming in a cargo hold of a cargo ship.

Background Art

[0002] A cargo ship is provided with a cargo hold for loading cargo and a hatch cover for closing or opening the upper opening of the cargo hold. The hatch cover is placed on the hatch coaming rising from the opening of the cargo hold and is mostly composed of a plurality of panels.

[0003] There are several types of hatch covers, one of which is the single-pull type (Patent Document 1). This single-pull type hatch cover folds a plurality of panels and stores them near one end of the hatch coaming, and horizontally expands the plurality of panels to close the hatch coaming. In addition to the role of opening and closing the opening of the cargo hold, the hatch cover also has the role of loading loads such as heavy machinery and containers on its upper surface. Also, it must have a weathertight function to prevent rainwater and seawater from entering the cargo hold.

[0004] By the way, Patent Document 2 discloses an example of a single-pull type hatch cover. In this prior art, as shown in FIG. 8, two cover panels 101, 101 are adjacent to each other, and a packing 105 and a pressing member (107) are provided between the tail part (101b) of one cover panel and the front part (101a) of the other cover panel. Also, a locking fitting (103) is provided on the lower surface of the end of the leading cover panel, and a locking fitting receiver (104) is provided on the lower end of the end of the trailing hatch cover panel.

[0005] As shown in Figure 8(a), when one of the adjacent hatch cover panels is bent in a mountain-like incline, the locking mechanism (103) disengages, and as shown in Figure 8(b), when they are on nearly the same horizontal plane, it engages with the locking mechanism receiver (104). The locking mechanism 103 and the locking mechanism receiver 104 have engaging protrusions formed on their inclined surfaces to facilitate engagement with each other. Therefore, by engaging or disengaging the locking mechanism 103 with the locking mechanism receiver 104, the adjacent cover panels 101, 101 can be fixed in a closed state or folded for storage.

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 2 has the following problems. (1) When heavy machinery or containers are mounted on the top surface of the hatch cover, if a large load is applied to the side closer to the packing 105, the packing 105 will be overcompressed. (2) Since the locking hardware 103 and 104 are attached to the underside of the panel, installation and position adjustment require extra effort, such as turning the hatch cover 101 upside down. (3) When loading cargo such as containers into the cargo hold, if there is a protrusion at the bottom of the panel, it may interfere with the cargo such as containers. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 8-510427 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-53397 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a hatch cover that facilitates the loading of heavy machinery, containers, etc., and prevents problems such as overcompression of the packing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The hatch cover of the first invention is a hatch cover that connects a plurality of cover panels in a foldable manner, and by unfolding the plurality of cover panels it can close the hatch coaming provided on the upper part of the cargo hold, and by folding the plurality of cover panels it can be stored at one end of the hatch coaming, and comprises a wind and rain sealing mechanism that prevents rainwater from entering the cargo hold, which consists of a packing attached to the end of one of a pair of adjacent cover panels and a pressing member attached to the end of the other cover panel, and a clamp protrusion attached to the end of one of the cover panels, and The cover panel comprises a clamp mechanism for preventing deformation in the width direction of the cover panel, which consists of a clamp recess attached to the end of the other cover panel; a mountain-fold pivot mechanism consisting of a first pivot attached to the end of one cover panel and a first support attached to the end of the other cover panel; and a valley-fold pivot mechanism consisting of a second pivot attached to the end of one cover panel and a second support attached to the end of the other cover panel, wherein the valley-fold pivot mechanism is positioned to prevent overcompression of the wind and rain sealing mechanism when the pair of cover panels are folded in a valley. The hatch cover of the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the second support base in the valley-fold pivot mechanism is provided above the position where the packing is provided. The hatch cover of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the first support base in the mountain-fold pivot mechanism is provided at a position where the horizontal distance from the clamp mechanism is greater than the horizontal distance from the clamp mechanism in the second support base. The hatch cover of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the clamping protrusion in the clamping mechanism inserts into and removes from the clamping recess by swinging motion around the first pivot. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the first invention, when the hatch is closed, the wind and rain sealing mechanism prevents rainwater from entering the cargo hold, and the clamping mechanism prevents the cover panel from bending in the width direction. When the hatch is retracted, the mountain-fold pivot mechanism is used to fold an adjacent pair of cover panels into a mountain fold, and the valley-fold pivot mechanism is used to fold another adjacent pair of cover panels into a valley fold, so that all cover panels can be folded. Furthermore, when opening and closing the hatch cover, the valley-fold pivot mechanism supports the cover panel so that excessive compression does not occur in the watertight means, thereby preventing deterioration and damage to the packing. According to the second invention, the second support base in the valley-fold pivot mechanism is provided at a position above the packing, so that over-compression of the packing can be reliably prevented. According to the third invention, since the first support base is located at a greater horizontal distance from the clamping mechanism than the second support base, when folding a pair of cover panels in a mountain fold around the first pivot on the first support base, the second pivot moves to float away from the second support base, thus not hindering the folding operation of the cover panels. According to the fourth invention, when folding adjacent cover panels in a mountain fold, the clamping protrusion of the clamping mechanism is inserted into and removed from the clamping recess. At this time, the clamping protrusion swings around the first pivot, allowing for smooth insertion and removal of the clamping protrusion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram of the basic structure of the hatch cover in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the clamp mechanism and wind and rain sealing mechanism provided at the ends of the two cover panels shown. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram of the bending pivot mechanism 40, where (A) is a side view, (B) is a cross-sectional view along line B, and (C) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line C. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the mountain fold and valley fold states of the hatch cover shown. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram of the closed state of the two cover panels P1 and P2. [Figure 6]It is a detailed explanatory view of the mountain-folded state between two cover panels P1 and P2. [Figure 7] It is a detailed explanatory view of the valley-folded state between two cover panels P1 and P2. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory view of the prior art.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Based on FIG. 1, the basic structure of the hatch cover H will be described. In the following description, the right side in the figure (the direction where the storage position is located) is described as the front of the hatch cover H, and the left side in the figure is described as the rear. One or more cargo holds are provided in the cargo ship, and the upper part of the cargo hold is open. A hatch coaming C rising along the opening is provided from the upper surface of the upper deck D. And, the upper surface of the hatch coaming C is open, and a hatch cover H is provided to close or open it. The hatch cover H can close the cargo hold when deployed on the upper surface of the hatch coaming C as shown by the solid line, and is configured to open the opening of the cargo hold when folded toward one end side of the hatch coaming C as shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0013] The illustrated hatch cover H is formed by connecting a plurality of cover panels P, and the plurality of cover panels P can be horizontally deployed on the hatch coaming C or, conversely, folded and stored in a standing state. When storing, the plurality of cover panels P are folded, so this type of hatch cover H is called a single-pull type. The hatch cover H shown in FIG. 1 shows four cover panels P1 to P4, but a normal hatch cover H is composed of several to several tens of cover panels. Note that the symbol P indicating the cover panel is not a specific cover panel but is used when indicating cover panels in general. When differentiating specific cover panels, the symbols P1, P2, P3, and P4 are used.

[0014] When each cover panel P of the hatch cover H is placed on the upper surface of the hatch coaming C to close the hold, support plates (not shown) attached to each of the cover panels P are grounded on the upper surface of the hatch coaming C to firmly support the hatch cover H. In this state, loads such as heavy equipment and containers can be placed on the upper surface of the hatch cover H. Among the cover panels P1 to P4 shown in FIG. 1, if the cover panel P1 closest to the storage position is taken as the front panel, the hatch cover H can be moved backward and deployed or moved forward and stored by driving an endless chain attached to the rearmost cover panel (not shown) in the forward or reverse direction by a motor or the like.

[0015] Travel rollers 1 are attached to the front ends of each of the cover panels P1 to P4 and travel on the upper end surface of the hatch coaming C during the deployment / retraction operation. Also, guide rollers 2 are attached near the central portions of each of the cover panels P1 to P4 and travel on a storage rail 3 leading to the storage space hs during the storage operation. Between each of the cover panels P, a pushing / pulling means (not shown) is provided during the deployment / retraction operation. This pushing / pulling means only needs to be able to transmit the movement of one cover panel P to the adjacent cover panel P, and any means such as a link can be used.

[0016] A kicker 4 is provided at a position immediately before the storage space hs in the hatch coaming C. As shown in FIG. 4, the kicker 4 is a trapezoidal member in side view and consists of a horizontal rail portion 4a in the central part and inclined rail portions 4b and 4c continuous at both ends thereof. When the travel roller 1 rides on this kicker 4, it induces the mountain fold of the adjacent cover panel (P1 and P2 in FIG. 1).

[0017] Based on FIG. 2, the clamp mechanism 10 and the weathertight mechanism 20 will be described. The clamping mechanism 10 consists of a clamping protrusion 11 and a clamping recess 12, which are provided between adjacent cover panels P1 and P2. The clamping protrusion 11 is attached to the upper portion of the end of one cover panel P1, and the clamping recess 12 is attached to the upper portion of the end of the other cover panel P2. This clamping mechanism 10 can also be provided between the ends of all adjacent cover panels P, P, but the clamping mechanism 10 shown in the figure will be used as a representative example for the following explanation.

[0018] The clamp protrusion fitting 11 is a trapezoidal fitting when viewed from the side. Its upper surface 11a is curved in an arc shape. The clamp recessed fitting 12 is a fitting that is concave in a side view. Its upper inner surface 12a is curved in an arc shape. The radii of curvature R of the upper surface 11a of the clamp convex fitting 11 and the upper inner surface 12a of the clamp concave fitting 12 are substantially the same as the distance from the upper surface 11a and the upper inner surface 12a to the center of the first pivot 41, which will be described later, but the radii of curvature of the upper inner surface 12a is slightly larger. A small gap is formed between the lower surface 11b of the clamp convex fitting 11 and the lower surface 12b of the clamp concave fitting 12.

[0019] Any number of the clamping mechanisms 10 described above can be provided along the width direction (depth direction in the drawing) of the cover panels P1 and P2. The role of the clamping mechanisms 10 is to prevent the cover panel P from deflecting in the width direction when a downward load is applied to it. Therefore, the number of clamping mechanisms 10 to be installed can be calculated based on the weight of the cover panel P itself and the load to be mounted.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the weatherproofing mechanism 20 consists of a packing 21 and a pressing member 23. This weatherproofing mechanism 20 is provided at the ends of all adjacent cover panels P, P, but the weatherproofing mechanism 20 shown in the figure will be described as representative. The packing 21 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and is housed in a packing box 22 formed in the lower part of the end of the cover panel P1. The packing 21 and the packing box 22 extend in the width direction (depth direction in the drawing) of the cover panel P1. The pressing member 23 is a rod-shaped member that compresses the packing 21 and is fixed to the upper surface of a mounting plate 24 formed on the lower part of the end of an adjacent cover panel P2. The pressing member 23 extends in the width direction (depth direction in the drawing) of the cover panel P2.

[0021] When the cargo hold is closed, that is, when the adjacent cover panels P1 and P2 shown in Figure 2 are connected in a horizontal position, the clamping protrusion 11 and clamping recess 12 of the clamping mechanism 10 are fitted together. In this fitted state, the upper surface 11a of the clamping protrusion 11 is in contact with the upper inner surface 12a of the clamping recess 12. A small gap exists between the lower surface of the clamping protrusion 11 and the lower surface of the clamping recess 12.

[0022] In the state shown in Figure 2 above, the packing 21 is pressed against the pressing member 23, enabling it to perform its wind and rain sealing function. In other words, in this state, it is possible to prevent rainwater from the outside or seawater from large waves from entering the ship's hold.

[0023] The bending support structure 40 will be explained based on Figure 3. Note that in Figure 3, the running roller 1 is shown by a dashed line in Figure (B), but it is omitted in Figure (A) to avoid complicating the diagram. The bending support structure 40 consists of a first pivot 41, a second pivot 42, and a pivot support base 45. The pivot support base 45 is a molded product made of a thick metal plate and includes a first support base 46 and a second support base 47. The bending support structure 40 described below is provided at the ends of all adjacent cover panels P, P, but the bending support structure 40 shown in the figure will be described as representative.

[0024] The first pivot 41 and the second pivot 42 are solid or hollow cylindrical members. The first pivot 41 and the second pivot 42 are fixed to the lower side plate at the end of the cover panel P1. The pivot support base 45 is fixed to the lower side plate at the end of the cover panel P2. In the pivot support base 45, the first support base 46 is positioned lower and closer to the front (right side in the figure) relative to the second support base 47. The second support base 47 is positioned higher and closer to the rear (left side in the figure) relative to the first support base 46. This bending support structure 40 is provided at the ends between adjacent cover panels P, P, on both sides in the width direction of each panel.

[0025] The above-described folding pivot structure 40 can be functionally divided into a mountain-fold pivot mechanism and a valley-fold pivot mechanism. The mountain-fold pivot mechanism consists of a first pivot 41 and a first support base 46, while the valley-fold pivot mechanism consists of a second pivot and a second support base 47. Both the first pivot 41 and the second pivot 42 have a wide cylindrical shape, and the first support base 46 and the second support base 47 are also wide support members, so even when subjected to a large load, the surface pressure is low, and problems such as deformation are less likely to occur.

[0026] In the valley-fold pivot mechanism, the second support base 47 is positioned above the location where the packing 21 is installed. This allows the second pivot 42 and the second support base 47 to maintain the appropriate pressing force of the pressing member 23 against the packing 21. In other words, over-compression of the packing 21 can be prevented.

[0027] In Figure 5, the horizontal distance from the clamping mechanism 10 to the first support base 46 is defined as L1, and the horizontal distance to the second support base 47 is defined as L2. In the mountain-fold pivot mechanism, the first support base 46 is positioned such that the horizontal distance L1 from the clamping mechanism 10 is greater than the horizontal distance L2 from the clamping mechanism 10 of the second support base 47. Since the first support base 46 is located at a greater horizontal distance from the clamping mechanism 10 relative to the second support base 47, when folding the pair of cover panels P1 and P2 in a mountain fold (see Figure 6), the first pivot 41 on the first support base 46 causes the cover panel P1 to tilt around it, lifting the second pivot 42 on the second support base 47, thus not hindering the mountain fold operation.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the clamping protrusion 11 in the clamping mechanism 10 inserts into and removes from the clamping recess 12 by swinging around the first pivot 41. When folding adjacent cover panels P1 and P2 in a mountain fold, it is necessary to insert and remove the clamp protrusion 11 of the clamp mechanism 10 from the clamp recess 12. At this time, the first pivot 41 pivots, allowing for smooth insertion and removal of the clamp protrusion 11.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, when adjacent cover panels P1 and P2 are in a closed state, the first pivot 41 is supported by the first support base 46, and the second pivot 42 is supported by the second support base 47. In this state, the pressing force of the pressing member 23 against the packing 21 is maintained at an appropriate value, so that the packing 21 is not overcompressed and deterioration and damage to the packing 21 can be prevented.

[0030] Figure 4 is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 1, showing the mountain-fold state of cover panels P1 and P2 and the valley-fold state of cover panels P2 and P3. Furthermore, Figure 6 shows a magnified view of portion VI of Figure 4, and Figure 7 shows a magnified view of portion VII of Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the mountain fold of the cover panels P1 and P2 is caused by the running roller 1 attached to the front end of the cover panel P2 riding up onto the kicker 4 on the hatch coaming C.

[0031] In the initial stages of this mountain-fold state, as shown in Figure 6, the first pivot 41, which rests on the first support base 46 of the pivot support base 45, becomes the center of rotation, causing the upper ends of the cover panel P1 and the cover panel P2 to separate, and thus the clamp convex fitting 11 to separate from the clamp concave fitting 12. This separation occurs smoothly because, as previously described based on Figure 2, the radius of curvature R of the upper surface of the clamp convex fitting 11 and the upper inner surface of the clamp concave fitting 12 are substantially the same as the distance to the center of the first pivot 41. From this state, when cover panels P1 and P2 are moved to the storage space shown in Figure 1, the two cover panels P1 and P2 are completely folded in half.

[0032] Then, as shown in Figure 4, when cover panels P1 and P2 are in the initial mountain fold state, a valley fold occurs between cover panels P2 and P3. As shown in Figures 4 and 7, in this bent state, rotation occurs with the second pivot 42 on the second support base 47 as the center of rotation. However, this rotation occurs within a small angular range, and the clamp convex fitting 11 is deeply fitted into the clamp concave fitting 12 in the clamp mechanism 10. However, since there is a slight gap between the clamp convex fitting 11 and the clamp concave fitting 12, the fitting does not cause damage.

[0033] In this valley-fold state, the second pivot 42 is supported by the second support base 47 of the pivot support base 45. In this state, the pressing force of the pressing member 23 against the packing 21 is maintained at an appropriate value, so that the packing 21 is not overcompressed and deterioration and damage to the packing 21 can be prevented.

[0034] The hatch cover H of this embodiment offers the following advantages. (1) Even when heavy machinery or containers are loaded onto the upper surface of the hatch cover H, the load is supported by the second pivot 42 and the second support base 47, which can reduce surface pressure, so that the pressing member 23 does not bite excessively into the packing 21. Therefore, the wind and rain sealing mechanism 20 will not be damaged. (2) The clamping mechanism 10 is provided between the ends of adjacent cover panels P, P. Therefore, installation and position adjustment can be performed from above even when the cover panels P, P are in the correct position. In addition, after the ship is put into service, inspection, adjustment, and grease application can be easily performed by reaching in from above. (3) The clamping mechanism 10 and the bending pivot structure 40 do not protrude below the cover panel P, so they do not interfere with cargo such as containers when loading them into the cargo hold. Therefore, bulky cargo can be loaded into the cargo hold both vertically and horizontally. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Traveling roller 10. Clamping mechanism 11 Clamp protruding fitting 12 Clamp recess fitting 20 Weathertight mechanism 21 Packing 23 Pressing member 40. Folding pivot structure 41. First Pivot 42. Second Pivot 45 Pivot support base 46 First receiving platform 47 Second receiving platform

Claims

1. A hatch cover comprising multiple cover panels connected in a foldable manner, wherein the hatch coaming located at the top of the cargo hold can be closed by unfolding the multiple cover panels, and the hatch cover can be stored at one end of the hatch coaming by folding the multiple cover panels, A weatherproof mechanism for preventing rainwater from entering the ship's cargo hold, comprising a packing attached to the end of one cover panel in a pair of adjacent cover panels, and a pressing member attached to the end of the other cover panel, A clamping mechanism for preventing deformation of the cover panel in the width direction, comprising a clamping protrusion attached to the end of one of the cover panels and a clamping recess attached to the end of the other cover panel, A folding pivot mechanism comprising a first pivot attached to the end of one of the cover panels and a first support attached to the end of the other cover panel, It is equipped with a valley-fold pivot mechanism consisting of a second pivot attached to the end of one of the cover panels and a second support attached to the end of the other cover panel. The aforementioned valley-fold pivot mechanism is positioned to prevent over-compression of the wind and rain sealing mechanism when the pair of cover panels are folded in a valley-fold configuration. A hatch cover characterized by the following features.

2. The second support base in the aforementioned valley-folding pivot mechanism is provided above the position where the packing is installed. The hatch cover according to claim 1, characterized in that it is as described above.

3. In the aforementioned folding pivot mechanism, the first support base is positioned at a location where its horizontal distance from the clamping mechanism is greater than the horizontal distance from the clamping mechanism of the second support base. The hatch cover according to claim 1, characterized in that it is as described above.

4. In the clamping mechanism, the clamping protrusion inserts into and detaches from the clamping recess insert by swinging around the first pivot. The hatch cover according to claim 1, characterized in that it is as described above.

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