Resilient bumper and bumper system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685486-B2
Application number	US-202117149183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2021
Priority date	Jan 14, 2021
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a resilient bumper that comprises an arc-shaped spring member that extends from a first end to a second end along a spring axis and includes an impact surface arranged between the first and second ends; and a support member that includes an attachment interface that extends in parallel to the spring axis of the spring member and is configured to releasably engage the first and second ends of the spring member. A bumper system and a marine structure are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A resilient bumper, comprising
an arc-shaped spring member that extends from a first end to a second end along a spring axis and comprises an impact surface arranged between the first and second ends; and
a support member that comprises an attachment interface that extends in parallel to the spring axis of the spring member and is configured to releasably engage the first and second ends of the spring member, wherein the attachment interface comprises a slot formed in a surface of the support member,
wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the spring member are moveably mounted to the attachment interface, wherein a deflection of the spring member increases a distance between the first and second ends of the spring member along the spring axis,
wherein the first end of the spring member comprises a first pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the first end of the spring member, and the second end of the spring member comprises a second pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the second end of the spring member, wherein the first and second pair of rollers are configured to roll along a surface of the support member as the first and second ends move along the attachment interface.

2. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the spring member comprises a leaf spring comprising a spring steel, a fiber-reinforced material, a resin, a composite material, or a combination thereof.

3. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the spring member comprises a stacked leaf spring that comprises a stack of arc-shaped spring leaves and one or more clamps to clamp the stack of spring leaves.

4. The bumper of claim 3 , wherein each spring leaf comprises a spring steel, a fiber-reinforced material, a resin, a composite material, or a combination thereof.

5. The bumper of claim 3 , the stacked leaf spring further comprising a flat bumper plate that forms the impact surface, wherein the clamp presses the bumper plate against the stack of spring leaves.

6. The bumper of claim 1 ,
wherein the first end of the spring member comprises a first sliding pin and the second end of the spring member comprises a second sliding pin,
wherein the slot is configured to receive a shaft portion of each of the first and second sliding pins, and
wherein the first and second sliding pin each comprise a head portion connected to the shaft portion and having an outer diameter larger than a width of an opening of the slot.

7. The bumper of claim 6 , wherein the attachment interface comprises one or more insertion openings that are sized to accommodate the head portion of the first and second sliding pins and communicate with the slot.

8. The bumper of claim 7 , wherein the one or more insertion openings are offset laterally to the spring axis and connected to the slot by a respective connection portion.

9. The bumper of claim 6 , wherein the slot comprises a first slot segment configured to receive the shaft portion of the first sliding pin and a second slot segment configured to receive the shaft portion of the second sliding pin, wherein the first and second slot segments are separate from one another.

10. The bumper of claim 6 , wherein the slot comprises a hook portion that supports the first or the second sliding pin at a fixed vertical position along the spring axis.

11. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pairs of rollers are received within the support member and configured to travel along an inner surface of the support member, wherein the attachment interface comprises an opening through which the spring member extends.

12. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the spring member comprises a composite material and one or more optic fiber sensors embedded in the composite material, wherein the one or more optic fiber sensors are configured to detect a load as the spring member deflects.

13. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the support member includes one or more mounting holes for mounting the support member.

14. A bumper system comprising:
a plurality of resilient bumpers, each resilient bumper comprising:
an arc-shaped spring member that extends from a first end to a second end along a spring axis and comprises an impact surface arranged between the first and second ends, and
a support member that comprises a slot formed in a surface of the support member and that extends in parallel to the spring axis of the spring member and is configured to releasably engage the first and second ends of the spring member; and
a frame to which the support member of each of the plurality of resilient bumpers is connected, such that the resilient bumpers are aligned along a frame axis substantially transverse to the spring axis of each resilient bumper,
wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the spring member are moveably mounted to the slot, wherein a deflection of the spring member increases a distance between the first and second ends of the spring member along the spring axis,
wherein the first end of the spring member comprises a first pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the first end of the spring member, and the second end of the spring member comprises a second pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the second end of the spring member, wherein the first and second pair of rollers are configured to roll along a surface of the support member as the first and second ends move along the slot.

15. The bumper system of claim 14 , further comprising a load panel that extends along the frame axis and covers the resilient bumpers, wherein each of the spring members of the plurality of resilient bumpers comprises a flat bumper plate configured to engage the load panel.

16. The bumper system of claim 14 , wherein each of the spring members comprises a composite material and one or more optic fiber sensors embedded in the composite material, wherein the one or more optic fiber sensors are configured to detect a load as the spring member deflects.

17. A marine structure comprising:
a plurality of resilient bumpers, each resilient bumper comprising
an arc-shaped spring member that extends from a first end to a second end along a spring axis and comprises an impact surface arranged between the first and second ends, and
a support member that comprises a slot formed in a surface of the support member and that extends in parallel to the spring axis of the spring member and is configured to releasably engage the first and second ends of the spring member; and

a frame to which the support member of each of the plurality of resilient bumpers is connected, such that the resilient bumpers are aligned along a frame axis substantially transverse to the spring axis of each resilient bumper, wherein the frame is configured to rest on the seabed,
wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the spring member are moveably mounted to the attachment interface, wherein a deflection of the spring member increases a distance between the first and second ends of the spring member along the spring axis,
wherein the first end of the spring member comprises a first pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the first end of the spring member, and the second end of the spring member comprises a second pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the second end of the spring member, wherein the first and second pair of rollers are configured to roll along a surface of the support member as the first and second ends move along the attachment interface.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Khodr Rabih A

Classifications

• B63B59/00 Primary

  Hull protection specially adapted for vessels; Cleaning devices specially adapted for vessels {(inhibiting corrosion of metals by anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00)} · CPC title

• E02B17/003 Primary

  Fenders · CPC title

• B63B59/02

  Fenders integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor, {e.g. fenders forming part of the hull or incorporated in the hull}; Rubbing-strakes (fenders on coasts, in harbours or on other fixed marine structures E02B3/26) · CPC title

• E02B3/26

  Fenders ({fenders for protecting offshore constructions E02B17/003}; fenders integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor B63B59/02) · CPC title