Patent ID: 7862258

Claim:
A floating standoff system to be deployed on the surface of a body of water for providing a desired minimum standoff distance between a floating device and an adjacent structure, the system comprising: an inner side member; an outer side member; the inner and outer side members being flexible in regions, the standoff distance being dependent upon the distance between the side members; a plurality of compression members disposed between the side members, each compression member having an inward end flexibly connected to the inner side member and an outward end flexibly connected to the outer side member, the inward ends being spaced a first distance apart from each other and the outward ends being spaced a second distance apart from each other; the compression members having a first, collapsed orientation in which the compression members are disposed at first angles relative to the side members such that the distance between the side members is less than the desired standoff distance; and the compression members having a second, deployed orientation in which the compression members are disposed at second angles relative to the side members, the second angles being greater than the first angles such that the distance between the inner side member and the outer side member is substantially equal to or greater than the desired standoff distance.