Modular frame system and method for holding subsea equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9353889-B2
Application number	US-201414258929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Apr 22, 2014
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A modular subsea equipment assembly including a modular base frame and a plurality of modular superstructure devices for selective attachment to the modular base frame for supporting various components and for attachment to underwater cables. The modular base frame includes a frame member forming an outer periphery of the base frame, and a plurality of cross bars extending between opposite portions of the frame member in one or more directions, the frame member and cross bars having at least upper surfaces each having a plurality of connection points for attaching selected modular devices of the assembly to the base frame in a plurality of different possible configurations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular subsea equipment assembly, comprising:
a modular base frame;
a plurality of modular superstructure devices configured for selective attachment to the modular base frame in a plurality of different possible configurations of two or more modular superstructure devices, each modular superstructure device comprising a mounting device for supporting or attachment to a respective component of an underwater system, and a base mount configured for attachment to the upper surface of the base frame;
a cover member of trawl-resistant shape having a peripheral rim configured for attachment to the base frame and enclosing the superstructure devices on the base frame;
the modular base frame comprising a frame member forming an outer periphery of the base frame, and a plurality of cross bars extending between opposite portions of the frame member in one or more directions, the frame member and cross bars having at least upper surfaces each having a plurality of connection points for attaching selected modular superstructure devices to the base frame in a plurality of different possible configurations, wherein the connection points on the frame member and cross bars together and independently form multiple arrays of connection points of different sizes and with different numbers of connection points;
each base mount of the respective modular superstructure devices including an array of connection points configured for alignment with connection points of any selected array on the modular base frame of size matching the array of connection points on the respective base mount;
a plurality of fasteners configured for attachment of respective base mounts of selected superstructure devices to the base frame via aligned connection points of the respective base mount and the selected matching array of connection points on the base frame; and
wherein the cover member is of truncated square pyramid shape having two inclined side walls, two inclined end walls, a top wall, and an inwardly extending, peripheral rim extending around the lower ends of the end walls and side walls, the peripheral rim of the cover member being of shape and dimensions substantially matching those of the peripheral frame member and having a plurality of connection points configured for alignment with matching connection points on the peripheral frame member and for attachment to the base frame via fasteners at some or all of the aligned cover member and peripheral frame member connection points when the cover member is engaged over equipment mounted on the base frame with the inwardly extending peripheral rim seated on top of the peripheral frame member.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connection points on the base frame comprise threaded or unthreaded mounting holes, the connection points on the superstructure devices comprise openings for alignment with the mounting holes, and the fasteners are selected from the group consisting of screws, bolts, pins, nails, and rivets.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base frame has a rectangular peripheral frame member having side portions and end portions, and the cross bars comprise at least two first cross bars extending between opposite end portions of the frame and at least one second cross bar extending between opposite side portions of the frame and intersecting the first cross bars at cross-over points.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein connection points are provided at equally spaced intervals around the peripheral frame and along each cross bar.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein there are two first cross bars spaced a predetermined first distance apart and each spaced a predetermined second distance from the respective adjacent side portion of the base frame, the first distance being different from the second distance, at least some of said superstructure devices have mounting bases with connection points spaced apart by said first distance and at least some of said superstructure devices have mounting bases with connection points spaced apart by said second distance.

6. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein at least one cross bar is wider than the other cross bars and has two spaced rows of equally spaced connection points along its length, the two rows being spaced apart by a third distance less than the first and second distances, and at least some of said superstructure devices have mounting bases with connection points spaced apart by said third distance.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of modular superstructure devices comprise at least one or more first modular superstructure devices selected from the group consisting of: swivel cable terminations, fixed cable terminations, cable connector manifolds, U-shaped supports, and subsea electronics module (SEM) end support brackets.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of modular superstructure devices further comprise one or more second modular superstructure devices configured for attachment to the support frame at a raised height above the support frame via one or more of the first modular superstructure devices.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the one or more second modular superstructure devices are selected from the group consisting of a subsea electronics module (SEM), a lowering and lifting cable clevis, and a swivel cable termination.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the U-shaped supports comprise at least a tall U-shaped support and a short U-shaped support which is shorter in height than said tall U-shaped support, each U-shaped support having an upper mounting member and a pair of legs depending from the upper mounting member, the upper mounting member having an array of connection points for attaching a selected second modular superstructure device to the U-shaped support, and a pair of foot plates, each foot plate attached to the lower end of a respective leg, the foot plates each having connection points and comprising said mounting base for attaching the U-shaped support to the base frame.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the selected second modular superstructure devices further comprise a cable clevis and a cable swivel mount for selective attachment of a lowering and lifting cable to a selected U-shaped support.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connection points on the base frame comprise threaded or unthreaded mounting holes, and the connection points on the superstructure devices and cover member comprise openings for alignment with the mounting holes.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the cover member has spaced openings around base portions of the side and end walls which are aligned with respective openings around the peripheral rim of the cover member for engagement with fasteners extending through the openings in the side and end walls and aligned openings in the peripheral rim and into respective aligned mounting holes in the peripheral frame member of the base frame.

14. A modular base frame for holding subsea equipment comprising:
a peripheral frame member forming an outer periphery;
a plurality of cross bars extending between opposite portions of the frame member in one or more directions to define spaces between adjacent cross bars and between the cross bars and adjacent portions of the frame member, the frame member and cross bars having upper and lower surfaces;
the upper surfaces of the frame member and cross bars each having a plurality of equally spaced connection points extending along at least substantially the entire length of the respective frame member and cross bars for attaching selected modular superstructure devices to the base frame in a plura

Assignees

• Teledyne Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Hunter John Bradley
• Widar James
• Mccleary Alan David

Classifications

• H05K7/10

  Plug-in assemblages of components {, e.g. IC sockets} · CPC title

• E21B41/08

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

• E21B41/0007 Primary

  for underwater installations (E21B41/005, E21B41/04, E21B41/06, E21B41/08, E21B41/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16L3/00 Primary

  Supports for pipes, cables or protective tubing, e.g. hangers, holders, clamps, cleats, clips, brackets (anchors for holding pipes on or under the ground F16L1/06; noise absorbers in the form of specially adapted hangers or supports F16L55/035; arrangements specially adapted for supporting insulated bodies F16L59/12) · CPC title