Patent Publication Number: US-2011064525-A1

Title: Floating hotel

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2008/073413 with an international filing date of Dec. 10, 2008, designating the United States, now pending, and further claims priority benefits to Chinese Patent Application No. 200820101213.3 filed on Jan. 22, 2008, and to Chinese Patent Application No. 200810070516.8 filed on Jan. 24, 2008. The contents of all of the aforementioned applications, including any intervening amendments thereto, are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a hotel, and more particularly to a large, multi-functional and submergible star-rated business hotel capable of floating on the water. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     For a conventional hotel built on land, since it is limited by factors such as geographical environment, land resource, water landscape conditions and so on, its poor novelty, landscape, applicability, functionally and so on make it cannot meet requirements for diversified and leisure holidays of modern and romantic people, and it takes up vast land resource. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above-described problem, it is one objective of the invention to provide a movable and multi-functional floating hotel that is capable of overcoming problems with the prior (on-water) art, combines various advantages of a conventional hotel (built on land), and features good ocean landscape and hydrophilcity. 
     The objective of the invention is implemented as follows: 
     A floating hotel, comprising: one or more cylindrical floating boxes connected to each other, multiple channels, a scenery tower, and an anchor moored positioning device, the anchor moored positioning device is disposed at the bottom of the floating box, the channel is disposed on one side of the floating box, the scenery tower is disposed on a deck at the top of the floating box, and the floating box has multiple storeys and hotel facilities (living rooms, recreational facilities, restaurants, ballrooms, gyms, cultural activity rooms and so on) disposed therein. 
     Different from a conventional hotel fixedly built on land, the hydrophilic floating hotel of the invention features good hydrophilcity, water landscape, mobility (cruising ability), and submergibility, various aquatic recreational activities can be held in and outside the hotel, and yachts, commuters and supply boats can stop all around the hotel. In fact, the invention relates to a special on-water floating hotel featuring a grand scale and complete functionalities. Since the invention uses floating boxes, the floating boxes (floating hotel) can be flexibly arranged according to requirements for different water area conditions, whereby forming a floating hotel with different standards and types. 
     The floating box is a floating box or a submergible box made of steel. 
     Connection between the floating boxes is implemented via a connecting device. 
     The connecting device (rigid or soft) can implement a relative degree of freedom for the box, whereby reducing impact force from stormy wave and improving anti-risk capability. 
     The floating boxes are connected via a movable thread, or via a connecting device comprising a ring, a connecting shackle, and an end link, or via solid welding. 
     The thread can be replaced by a bolt or a screw (a thread, a bolt, a ring, and a shackle are produced as required). 
     A damping device is disposed on a connecting device (rigid or soft) between two floating boxes connected to each other. 
     The damping device is capable of reducing shock applied on the floating box, whereby increasing work life of the box. 
     The damping device is a rubber damping device. 
     The anchor moored positioning device is disposed at the bottom of each floating box. 
     Since each floating box is positioned by an independent mooring system, the floating box remains stable under the action of the worst combination of wind, wave, and flow. 
     The floating box is an integral steel architecture, or a reinforced concrete architecture. 
     The floating box comprises a deck, a bottom plate, an interior framework, a bulkhead, a side plate, and a front sheet, the deck and the bottom thereof are integral steel architectures, or anti-corrosion reinforced concrete longitudinal frames, the side plate is a transverse frame or an integral steel frame, and the bottom plate and the side plate are made of underwater (10 cm) acrylic glass. 
     An interior framework and a bulkhead of the floating box are made of steel, the bottom plate is made of reinforced concrete, the side plate and the front sheet are made of ferro cement, the deck is made of steel plates covered with ferro cement, or all-steel (metal) materials, and special rubber damping devices are disposed at upper and lower edges of the connecting device (rigid or soft). 
     A sewerage treatment cabin, a dehydrate storage cabin, a fresh water cabin, an electromechanical device cabin, a pump cabin, or a storage cabin is interval disposed in a center bulkhead of the water-tight bulkhead. 
     The sewerage treatment cabin, the dehydrate storage cabin, and the fresh water cabin are covered with ferro cement, and a bottom framework is made of stiffen reinforced concrete, or all-steel metal materials. 
     The anchor moored positioning device comprises an anchor, an anchor chain, a chain pipe, an automatic-winch-type control system, which enable the floating hotel to go up and down along with sea level as tide rises or falls, and to submerge as required whereby ensuring the floating hotel remains stable under the action of the worst combination of wind, wave, and flow. A submerging state can affectively defend against natural disasters such as storm tide, tsunami, and so on. An anti-storm scale is above 12 
     A pair of auxiliary connecting devices for moored positioning and shifting of a single body is disposed on both sides of the deck in the vicinity of an end. The auxiliary connecting device employs short line connection, and comprises a single mooring bollard, and a nylon rope. 
     A height of the scenery tower is determined according to requirement for sceneries, and made of steel or light-weighted materials. A hemispherical viewing deck is disposed at the top of the tower, and made of transparent materials. Elevators are disposed at the center of the tower. 
     Rubber fender bars are disposed outside the floating box. 
     A pair of auxiliary connecting devices for moored positioning and shifting of the single body is disposed on both sides of the deck in the vicinity of an end. The auxiliary connecting device employs short line connection, and comprises a single mooring bollard, and a nylon rope. 
     On-water or under-water star-rated hotels, recreational facilities, and so on are disposed in the floating hotel. 
     The self-propelled (movable) hotel: multiple propellers are disposed at the bottom on one side of the floating box whereby ensuring free cruising ability. 
     The submergible function: four groups of electric ballast pump cabins (submergible working port) are used, and capable of submerging or floating as required. 
     Advantages of the invention over the conventional hotel fixedly built on land in terms of building techniques and functions comprise: 
     1. availability (applicability): the invention can be widely used to rivers, lakes, and seas for constructing the floating box (floating hotel), initiates an inhabitable multi-functional business hotel in water area, provides diversified and good living environment for cities and tourist attractions, brings convenience to travelers, saves land resource, and benefits the society. 
     2. hydrophilicity: the hotel can freely float or submerge, which presents characteristics of submarine sceneries, and dynamic and romantic colors. 
     3. submergibility: a pontoon and a ballast pump cabins (submergible working port) are used, and capable of submerging or floating as required. 
     4. cruising (mobile) ability: the propeller disposed at the bottom on one side of the floating box (floating hotel) ensures cruising ability, and the invention becomes a super-star hotel floating on ocean. 
     5. multi-functionality: on-water or under-water hotels, living rooms, conference rooms, gyms, recreational facilities, leisure facilities, holiday resorts, ocean science investigation facilities, and so on are disposed therein, which initiates an on-water floating hotel for coastal tourist cities. 
     6. enjoyment: the floating hotel is a beautiful on-water tourist landscape and building, and a symbol landscape of cities, which promotes city image and grade, and marks creation power and style of our country in building on-water floating hotel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a floating hotel of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a floating hotel of the invention, in which unit of numbers is mm; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a top deck (scenery tower) of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an anchor moored positioning device of the invention, in which:  1 —vertical positioning anchor;  2 —crossing single anchor;  3 —anchor chain;  4 —hawsehole;  5 —reinforced concrete anchor; 
         FIG. 5  is a planar view of a single body of a floating hotel of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a three-body of a floating hotel of the invention; in which:  1 —square post;  2 —circular post;  3 —beam;  4 —horizontal steel plate;  5 —acrylic glass (side plate);  6 —elevator and rotating lift;  7 —hoistway;  8 —channel of exterior corridor;  9 —channel of interior corridor;  10 —guest room and entertainment places;  11 —vacuum space; 
         FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional view of a floating hotel of the invention; 
         FIG. 7B  is another cross-sectional view of a floating hotel of the invention; 
         FIG. 7C  is a further cross-sectional view of a floating hotel of the invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a connecting device of a floating hotel of the invention; in which:  4 —connecting device,  41 —connecting shackle;  42 —end link;  43 —D-shaped ring;  44 —rubber damping device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Detailed description of the invention will be given below in conjunction with accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8 , a floating hotel of the invention comprises one or more cylindrical floating boxes, multiple channels, a scenery tower, and an anchor moored positioning device, comprising a vertical anchor, a danforth anchor, an anchor chain, an automatic-winch-type control system, and a hawse pipe ( FIG. 4 ). The scenery tower ( FIG. 3 ) comprises an elevator. The cylindrical floating box is a steel box, and an outer plate thereof is made of anti-corrosion compound materials (namely painted with anti-corrosion marine coating, and covered with ferro cement). The floating box is an integral steel architecture, or a reinforced concrete architecture, and comprises: a bottom plate made of reinforced concrete, a stringer girder, a deck longitudinal stringer ( FIG. 1 ), a deck girder ( FIG. 7 ), a web beam ( FIG. 7 ), a post ( FIG. 7 ), a bottom longitudinal stringer, and a bottom longitudinal stringer ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The floating box is formed via a high-frequency grouting technique, or a bottom plate thereof is formed via an integral steel structure, and a side plate thereof is formed via under-water and high-strength acrylic glass, which feature good integrity and impermeability, light weight, high strength and bearing capacity, and good durability. 
     A deck and the bottom thereof is a longitudinal frame, and a side plate thereof is a transverse frame, an inner framework and a bulkhead thereof are made of steel. The bottom plate ( FIG. 6 ) is made of reinforced concrete, the side plate ( FIG. 2 ) and the front sheet are made of ferro cement, the deck ( FIG. 1 ) is made of steel plates covered with ferro cement. Alternatively, the floating box is all-steel integral structure, and the bottom plate and the side plate (except for the framework) is made of under-water and high-strength acrylic glass whereby forming a full-enclosed submergible box. 
     Multiple longitudinal bulkheads and transverse bulkheads are disposed below the deck whereby forming multiple independent watertight divisions; and improving sink-resistance capability. A sewerage treatment cabin, a dehydrate storage cabin, and a fresh water cabin are interval disposed in a center bulkhead. Facilities such as an electromechanical device cabin, a pump cabin, or a storage cabin can be disposed in other bulkheads according to functions of different areas of the floating hotel. Inner wall of the sewerage treatment cabin, the dehydrate storage cabin, and the fresh water is covered with ferro cement. Inner wall of the sewerage treatment cabin, the dehydrate storage cabin, and the fresh water is covered with ferro cement, the bottom framework is made of stiffen reinforced concrete whereby improving durability and water safety of the bulkhead, or made of all-steel metal materials and an outer layer is painted with marine coating. 
     Surface of steel structure is painted with marine coating, and surface of the reinforced concrete and the ferro cement is cleaned with acid as coating is required, whereby improving durability of a coating layer. 
     Outfits, such as riding bitts, a hawse pipe, a bollard, a manhole, a ventilator, and so on are disposed on the floating box ( FIG. 4 ). A rubber fender is disposed outside a single body. Deck superstructures with different patterns and styles can be disposed on a deck level according to different requirements for use whereby meeting different functions and requirements for sceneries. For example, soil with certain thickness can be laid thereon according to requirements for growth of various salt tolerant plants. 
     A chain-ring connecting device is used for connecting the cylindrical floating boxes. The connecting device is disposed on a flank of the cylindrical floating box ( FIGS. 1 and 8 ), and comprises a pair of D-shaped ring disposed on both sides of the single body, a connecting shackle, and an end link ( FIG. 8 ). By attenuating motion energy of the single body and impact force of wave via till-water characteristics and fluid dynamic characteristics of the floating box, the chain-ring connecting device has larger safety stock. Special rubber damping devices with a maximum compression volume of 50% are disposed on upper and lower edges of the front sheet ( FIG. 8 ). 
     Moreover, a pair of auxiliary connecting devices for moored positioning and shifting of the floating box is disposed on both sides of the deck in the vicinity of an end. The auxiliary connecting device employs short line connection, and comprises a single mooring bollard, and a nylon rope. In a normal condition, the auxiliary connecting device ensures reliable connection and overall stability between single bodies. 
     In addition, each cylindrical floating box has an independent moored system for positioning, which ensures the floating hotel remains stable under the action of the worst combination of wind, wave, and flow, and enables the floating hotel to go up and down along with sea level as tide rises or falls, and an anti-storm scale thereof is above 12. The anchor moored positioning device comprises an anchor, an anchor chain, a hawse pipe, and riding bitts. The anchor chain enters water from the bottom of the floating box via the hawse pipe, is initially positioned at a high water level, and is fastened and finally positioned at a low water level. A typical anchoring method of the single body is to dispose four  -shaped anchors in each single body, an angle between the anchor chain and a center line of the single body is 45 degrees, the hawse pipe is parallel to the center line of the single body, and an angle between the hawse pipe and the bottom plate is less than 45 degrees ( FIG. 8 ). After force analysis and model test, the anchor chain bearing the maximum force under the action of wind, wave and flow is strengthened according to natural conditions in a water area. The combined anchoring system of the floating hotel comprises anchor chains, reinforced concrete anchors, and high holding power anchors with different standards and types according to force in different directions. The anchors all enter water from the bottom of the floating box, which solves a problem with a conventional anchoring method that the anchor chain is easy to be corroded in a splash zone. 
     Keys of the invention comprise: 
     1. since a composite structure using various steel materials, and a longitudinal and transverse architecture are used, overall intensity and local intensity of different systems of the floating hotel under different force conditions can be ensured, which causes work life of different materials under different conditions to be the same, increases overall work life, and reduces repair and maintenance cost. 
     2. section modulus of a cross section of the whole body (or the single body), and an intensity index of the connecting device are determined according to the overall load distribution of the floating box (floating hotel), and force applied thereto under wind, wave and flow. 
     3. different construction techniques are used according to characteristics of the materials that are used, whereby displaying mechanic performance, connection intensity, and durability of the materials. 
     4. a connecting device combining softness and rigidity is used via till-water characteristics and fluid dynamic characteristics of the floating box, 
     5. The anchor chain for moored positioning enters water from the bottom, which solves a problem with a conventional anchoring method that the anchor chain is easy to be corroded and difficult to be changed in a splash zone. 
     6. various materials are mixed to set up buildings and sceneries according to requirements for use of the floating box. 
     7. four groups of submergible ballast pumps (submergible working port) are disposed at the bottom layer of said floating box according to requirements for a submerging function, and each can submerge and float as required, which enable the floating hotel to have novelty, perspectiveness, and entertainment. 
     8. the invention features automatic (or fixed) cruising ability according to characteristics of the floating box, and requirements for functions of the floating hotel, which enables the floating hotel to move within a certain water area and thus enhancing functionality thereof. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.