Raft installation structure and aquaculture equipment

Abstract

To provide a raft installation structure that enables aquaculture-related equipment used for cultivating fish and shellfish to be stably and permanently installed near a fish cage. [Solution] The raft installation structure 1 comprises a raft 2 having a float 2a that floats on the water surface and an aquaculture-related device 3 installed on the float 2a, and a raft installation structure 1 which, when viewed in a plane, separates an area where the raft 2 is to be installed from an area where a fish cage 13 is to be installed next to the raft 2 to form a section, and is equipped with side tension ropes 6 arranged approximately horizontally in the water, at least two connecting ropes 4 that connect the periphery of the raft 2 to the upper side tension ropes 6 and, when viewed in a plane, are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetrical with the raft 2 at the center of the section, and weights 5 attached to each connecting rope 4.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a raft installation structure that enables aquaculture-related equipment used in aquaculture of fish and shellfish to be stably and permanently installed near a fish cage, and to an aquaculture facility using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] When cultivating fish and shellfish using fish cages in the ocean, etc., it is necessary to feed the fish and shellfish periodically. This feeding work is usually carried out by workers who go to the site where the fish cages are installed by boat. Because the fish cages are installed in the ocean, depending on the weather and wave conditions, it may be difficult for workers to reach the installation site of the fish cages, and this situation may continue for several days, so feeding the fish and shellfish as originally planned is a particularly burdensome and dangerous task for the workers. Furthermore, if the fish and shellfish cannot be fed for a long time, in the worst case scenario, the fish and shellfish may die or their growth may be delayed, resulting in another problem of reduced productivity. In view of these circumstances, the applicant of the present invention has previously filed an application for a "bait releaser" as disclosed in Patent Document 1. When the "feed releaser" disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, it is possible to feed the fish and shellfish cultivated in the fish pens at any desired time. However, because this "feed releaser" is powered by electricity, when it is permanently installed in the ocean, it is necessary to devise a method of installation that prevents the raft carrying the equipment from capsizing or the equipment from becoming submerged. At present, no prior application has been found that has the same problem to be solved as the present invention. However, the following Patent Document 2 is known as a prior application having related technical content.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses an invention entitled "Open-ocean Aquaculture Plant," which relates to an aquaculture plant that can efficiently cultivate seafood using fish farm equipment that can be used even in the open ocean where there are strong waves and currents. The offshore aquaculture plant, which is an invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, comprises at least a platform having a deck portion and a pier portion located above sea level and on which loading equipment, feed storage and feeding equipment are arranged, and a plurality of cage devices arranged around the platform excluding the pier portion and each moored to the platform, each cage device comprising a plurality of rod-shaped reinforcing elastic bodies filled with gas and curved joints which interconnect these reinforcing elastic bodies to form a polygonal cage frame body, and which are connected to each other so as to be able to swing freely. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-154287 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-048328 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, the feeding device is installed on a platform surrounded by a fish cage. This platform is a large facility that includes a loading device, a deck, and a pier in addition to the feeding device with a feed storage facility (see Figure 1 in the document), and is therefore considered to have excellent stability. On the other hand, installing such a large-scale facility in the ocean is expected to be extremely costly, and it was not easily feasible for medium- or small-scale aquaculture businesses to install such a facility.

[0006] The present invention has been made in response to such conventional circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a raft installation structure that enables a raft equipped with relatively small aquaculture-related equipment, such as a feeding device equipped with a feed tank, to be permanently installed in a stable state near an aquaculture cage, and an aquaculture facility equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention for solving the above problems is a raft installation structure comprising a raft having a float that floats on the water surface and aquaculture-related equipment installed on the float, which, when viewed in a plane, separates an area in which the raft is to be installed from an area in which a fish cage is to be installed next to the raft to form compartments, and is characterized by comprising side stay ropes that are arranged approximately horizontally in the water, at least two connecting ropes that connect the periphery of the raft to the side stay ropes and, when viewed in a plane, are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetrical with the raft positioned at the center of the compartment in which the raft is installed, and weights attached to each connecting rope.

[0008] In the first invention having the above configuration, the floating body of the raft floats on the water surface and is used as a mounting target for aquaculture-related equipment. The side stay ropes divide areas in the horizontal direction of the ocean, etc., to form sections to be used as areas for setting up rafts or fish cages, and are also used as connecting objects (fixing structures) for the rafts and fish cages. By mooring the raft to the side ropes using connecting ropes, the raft can be permanently maintained within the desired section. Furthermore, when viewed in a plane, at least two connecting ropes are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetric with the raft placed at the center of the installation area, and by attaching weights to the connecting ropes, it becomes easy to position the raft in the center of the area. In other words, by attaching a weight to the connecting rope, the combination of the connecting rope and the weight functions like an elastic material such as a helical spring. As a result, when the raft moves within the compartment due to wind or waves, it can be operated to pull the raft back to the center of the compartment. Therefore, according to the first invention, by allowing the raft to move within the area, it is possible to keep the raft positioned as centrally as possible within the area while mitigating the forces acting on the raft that could cause it to capsize or sink.

[0009] In addition, by attaching a weight to the connecting rope, the connecting rope can be kept submerged below the water surface. In this case, any equipment extending from the aquaculture-related device mounted on the raft toward the outside of the raft's periphery can be prevented from coming into contact with the connecting rope and being damaged.

[0010] In the first invention, when the fish cage is lowered below the water surface, a force acts on the side ropes to which the fish cage is moored, pulling the side ropes 6 down toward the bottom of the water (e.g., the ocean bottom, etc.) Accordingly, a force also acts on the connecting ropes connected to the side ropes and the raft connected to the connecting ropes, pulling them down toward the bottom of the water. In the first invention, the connecting rope with the weight functions like an elastic material such as a spiral spring, so in this case too, the combination of the connecting rope and the weight can reduce the force acting to pull the raft down toward the bottom of the water, preventing the raft from being pulled underwater and capsizing or becoming submerged.

[0011] A second invention is the above-mentioned first invention, characterized in that the connecting rope is connected to a side rope closer to a corner of the compartment.

[0012] Since the side stay ropes are installed submerged under the water surface, it is difficult to accurately attach the connecting ropes to the desired positions in the axial direction of the side stay ropes. If the connecting ropes are not connected to the side stay ropes at the appropriate positions, a load is applied to a specific connecting rope, making the raft installation structure of the present invention prone to damage. Therefore, by specifying the connection positions of the connecting ropes relative to the side stay ropes as described above, it becomes easy to accurately connect the connecting ropes to the desired positions of the side stay ropes. As a result, the risk of the above-mentioned problems occurring can be reduced.

[0013] The third invention is the second invention described above, characterized in that, when viewed in a plane, the connecting ropes are arranged so as to be symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the corner of the compartment and the center position of the raft, with the raft being placed at the center of the compartment.

[0014] In the third invention of the above configuration, when connecting the desired position on the raft's periphery to the side ropes with a connecting rope, two (a pair) connecting ropes are used, thereby minimizing the rotation of the raft installed in the compartment in the periphery direction. In this case, when some equipment is arranged to span between the aquaculture-related equipment mounted on the raft and the fish cage, it is possible to minimize problems such as the raft rotating around its periphery due to the influence of waves or wind, damaging the equipment connecting the aquaculture-related equipment and the fish cage, or the equipment not being able to reach the intended fish cage.

[0015] The aquaculture facility of the fourth invention is characterized by comprising a raft installation structure of the first or second invention described above, and a fish cage installed in a section adjacent to the section in which the raft is installed.

[0016] The fourth invention of the above configuration is specified as an aquaculture facility comprising a raft installation structure which is the first or second invention described above, and a fish cage installed in a section adjacent to the section in which the raft is installed. In the fourth aspect of the present invention having the above configuration, the fish cage is used as a breeding space for fish and shellfish. In addition, the action of the raft installation structure in the fourth invention is the same as that of the first or second invention described above.

[0017] The fifth invention is the fourth invention described above, characterized in that there is a work area separated by side stay ropes between the area where the rafts are installed and the area where the fish cages are installed.

[0018] In the fifth invention having the above configuration, by having a work area between the area where the rafts are installed and the area where the fish cages are installed, the side stay ropes connecting the rafts and the side stay ropes connecting the fish cages can be kept separate and not shared. In this case, when the fish cage is lowered below the water surface, the force that pulls the side ropes vertically downward is less likely to be transmitted to the raft, which significantly reduces the risk of the raft capsizing or becoming submerged due to the reaction force when the fish cage is lowered below the water surface. In addition, in the fifth invention, the load acting on the side stay ropes can be relatively reduced compared to when the side stay ropes used to moor the raft and the fish cage are shared, thereby reducing the risk of damage or breakage to the aquaculture equipment itself. Moreover, since the fifth aspect of the invention has a work area, a small boat can enter the work area, making it easy to supply feed to the feed tank installed on the raft and to carry out work on the fish cages.

[0019] The sixth invention is the fourth invention described above, characterized in that the aquaculture-related device is a feeding device having a feed tank installed on a floating body and piping for supplying the feed in the feed tank to the fish cage.

[0020] In the sixth aspect of the invention, the fish cage is used as a breeding space for fish and shellfish. The feeding device mounted on the float is provided with a feed tank, so that a desired amount of feed, for example, granular or pellet-like feed, to be fed to the fish and shellfish in the fish cage can be stored. The piping is used as a flow path for feeding the feed stored in the feed tank to the fish cage installed in the section next to the section where the raft is installed. In the sixth aspect of the present invention, the feeding device can automatically supply feed to fish, shellfish, etc., raised in a fish cage installed next to the raft. In the sixth invention, by adding the raft installation structure of the first or second invention to the side stay ropes used as a fixing structure for the fish cage, the raft can be kept floating on the water surface in a stable state even if a force is applied that pulls the side stay ropes toward the bottom of the water due to the effects of weather or waves, or by sinking the fish cage below the water surface. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the first invention as described above, a small-scale raft equipped with aquaculture-related equipment such as a feeding device equipped with a feed tank can be permanently installed in a stable state near an aquaculture cage. Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, seafood raised in fish cages installed in the ocean or the like can be fed automatically without human intervention. In the first invention, the connecting ropes for mooring the raft to the side stay ropes are always submerged below the water surface, so that when some kind of equipment is installed to span from the raft to a fish pen installed in the section adjacent to the installation section, the connecting ropes are prevented from getting in the way. According to the first invention, even if the planar size of the raft is small, the risk of the raft capsizing or sinking due to weather, waves, or the floating or sinking state of the fish cage can be reduced, thereby significantly reducing the labor and cost required for maintaining and managing the fish cage. In addition, according to the first invention, the raft can be installed in a stable state, so oil leakage to the surrounding water surface is unlikely to occur from the power generating mechanism (such as a generator that uses liquid fuel) of the farming-related equipment mounted on the raft, such as a feeding device. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of deterioration of the water quality around the installation site of the fish cage, and the associated risk of death or deterioration of the quality of the fish and shellfish being farmed. It is also possible to relatively reduce the risk of environmental pollution associated with farming fish and shellfish.

[0022] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the work of attaching the connecting ropes to the side stay ropes can be facilitated, and the attachment positions of the connecting ropes on the side stay ropes can also be appropriately determined. In this case, the burden on the worker when installing or replacing the connecting ropes can be reduced, and the second invention can be prevented from being damaged due to a large load being placed on a particular connecting rope due to an inappropriate installation position of the connecting rope to the side stay ropes. Therefore, according to the second invention, a raft installation structure that is safe and highly reliable during use can be provided.

[0023] In addition, in the second invention, by connecting the connecting ropes onto the side stay ropes that avoid the corners of the compartment, it is possible to prevent forces from being concentrated on the corners of the compartment. In this case, the risk of damage or breakage to the section consisting of the side stay ropes to which the fish cage or raft is moored can be reduced. Therefore, according to the second invention, the durability of the raft installation structure can be improved.

[0024] According to the third aspect of the present invention, when a raft is installed in a section, the raft can be more reliably prevented from rotating along its periphery. In this case, when placing some kind of equipment between the aquaculture-related devices mounted on the floating body of the raft and the fish pen, it is possible to prevent the raft from rotating along its periphery and causing the equipment to be damaged or come off. Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the reliability of the aquaculture-related device constituting the raft during use can be improved.

[0025] The fourth invention specifies an aquaculture facility equipped with the raft installation structure of the first or second invention as a product invention, and its effects are the same as those of the first or second invention.

[0026] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the stability and reliability of the raft installation structure during use can be further improved, thereby further improving the stability and reliability of the aquaculture equipment. In addition, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly convenient aquaculture facility that allows easy work on the fish cages and rafts.

[0027] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when feeding fish and shellfish in a fish cage installed next to a raft, the raft equipped with the equipment for automatically feeding the fish and shellfish from the feeding device can be permanently installed in a stable state in a section next to the section where the fish cage is installed. In other words, the risk of the feeding device being submerged in water or otherwise broken down and becoming unusable can be significantly reduced. This reduces the costs associated with repairing and maintaining the feeding equipment. As a result, the running costs and labor required for maintaining the aquaculture equipment can be reduced. Therefore, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the cost-effectiveness of aquaculture. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the raft installation structure and aquaculture equipment according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2]1 is a plan view showing the side stay ropes to which the raft installation structure of this embodiment is to be attached and their holding structure. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the raft installation structure and the aquaculture equipment according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial side view seen from the direction indicated by the symbol P in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partial side view seen from the direction indicated by the symbol P in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A raft installation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 5. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature.

[0030] Prior to describing the present invention, the side stay ropes to which the raft constituting the present invention is attached will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. The side stay ropes 6 are used as a support structure for setting up, for example, a fish cage main body 13 consisting of upper frames 14a, 14b and a net container 15, a fixed net (not shown), etc., in water such as the ocean. The raft installation structure 1 according to this embodiment has a raft 2 equipped with aquaculture-related devices (feeding devices 3) installed on side stay ropes 6 on which a cage main body 13 is installed.

[0031] The fish cage device 12 to be installed in the ocean or other water is configured such that the fish cage body 13 is placed in a rectangular section 20b (see FIG. 2) defined by the side tension ropes 6 in a horizontal area in the water, with a gap provided between the side tension ropes 6 and the main frame 13, and desired points (e.g., four points) of the upper frame 14a are fixed to the four corners of the section 20b by means of fish cage connecting ropes 16. Section 20b of the side stay ropes 6 is held at a desired height above the seabed 19, which is the bottom of the water, by a holding structure 21. The fish cage body 13, which is moored to the side ropes 6, can be submerged below the water surface S (see the left side of Figure 3 and Figure 4) or placed near the water surface S (see the right side of Figure 3 and Figure 5) by appropriately adjusting its buoyancy.

[0032] The section 20b is formed by connecting the ends of four side tension ropes 6 arranged in a rectangular shape in a plan view with a fixing device such as a sarco base 7 to form an integrated unit. A plurality of Sarco floats 9 are connected to the Sarco base 7 via Sarco ropes 8. This provides buoyancy to the Sarco base 7, causing the Sarco base 7 to float above the seabed 19. A mooring rope 10 is connected to the end of each sarco float 9 that is not connected to the sarco rope 8, and the other end of this mooring rope 10 is connected to a square block 11, which is a heavy object (e.g. a concrete block, etc.) installed on the seabed 19. This restricts the movement of the sarco platform 7 floating in the water, allowing the side stay ropes 6 to be positioned at a desired depth in the water. It is desirable that the axial direction of the side tension ropes 6 be horizontal, but since they are installed underwater, unavoidable bending that occurs during installation and tilting to the extent that does not interfere with the use of the cage body 13 and the raft 2 are permissible. For this reason, the installation direction of the side tension ropes 6 is set to be "approximately horizontal" in the present invention.

[0033] [Basic configuration of the present invention] A basic configuration of a raft installation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as this embodiment) will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 does not show the float 17 that adds buoyancy to the floating body 2a and the cage main body 13. Fig. 3 also does not show the pipe 3b and the float 3c that adjusts the buoyancy of the pipe 3b shown in Fig. 1. The raft installation structure 1 in this embodiment is composed of a floating body 2a, which is configured to float on the water surface S by attaching a number of floats 17 (see Figures 4 and 5) to surround a flat plate or pallet-like structure made of, for example, metal, resin, or wood, and is equipped with a feeding device 3 (aquaculture-related device) equipped with a feed tank 3a and piping 3b.The raft 2 is placed within a compartment 20a, which is arranged in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is floated on the water surface S.At least two points on the periphery of the raft 2 are moored to the side ropes 6 that constitute the compartment 20a using raft connecting ropes 4.

[0034] When the raft installation structure 1 is viewed in a plane with the center position of the raft 2 located at the center position of the section 20a, each raft connecting rope 4 is arranged so that it is rotationally symmetrical, or more preferably, point symmetrical, based on the center position of the section 20a.

[0035] The axial length of the raft connecting rope 4 should be set to 1.5 to 2.5 times the distance between the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the raft 2 and the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the side ropes 6 when the raft installation structure 1 is viewed in a plan view. Furthermore, each raft connecting rope 4 is provided with a weight 5 at a predetermined position between the axial ends of the raft connecting rope 4. More specifically, the weight 5 is provided at the middle position of the raft connecting rope 4 in the axial direction. The attachment position of the weight 5 on the raft connecting ropes 4 does not have to be strictly at the center position in the axial direction of the raft connecting ropes 4, but the effect intended by the present invention becomes more difficult to achieve as the attachment position of the weight 5 gets closer to the end position in the axial direction of the raft connecting ropes 4. For this reason, it is desirable that the attachment position of the weight 5 on the raft connecting ropes 4 be at the center position in the axial direction of the raft connecting ropes 4 or close to the center position in the axial direction of the raft connecting ropes 4.

[0036] In particular, when a weight 5 is provided at the middle axial position of the raft connecting rope 4, and when the raft installation structure 1 is viewed in a plan view, if the distance between the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the raft 2 and the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the side tension ropes 6 is set to 1, it is desirable to set the ratio of the axial length of the raft connecting rope 4 from the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the raft 2 to the installation position of the weight 5 to the axial length of the raft connecting rope 4 from the installation position of the weight 5 to the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the side tension ropes 6 to be 1. However, if the water depth at the installation location of the raft installation structure 1 is shallow or if the above-mentioned setting may cause problems due to the influence of waves or tides, the appropriate range of the length of the raft connecting rope 4 in the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment has been described above, but even if it is not within this range, the function intended by the invention will not be lost.

[0037] In the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, the raft 2 is moored to the side stay ropes 6 using raft connecting ropes 4, making it possible to permanently install the raft 2 within the section 20a while allowing the raft 2 to move within the section 20a. In addition, in the raft installation structure 1 according to this embodiment, the raft connecting ropes 4 are provided with weights 5, so that the raft connecting ropes 4 can be kept submerged below the water surface S. In this case, as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, when piping 3b is installed to connect the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2 and the fish cage main body 13 installed in section 20b, the risk of the piping 3b coming into contact with the raft connecting rope 4 can be reduced, thereby preventing the piping 3b from being damaged or broken.

[0038] In the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment, when the raft installation structure 1 is viewed in a plane with the center position of the raft 2 located at the center position of the section 20a, the raft connecting ropes 4 are arranged to be rotationally symmetrical based on the center position of the section 20a, and each raft connecting rope 4 is equipped with a weight 5, making it easy to position the raft 2 in the center of the section 20a. In other words, since the raft connecting rope 4 is provided with the weight 5 at the center position in the axial direction, the combination of the raft connecting rope 4 and the weight 5 functions like an elastic material such as a helical spring. Therefore, when a force acts to stretch the bent raft connecting rope 4, a reaction force acts to bend the raft connecting rope 4, and as a result, the raft 2 is always biased to be located in the center of the section 20a. In this case, when a pipe 3b with its buoyancy adjusted by a float 3c is installed to connect the fish cage device 12 arranged around the raft 2 and the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2, it is possible to prevent the raft 2 from moving in any direction on the water surface S, causing problems such as the pipe 3b connected to the fish cage main body 13 becoming detached, or the pipe 3b becoming detached from the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2.

[0039] In the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the fish cage body 13, which is moored to a side rope 6 that is directly or indirectly connected to another side rope 6 to which the raft 2 is moored, may be submerged below the water surface S. At this time, a force acts on the side ropes 6 to which the raft 2 is moored, pulling the side ropes 6 down toward the seabed 19. This force is then transmitted to the raft 2 via the raft connecting ropes 4 connected to the side ropes 6, and a force acts on the raft 2 to pull it down below the water surface S. In this case, the raft connecting rope 4 stretches like an elastic material such as a spring, with the attachment position of the weight 5 as a fulcrum, thereby reducing the force pulling the raft 2 below the water surface S. As a result, when the cage body 13 is lowered below the water surface S near the installation position of the raft 2, the raft 2 can be prevented from capsizing or sinking in the water due to the reaction.

[0040] The aquaculture equipment 18 of this embodiment is the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment plus a fish cage device 12 that is connected to the side stay rope 6 to which it is attached, or to another side stay rope 6 that is connected to this side stay rope 6.

[0041] [Effects of the basic configuration] According to the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the risk of the raft 2 capsizing or sinking due to weather, waves, or the installation conditions of the fish cage main body 13 installed on the side stay ropes 6 that constitute the raft installation structure 1 (especially when the fish cage main body 13 is submerged below the water surface S). In other words, even if a small-scale raft 2 is installed on the ocean for a long period of time, the risk of aquaculture-related equipment such as the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2 malfunctioning or being damaged and becoming unusable due to the raft 2 capsizing or being submerged can be reduced.

[0042] This means that by using the raft installation structure 1 and aquaculture equipment 18 of this embodiment, a small-scale raft 2 equipped with aquaculture-related equipment such as a feeding device 3 having a feed tank 3a can be permanently installed in a stable state near the fish cage equipment 12. In this case, it becomes possible to easily and reliably feed the fish and shellfish raised in the fish cage apparatus 12 installed in the ocean or the like automatically without relying on human labor. As a result, the labor and costs required for the aquaculture operator to maintain the fish cage equipment 12 can be significantly reduced.

[0043] In addition, by using the raft installation structure 1 and aquaculture equipment 18 of this embodiment, a small raft 2 can be stably installed near the fish cage equipment 12, making it less likely that oil will leak onto the surrounding water surface from aquaculture-related equipment mounted on the raft 2, such as a power generating mechanism (such as a generator that uses liquid fuel) for a feeding device or the like. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of deterioration of the water quality around the installation site of the fish cage apparatus 12 and the associated risk of death or deterioration of the quality of the fish and shellfish being raised. It is also possible to relatively reduce the risk of environmental pollution associated with fish and shellfish farming.

[0044] [Details and variations] (About the arrangement of raft connecting ropes) As shown in Fig. 1, the attachment position of the raft connecting ropes 4 on the side tension ropes 6 may be set on the side tension ropes 6 near the corners of the section 20a, avoiding the corners of the section 20a (for example, the installation positions of the sarco platform 7) when the raft installation structure 1 according to this embodiment is viewed in plan view. Strictly speaking, the corners of the section 20a are the intersections of the axial centers of the two side tension ropes 6 arranged at right angles to each other.

[0045] As mentioned above, the side stay ropes 6 are installed underwater. For this reason, for example, when connecting the raft connecting rope 4 to the axial center position of the side stay ropes 6 constituting the section 20a, it is difficult for the worker to visually check the entire side stay rope 6 from the water surface S side, and the side stay ropes 6 are constantly swinging due to waves, etc., and in a situation where the side stay ropes 6 are inevitably bent, it is extremely difficult to accurately connect the raft connecting rope 4 to the desired position, or it is a task that places a very heavy burden on the worker.

[0046] On the other hand, when the attachment position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the side rope 6 is specified as described above, the attachment position of the raft connecting rope 4 can be easily determined by finding the corner of the section 20a placed underwater (for example, the attachment position of the sarco platform 7), which makes the installation or replacement work of the raft connecting rope 4 extremely easy. As a result, the burden on the worker can be significantly reduced. In addition, when the attachment position of the raft connecting rope 4 on the side staying rope 6 is specified as described above, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of problems such as the raft connecting rope 4 being unintentionally connected to an inappropriate position on the side staying rope 6, which could cause the position of the raft 2 within the section 20a to become unstable, or the load being concentrated on a particular raft connecting rope 4, making that raft connecting rope 4 more susceptible to damage. Therefore, in the raft installation structure 1, if the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 to the side stay rope 6 is specified as described above, a raft installation structure that is safe during operation and highly reliable during use can be provided.

[0047] In particular, when the planar shapes of sections 20a and 20b are both approximately square, section 20b constituting the fish cage equipment 12 is disposed next to section 20a constituting the raft installation structure 1, and piping 3b supplying feed from the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2 is installed so as to span the fish cage main body 13, piping 3b will be installed straddling both the side tension ropes 6 constituting section 20a and the side tension ropes 6 constituting section 20b (see Figures 1, 4 and 5). In this case, if the raft connecting rope 4 is connected to the middle position in the axial direction of the side stay ropes 6, the piping 3b and the raft connecting rope 4 will be arranged in the same direction, which is not desirable as it increases the risk of them coming into contact. Therefore, when the connection position of the raft connecting rope 4 to the side stay rope 6 in the raft installation structure 1 is specified as described above, it also has the advantage of further reducing the risk of damage to the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2.

[0048] The raft connecting ropes 4 may be arranged, for example as shown in Figure 1, so that when the raft installation structure 1 is viewed in a plane with the center position of the raft 2 located at the center position of section 20b, they are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line Q, which is the line connecting the intersection point of the axial lines of the two side stay ropes 6 connected to the corner of section 20a, i.e., the sarco base 7, and the center position of the raft 2. More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, four pairs (eight pieces) of raft connecting ropes 4 may be provided to connect the side ropes 6 near the corners of the section 20a to the raft 2.

[0049] In this case, when connecting a desired position on the periphery of the raft 2 to a position near the corner of the section 20a with a raft connecting rope 4, by using a pair (two) of raft connecting ropes 4, it is possible to minimize the rotation of the raft 2 arranged within the section 20a in the periphery direction. In this case, when piping 3b is installed to connect the fish cage equipment 12 arranged in the adjacent section 20b to which the raft 2 is installed and the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of problems such as the raft 2 rotating in its circumferential direction and the piping 3b connected to the fish cage main body 13 becoming disconnected, or the piping 3b becoming disconnected from the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2. Therefore, even when the arrangement of the raft connecting ropes 4 in the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment is specified as described above, a raft installation structure can be provided in which the risk of damage to the feeding device 3 mounted on the raft 2 is further reduced.

[0050] (Regarding the plan shape of the area where the raft will be installed) In this embodiment, the planar shape of the section 20a is a square, but the planar shape of the section 20a may be a rectangle other than a square, or a regular polygon having more sides than an equilateral triangle. Furthermore, the more raft connecting ropes 4 connecting the raft 2 to the side ropes 6 are used, the more stable the raft 2 will be. However, in that case, the structure of the aquaculture equipment 18 will become more complex, which may make installation and maintenance more difficult.

[0051] (Modifications of the aquaculture equipment of the present invention) As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the aquaculture equipment 18 of this embodiment may be provided with a section 20c (work section) that is rectangular in plan view and separated by side tension ropes 6 between a section 20a in which the raft 2 is installed and a section 20b in which the fish cage main body 13 is installed.

[0052] In this case, the side stay ropes 6 connecting the rafts 2 and the side stay ropes 6 connecting the fish cage main body 13 can be kept separate and not shared. In this case, as shown in Figure 4, when the fish cage body 13 is sunk below the water surface S, the force acting on the side tension ropes 6 to which the fish cage body 13 is connected, which tends to pull the side tension ropes 6 vertically downward, is less likely to be transmitted to the raft 2. As a result, when the fish cage body 13 in the aquaculture equipment 18 of this embodiment is lowered below the water surface S, the risk of the raft 2 capsizing or becoming submerged due to the reaction can be significantly reduced.

[0053] Furthermore, when the side tension ropes for mooring the raft 2 and the side tension ropes 6 for mooring the fish cage main body 13 are separated, the load acting on the side tension ropes 6 can be relatively reduced compared to when they are shared, thereby reducing the risk of the aquaculture equipment 18 itself being broken or damaged. Therefore, when the aquaculture equipment 18 in this embodiment has section 20c, the stability and reliability of the raft installation structure 1 during use can be further improved, thereby further improving the stability and reliability of the aquaculture equipment 18.

[0054] Furthermore, if the aquaculture facility 18 has a section 20c, small boats can be brought into this section 20c. This makes it easier to replenish feed to the feed tank 3a mounted on the raft 2 and to perform work on the cage main body 13. Therefore, according to the aquaculture facility 18 as described above, the convenience can be further improved.

[0055] In the raft installation structure 1 and the aquaculture facility 18 equipped with the same in this embodiment, the aquaculture-related equipment is described as a feeding device 3 equipped with a feed tank 3a and piping 3b as an example, but the feeding device 3 does not need to be limited to the above form and may be, for example, a feeding device of the type that releases and scatters granular (pellet-like) feed into the air. In particular, in the latter case, the structure of the feeding device can be simplified when floating the fish cage main body 13 of the fish cage apparatus 12 on the water surface. Also, in the latter case, the raft can be stably floated near the fish cage apparatus 12, so that the labor of the aquaculture operator in feeding can be significantly reduced.

[0056] In the raft installation structure 1 of this embodiment and the aquaculture facility 18 equipped with it, the aquaculture-related equipment mounted on the float 2a constituting the raft 2 does not have to be a feeding device, but may also be equipped with other equipment that assists the function of the feeding device, such as electronic equipment configured to monitor the remaining amount of feed in the feed tank 3a and automatically notify the outside when it falls below a predetermined amount, or may be equipped with other aquaculture-related equipment other than a feeding device. In addition, other aquaculture equipment other than the feeding device may be, for example, communication equipment (electronic devices) for collecting data such as images and detection values ​​transmitted from cameras and sensors installed in the fish cage main body 13 for the purpose of monitoring the inside of the fish cage main body 13, and transmitting the data to a monitoring center installed on land. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] As described above, the present invention is a raft installation structure that allows aquaculture-related equipment used in fish and shellfish farming to be stably and permanently installed near a fish pen, and aquaculture equipment using the same, and can be used in technical fields related to the fisheries industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...Raft installation structure 2...Raft 2a...Floating body 3...Feeding device 3a...Feed tank 3b...Pipe 3c...Float 4...Raft connecting rope 5...Sinker 6...Side tension rope 7...Sarco base 8...Sarco rope 9...Sarco float 10...Mooring rope 11...Square block 12...Nat cage device 13...Nat cage main body 14a...Upper frame 14b...Lower frame 15...Net container 16...Nat cage connecting rope 17...Float 18...Aquaculture equipment 19...Seabed (bottom of water) 20a-20c...Compartment 21...Retaining structure S...Water surface

Claims

1. A raft having a float that floats on the water surface and an aquaculture-related device installed on the float; When viewed in plan, a region in which the raft is installed and a region in which a fish cage is installed next to the raft are separated to form a partition, and side stay ropes are arranged substantially horizontally in the water; At least two connecting ropes that connect the periphery of the raft and the side ropes and are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetrical when viewed in a plan view with the raft at the center of the section; and a weight attached to each of the connecting ropes.

2. 2. The raft installation structure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rope is connected to the side rope near the corner of the compartment.

3. A raft installation structure as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, when viewed in a plane, the connecting ropes are arranged so as to be symmetrical with respect to a center line that connects the corner of the compartment and the center position of the raft, with the raft being placed at the center of the compartment.

4. The raft installation structure according to claim 1 or 2, and the fish cage is installed in the compartment adjacent to the compartment in which the raft is installed.

5. The aquaculture facility according to claim 4, characterized in that a work section is provided between the section in which the rafts are installed and the section in which the fish cages are installed, the work section being separated by the side stay ropes.

6. The aquaculture-related device includes: A feed tank installed on the floating body; The aquaculture facility according to claim 4, further comprising a piping for supplying the feed in the feed tank to the fish cage.

Images