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US 12,617,496 B2Granted
Mechanical connection device, designed for the removable mechanical connection of the free ends of two offshore lines
AssigneeNov-Blm
InventorPhilippe Busson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a mechanical connection device designed for the detachable mechanical connection of the free ends of two offshore lines, advantageously a mooring line and a messenger line. The mechanical connection device includes two modules that are attached to a free end of the offshore lines. The mechanical connection device includes a locking unit that includes an operating member, to operate the locking unit from a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration. The operating member is movable between two positions with a translational degree of freedom parallel to the longitudinal axis of the modules in the assembled state, preferably in a downstream to upstream direction.
Claims19
A mechanical connection device for a detachable mechanical connection of the free ends of two offshore lines, said mechanical connection device comprising:
- two modules including a first module, upstream, including a first attachment system configured to attach to a free end of a first offshore line, and a second module, downstream, including a second attachment system configured to attach to a free end of a second offshore line, said modules being configured for relative movement between two states including
- an assembled state, in which the modules are assembled and define a longitudinal axis, said first module defining an upstream end and said second module defining a downstream end, and
- a disassembled state, in which the modules are separated from each other;
- and
- a locking system that has two configurations including a locked configuration, in which the modules are locked in said assembled state, and an unlocked configuration, in which the modules are operable between said assembled state and said disassembled state, said locking system including an operating member, to operate the locking system from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration, the operating member being movable between two positions according to a translational degree of freedom parallel to the longitudinal axis of the modules in the assembled state including an initial position, in which the locking system is in the locked configuration, and a final position, in which the locking system is in the unlocked configuration,
- wherein, in the assembled state, the modules are linked by a degradable link member that is configured to be broken upon passage from the assembled state to the disassembled state.
3 more elements
A mechanical connection device for a detachable mechanical connection of the free ends of two offshore lines, said mechanical connection device comprising:
- two modules including a first module, upstream, including a first attachment system configured to attach to a free end of a first offshore line, and a second module, downstream, including a second attachment system configured to attach to a free end of a second offshore line, said modules being configured for relative movement between two states including
- an assembled state, in which the modules are assembled and define a longitudinal axis, said first module defining an upstream end and said second module defining a downstream end, and
- a disassembled state, in which the modules are separated from each other;
- and
- a locking system that has two configurations including a locked configuration, in which the modules are locked in said assembled state, and an unlocked configuration, in which the modules are operable between said assembled state and said disassembled state, said locking system including an operating member, to operate the locking system from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration, the operating member being movable between two positions according to a translational degree of freedom parallel to the longitudinal axis of the modules in the assembled state including an initial position, in which the locking system is in the locked configuration, and a final position, in which the locking system is in the unlocked configuration,
- wherein the second module comprises a tubular body including two cylindrical surfaces including an inner cylindrical surface defining a housing configured to receive the first module in the assembled state, and an outer cylindrical surface along which the operating member is guided with said translational degree of freedom,
- wherein the operating member consists of a ring having:
- an inner cylindrical surface, conforming the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular body for translation guiding, and a downstream annular surface,
- wherein the downstream annular surface is frustoconical and forms a bearing surface.
6 more elements
A floating structure comprising:
- a fairlead provided with a blocking system configured to block a mooring line in translation in an upstream-to-downstream direction, said fairlead being associated with a mooring line including a second module of a mechanical connection device, in the disassembled state,
- wherein the mechanical connection device is configured for a detachable mechanical connection of the free ends of two offshore lines, said mechanical connection device comprising:
- two modules including a first module, upstream, including a first attachment system configured to attach to a free end of a first offshore line, and a second module, downstream, including a second attachment system configured to attach to a free end of a second offshore line, said modules being configured for relative movement between two states including
- an assembled state, in which the modules are assembled and define a longitudinal axis, said first module defining an upstream end and said second module defining a downstream end, and
- a disassembled state, in which the modules are separated from each other, and
- a locking system that has two configurations including a locked configuration, in which the modules are locked in said assembled state, and an unlocked configuration, in which the modules are operable between said assembled state and said disassembled state, said locking system including an operating member, to operate the locking system from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration, the operating member being movable between two positions according to a translational degree of freedom parallel to the longitudinal axis of the modules in the assembled state including an initial position, in which the locking system is in the locked configuration, and a final position, in which the locking system is in the unlocked configuration, and
- wherein the translation blocking system, in an active position, is configured to block the operating member in translation in the upstream-to-downstream direction and generate a translational operation of the operating member from the initial position to the final position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.