# US 11,299,243 B2 · Pneumatic fender and manufacturing method therefor

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- Number: US 11,299,243 B2
- Document ID: US11299243B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/419,907
- Filed: 2019-11-12
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-16
- Assignees: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kouko Tsuchiya
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299243B2

## CPC

- B63B 59/02: 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)
- E02B 3/26: Fenders ({fenders for protecting offshore constructions E02B17/003}; fenders integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor B63B59/02)
- B63B 2059/025: {pneumatic, e.g. inflatable}
- Y02A 30/30: in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)
- E02B: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING (ship-lifting E02C; dredging E02F)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

A cord angle of reinforcing layers having a bias structure constituting a body portion is set to 25° or more and 45° or less in a neutral state of a body. Reinforcing layers are bonded with a bonding member interposed between the reinforcing layers, the bonding member disposed in a space between the reinforcing layers facing in the cylinder axial direction of the body portion and a hemispherical portion. The layered bonding members have the same bias structure as the reinforcing layers of the body portion. A cord angle of the bonding member is set to ±10° of the cord angle of the reinforcing layers of the body portion. The spaces have a plurality of different sizes. One set of ends of the spaces are set to a plurality of different positions, and the other set of ends are also set to a plurality of different positions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pneumatic fender which comprises a body comprising a body portion having a cylindrical shape, and a hemispherical portion having a bowl shape connected to both ends of the body portion, in which the body is constituted by a plurality of reinforcing layers layered between an inner layer rubber and an outer layer rubber, each of the reinforcing layers in the body portion is formed of multiple cords aligned to extend in parallel at a predetermined cord angle with respect to a cylinder axial direction, the cords of the reinforcing layers layered adjacently have an intersecting bias structure, and the cord angle in a neutral state where the body is not expanded is set to 25° or more and 45° or less,
both end portions in the cylinder axial direction of each of the reinforcing layers of the body portion and each of the corresponding reinforcing layers of the hemispherical portion facing each other with a space,
members facing each other being bonded with a bonding member interposed between the members facing each other, the bonding member disposed in each of the spaces,
each of the bonding members being formed of multiple cords aligned to extend in parallel,
the multiple cords of the bonding members extending in an orientation identical to an orientation of the cords of a corresponding bonding target reinforcing layer of the body portion,
a cord angle of the cords of the bonding members being set to ±10° of the cord angle of the cords of the bonding target reinforcing layer in a neutral state where the body is not expanded, and
the spaces having a plurality of different sizes, one set of ends of the spaces being set to a plurality of different positions, and an other set of ends of the spaces being set to a plurality of different positions, with respect to a circumferential direction of the hemispherical portion having an arcuate shape in a side view of the body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic fender according to claim 1, wherein the size of each of the spaces increases as it approaches an inner circumferential side of the body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic fender according to claim 1, wherein each of the bonding members is disposed in each of the spaces as a single-layer sheet member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pneumatic fender according to claim 1, wherein
the number of reinforcing layers constituting the body portion and each of the hemispherical portions is six or more,
in the sixth or more reinforcing layers from an outer circumferential side of the body to an inner circumferential side, the bonding member and another bonding member bonded to the hemispherical portion-side end portion of the bonding member are disposed in the space corresponding to the reinforcing layer,
the members facing each other with the space therebetween are bonded with the bonding member and the other bonding member interposed between the members facing each other, the bonding member and the other bonding member disposed in the space, and
a cord angle of the other bonding member is set to be smaller than the cord angle of the bonding member being bonded.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method of manufacturing the pneumatic fender according to claim 1, the method comprising:
using a molding mold for the body portion having a cylindrical shape and a molding mold for the hemispherical portion having a bowl shape connected to both ends of the molding mold for the body portion to create a state in which the molding mold for the body portion and the molding molds for the hemispherical portion are separated;
layering the reinforcing layers constituting the body portion on an inner side of the molding mold for the body portion;
layering the reinforcing layers constituting the hemispherical portion on an inner side of each of the molding molds for the hemispherical portion;
connecting the molding molds for the hemispherical portion to both ends of the molding mold for the body portion so that both end portions in the cylinder axial direction of each of the reinforcing layers constituting the body portion and each of the corresponding reinforcing layers of the hemispherical portion face each other with a space;
sequentially disposing the bonding members in the respective spaces to form a reinforcing body formed of the reinforcing layers; and
vulcanizing a bladder in which unvulcanized rubbers that form the outer layer rubber and the inner layer rubber are layered on an outer surface and an inner surface of the reinforcing body under predetermined conditions to obtain the body.