Patent Publication Number: US-6988457-B2

Title: Structure for fastening shipboard-protecting fender

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a structure for fastening a shipboard-protecting fender, particularly to a ship-protecting fender with wear resistance, light weight, and durable firmness constructed by the enclosure of polyurethane (P. U.) material over the peripheral surface of a central core layer of the close cell of ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer (E. V. A) material, especially suitable for the light weight requirement for fast ships. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, traditional ships may heave with the tide, so as to waver permanently. As such, larger or small bumps frequently occur, provided that ships approach one with another, or the shore. For avoiding the damage to the hull owing to the bump, a shipboard-protecting fender surrounding the perimeter of the shipboard is designed; and/or waste tires may be hanged around the periphery of the hull as a whole directly in most fishing boats, for example, such that the effect of cushioning the impact force may be developed. 
   The conventional technology shown in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  is disclosed in Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. 389218, entitled “ASSEMBLED BUMP FENDER FOR SHIPS”, comprising a continuous block ( 20 ′) constituted by three to five rubber-made buffer units ( 13 ′), vertically through buffer holes ( 11 ′) and fixing holes ( 12 ′) which, spaced one with another, are formed inside each of the buffer units ( 13 ′), and buffer spaces ( 14 ′), each formed between any two of the adjacent buffer units ( 13 ′). The buffer effect may be developed by the buffer units ( 13 ′), the buffer holes ( 11 ′), and the buffer spaces ( 14 ′), if several blocks ( 20 ′) are securely provided around the perimeter of the ship. In the above publication, there is disclosed a bump fender with rectangular cross section securely provided on the shipboard in a vertical direction by means of threaded fixtures. The bump fender is made from rubber, however, for achieving sufficient hardness required for resisting the impact, such that this bump fender should be extremely heavy resulting in unsuitable for fast ships. Moreover, the most protruding corner is liable to be created in this type of surface of the bump fender, such that the impact force may be born at a single point, rather than uniformly dispersed over an arc surface. Thus, it is liable to damage the bump fender in part resulting in a poor firmness and durability. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the fact that there is still room to be improved in the traditional or conventional shipboard-protecting fender, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a structure for fastening shipboard-protecting fender with light weight, wear resistance, impact resistance, superior resistance to stress damage, and durable firmness. 
   For achieving the aforementioned object, a structure for fastening shipboard-protecting fender is provided, comprising a plurality of reinforcing rib layers securely provided on the inner face and the outer face of the shipboard; a fixed base horizontally fastened on the reinforcing rib layer of the shipboard by means of a plurality of bolts, an accommodating space being formed at the outside of the fixed base; a core layer, one end of which is accommodated in the accommodating space of the fixed base; a bump-preventing layer covering the outer surface of the core layer and fixed base; a pair of fixed plates supported at the outside of the two ends of the bump-preventing layer; a plurality of bolts vertically passing through the fixed plates, the bump-preventing layer, the fixed base, and the core layer for fastening them. 
   According to the present invention, the bump-preventing layer on the surface of the shipboard-protecting fender is made from polyurethane material, featuring excellent wear resistance; the central core layer is the close cell of ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer material, physically featuring non-water absorbability, light weight, and excellent elasticity. Combining these two features, the characteristics of impact resistance and stress damage-resistance are established, and superior weather resistance, impermeability for water, and corrosion resistance are also included. Additionally, the bump-preventing layer with wear resistance is filled with the aforementioned central core layer with superior elasticity, in such a way that not only light weight, but also small reaction force in response to the bump may be obtained, sufficient for the light weight requirement for fast ships. 
   The shipboard-protecting fender according to the present invention is composed of a plurality of small units such that the damage may be limited locally. Moreover, this fastening structure is fixed on the perimeter of the shipboard horizontally and vertically by means of the threaded fixtures. Not only firmness and durability, but also facilitation for installation or replacement may be achieved. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1   a  is a perspective view of the conventional technology, redrawn from the Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. 389218, entitled “ASSEMBLED BUMP FENDER FOR SHIPS”; 
       FIG. 1   b  is a cross section view of the one shown in  FIG. 1   a  when in use; 
       FIG. 2  is a disassembled diagram of a structure for fastening shipboard-protecting fender according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a plane diagram of a fixed plate according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a front diagram of a fixed base according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a cross section of the one shown in  FIG. 2  when in use. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Firstly, referring to  FIG. 2  in connection with  FIGS. 3 to 5 , a structure for fastening a shipboard-protecting fender  1  according to the present invention comprises a plurality of reinforcing rib layers  10  securely provided on the inner and outer faces of a shipboard  2 , respectively, each reinforcing rib layer  10  including a plurality of metal sheet stacked layers  10   a  disposed on the outer face of the shipboard  2  and a plurality of wood stacked layers  10   b  disposed on the inner face of the shipboard  2 . These wood stacked layers  10   b  are accommodated within an accommodating space which, constructed by a metal sheet layer  10   c , further includes a reinforcing metal sheet layer  10   d  at the outer face thereof. The aforementioned reinforcing rib layers  10  are securely provided on the inner and outer faces of the shipboard  2  by means of a plurality of threaded fixtures  11 , by welding or the like. 
   The structure for fastening shipboard-protecting fender according to the present invention further comprise a fixed base  12  unit including a horizontally extending portion  12   a  at the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively, for constituting an accommodating space having a cross section presented as “U”-shape. A plurality of thread holes  121  are formed on the vertical plane and the horizontally extending portion  12   a , respectively, of the fixed base  12 . Moreover, a plurality of horizontal bolts  13  are used with these thread holes to threadedly fastening the vertical plane of the fixed base  12  unit onto the outer face of the reinforcing rib layer  10  of the shipboard  2 . 
   Additionally, a core layer  14  is provided, one end of which is accommodated in the accommodating space of the fixed base, and formed with a plurality of vertical through-holes  141  in correspondence with the thread holes  121  on the extending portion  12   a , while the other end thereof is formed as a surface of half-circle. A bump-protecting layer  15  having a structure with a “U”-shaped cross section, covering over the outer face of the core layer  14  and the extending portion  12   a  of the fixed base to construct the shipboard-protecting fender  1  having a surface of half-circle, may be further provided. The pump-protecting layer  15  is formed, at two ends thereof, with a plurality of thread holes  151  in correspondence with the thread holes  121  on the extending portion  12   a  of the fixed base  12 . Moreover, a pair of fixed plates  16  may be included. These two fixed plates are supported on the outer face at two ends of the bump-protecting layer  15 , respectively; while formed with a plurality of thread holes  161 , correspondingly. A plurality of vertical bolts  17  are provided through these fixed plates  16 , the bump-protecting layer  15 , the extending portion  12   a  of the fixed base  12 , and the core layer  14 , in order to fasten them. 
   In accordance with the present invention, the bump-protecting layer  15  on the surface of the shipboard-protecting fender  1  is made from polyurethane material having superior wear resistance; while the central core layer  14  is the close cell of ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer material physically featuring non-water absorbability, light weight, and superior elasticity. Not only superior impact resistance and stress damage-resistance, but also excellent weather resistance, impermeability for water, and corrosion resistance may be found in the ideal combination of these two materials. Additionally, the surface bump-preventing layer  15  with wear resistance is filled with the aforementioned central core layer  14  with superior elasticity, in such a way that not only light weight, but also small reaction force in response to the bump may be obtained, sufficient for the light weight requirement for fast ships. 
   The shipboard-protecting fender  1  according to the present invention is composed of a plurality of small units such that the damage may be limited locally. Moreover, the shipboard-protecting fender  1  is securely locked on the reinforcing rib layer  10 , which provides a strong support, around the perimeter of the shipboard by mean of the horizontal bolts  13  and the vertical bolts  17 . Not only firmness and durability, but also facilitation for installation or replacement may be achieved. 
   The foregoing description is merely one embodiment of present invention and not considered as restrictive. Namely, all equivalent variations and modifications without in any way departing from the ambit of the invention should be intended to be within the scope of the present invention. 
   To sum up, the structure for fastening shipboard-protecting fender of the present invention may provide moderate toughness and stiffness, as well as superior impact resistance. This structure is firm and durable, being truly an invention with novelty, advancement or non-obviousness, and availability by the industry. 
   LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERALS 
   
       
       
         
             1  shipboard-protecting fender of the present invention 
             10  reinforcing rib layer 
             10   a  metal sheet stacked layer 
             10   b  wood stacked layer 
             10   c  metal sheet layer 
             10   d  metal sheet layer 
             11  threaded fixture 
             12  fixed base 
             12   a  extending portion 
             121 ,  151 ,  161  thread hole 
             13 ,  17  bolt 
             14  core layer 
             141  through-hole 
             15  bump-protecting layer 
             16  fixed plate 
             2  shipboard-protecting fender