Patent ID: 8342823

Claim:
A sludge suction apparatus for an offshore structure, the sludge suction apparatus comprising: a housing having an upper mounting hole communicated with an exhaust hole for exhausting sludge and a lower mounting hole communicated with a suction hole for sucking the sludge, and including a coupling section formed at one side thereof with an actuating hole communicated with the lower mounting hole; a suction valve installed in the lower mounting hole in line with the suction hole to selectively suck the sludge according to variation of internal pressure of the housing; an exhaust valve installed in the upper mounting hole to communicate with the exhaust hole and aligned coaxially with the suction valve to exhaust the sludge, which is sucked through the suction valve according to the variation of the internal pressure of the housing, to an outside through the exhaust hole; a valve port coupled to an upper portion of the upper mounting hole and formed with a fixing groove coupled with an upper portion of the exhaust valve to fix the exhaust valve; and a piston assembly fixedly coupled with the coupling section and reciprocated in forward and rearward directions to operate the suction valve and the exhaust valve by changing the internal pressure of the housing, wherein a support step is formed between the upper mounting hole and the lower mounting hole of the housing to support the suction valve and the exhaust valve, wherein the suction valve comprises: a suction seat fixedly inserted into the lower mounting hole of the housing; a suction disc provided at an upper end thereof with a suction stem and selectively adhering to or separated from the suction seat by performing reciprocating motion in upward and downward directions according to operation of the piston assembly; a suction spring provided at an upper portion of the suction disc to return the suction disc to an initial position thereof; and a divergent retainer having an upper end fixed to the housing to support the suction spring and formed at an outer peripheral surface thereof with a sludge inlet hole to guide the sludge to the exhaust valve, and wherein the divergent retainer is provided at an upper end thereof with a fixing flange, wherein the fixing flange fixes the suction valve to the housing, and wherein a lower end of the exhaust valve is stably rested on the fixing flange.