Method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure, hinge and assembly for subsea use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995591-B2
Application number	US-201716098842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2017
Priority date	May 2, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for installing a hatch (34) to a subsea structure (10) by connecting the hatch to the subsea structure by at least one hinge (20) having a first mounting portion (21), a second mounting portion (22), a flexible portion (23) interconnecting the first and second mounting portion allowing a pivot connection between the first and second mounting portion. The installation steps comprise •—inserting a protrusion (23) of the first mounting portion (21) into an installation hole arranged in the subsea structure (10), •—inserting a protrusion (24) of the second mounting portion (22) into an installation hole arranged in the hatch (34), thereby •—engaging the first mounting portion (21) of the hinge (20) for anchorage with the subsea structure (10) and engaging the second mounting portion (22) for anchorage with the hatch (34) thereby arranging for the hatch to pivot between a closed and an open position about a pivot axis provided by the flexible portion of the hinge. The invention also concerns a hinge and an assembly for subsea use.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for installing a hatch to a protective subsea structure comprising:
providing at least one hinge having a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion and a flexible portion interconnecting the first and second mounting portions, the flexible portion providing a pivot connection between the first and second mounting portions;
inserting a first protrusion of the first mounting portion into a first installation hole arranged in the subsea structure, the first protrusion comprising a first insert portion which is configured to be received in the first installation hole and a first abutment portion located at a distal end of the first insert portion which is configured to be inserted through the first installation hole and then expand into engagement with the subsea structure to thereby anchor the first mounting portion to the subsea structure;
inserting a second protrusion of the second mounting portion into a second installation hole arranged in the hatch, the second protrusion comprising a second insert portion which is configured to be received in the second installation hole and a second abutment portion located at a distal end of the second insert portion which is configured to be inserted through the second installation hole and then expand into engagement with the hatch to thereby anchor the second mounting portion to the hatch;
engaging the first mounting portion of the hinge for anchorage with the subsea structure and engaging the second mounting portion of the hinge for anchorage with the hatch, thereby arranging for the hatch to pivot between a closed position and an open position about a pivot axis provided by the flexible portion of the hinge.

2. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the hinge is made of a polymer material.

3. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the hinge is made of polyurethane (PUR).

4. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the hinge is manufactured as a one piece hinge.

5. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising providing the hatch and/or the subsea structure in in one of a Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GRP).

6. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising arranging at least one of the subsea structure and the hatch with a set of installation holes and selecting at least a designated installation hole within the set of installation holes.

7. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
providing at least one of the subsea structure and the hatch with at least a portion of a grated configuration having a plurality of grate openings; and
selecting at least one of the grate openings as a corresponding one of the installation holes.

8. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising manufacturing the installation holes during installation of the hatch/subsea structure.

9. The method for installing a hatch to a subsea structure in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the subsea structure with a grated configuration having a plurality of grate openings and cutting the outline of the hatch in the subsea structure to make the hatch; and then
employing a number of the grate openings of the hatch and the remaining subsea structure as installation holes;
whereby the hatch is positioned at a level with the remaining subsea structure when the hatch is closed and is pivoted away from the level position when the hatch is open.

10. A hinge for subsea use arranged to be connected to a hatch and to a subsea structure, the hinge comprising:
a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, and a flexible portion interconnecting the first and second mounting portions to allow for pivoting movement between the first and second mounting portion about a pivot axis provided in the flexible portion;
the first mounting portion comprising a first protrusion arranged to be accommodated in an installation hole of the subsea structure for anchorage to the subsea structure;
the second mounting structure comprising a second protrusion arranged to be accommodated in an installation hole of the hatch for anchorage to the hatch, such that when the hinge is connected to the hatch and the subsea structure a pivot connection is established for the hatch which allows the hatch to pivot between a closed position and an open position about a pivot axis arranged in the flexible portion of the hinge;
wherein the first protrusion has a first insert portion and a first abutment portion located at a distal end of the first insert portion, the first abutment portion being configured to be inserted through the installation hole in the subsea structure and then expand into engagement with the subsea structure to thereby anchor the first mounting portion to the subsea structure;
wherein the second protrusion has a second insert portion and a second abutment portion located at a distal end of the second insert portion, the second abutment portion being configured to be inserted through the installation hole in the hatch and then expand into engagement with the hatch to thereby anchor the first mounting portion to the hatch; and
wherein the hinge is made of a polymer material.

11. An assembly for subsea use comprising a hatch, a subsea structure and a hinge in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the hinge connects the hatch to the subsea structure, and wherein the installation hole(s) of the hatch extend through the hatch and/or the installation hole(s) of the subsea structure extend through the subsea structure, and wherein the first and second protrusions are accommodated in the respective installation holes for anchorage of the hinge to the hatch and to the subsea structure.

12. The assembly in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the hatch and/or the subsea structure is made of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GRP).

13. The assembly in accordance with claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the subsea structure or at least a portion of the hatch has a grated configuration with a plurality of grate openings, and wherein at least one of the installation holes is formed by one of the grate openings.

14. The hinge of claim 10 , wherein the hinge is made of polyurethane (PUR).

Assignees

• Fmc Kongsberg Subsea As

Inventors

• Horgen Bjørn Martin

Classifications

• E21B41/08 Primary

  Underwater guide bases, e.g. drilling templates; Levelling thereof · CPC title

• E04F19/10

  Built-in gratings, e.g. foot-scrapers · CPC title

• E05D1/02

  made of one piece · CPC title

• E04C2/42

  Gratings; Grid-like panels (reinforcing elements E04C5/00; built-in gratings E04F19/10; gratings in general F16S3/00) · CPC title

• F16S3/08

  forming frameworks, e.g. gratings · CPC title