# US 2014/0190393 A1 · Tank support structure and floating construction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190393 A1 - Document ID: US20140190393A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/238,406 - Filed: 2012-07-20 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-12 - Assignees: Japan Marine United Corporation - Inventors: Eiji Aoki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190393A1 ## CPC - B63B 25/12: closed - B63B 35/00: Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for - F17C 1/00: Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge (pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 {; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00}) - F17C 2201/052: large (>1000 m3) - F17C 2203/015: Bars - F17C 2203/0631: Three or more walls - F17C 2270/0105: Ships - 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) - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) ## Abstract A tank support structure includes an inclined surface (21) formed on a side surface section of a housing section (2), a plurality of support base sections (22) arranged on the inclined surface (21), and a plurality of support blocks (4) arranged in a bottom surface section (31) of a tank (3) including a portion opposed to the inclined surface (21) and arranged on the support base sections (22). Support block bottom surfaces (41) arranged on the support base sections (22) of the support blocks (4) and support surfaces (22a) of the support base sections (22) that support the support blocks (4) have surfaces parallel to a plane (S) including a segment (CC′) connecting two contact points (a first contact point (C) and a second contact point (C′)) with the tank (3) in each of the support blocks (4) and a straight line (Lf) passing a fixed point (F) of the tank (3) and parallel to the segment (CC′). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tank support structure comprising: a tank mounted on a housing section formed in a floating construction; the tank support structure comprising: an inclined surface or a multistage surface formed on a side surface section of the housing section; a plurality of support base sections arranged on the inclined surface or the multistage surface; and a plurality of support blocks arranged in a bottom surface section of the tank including a portion opposed to the inclined surface or the multistage surface and arranged on the support base sections, wherein support block bottom surfaces arranged on the support base sections of the support blocks and support surfaces of the support base sections that support the support blocks have surfaces parallel to a plane including a segment connecting two contact points with the tank in each of the support blocks and a straight line passing a fixed point of the tank and parallel to the segment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, comprising: a locking base section arranged in a bottom surface center section of the housing section; and a locking block arranged in a bottom surface center section of the tank and arranged on the locking base section, wherein the fixed point is formed by locking the locking block to the locking base section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The tank support structure according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the locking base section is arranged along a center line direction of the floating construction and at least one of the locking base section is arranged along a width direction perpendicular to the center line direction, whereby the fixed point is formed at an intersection of the center line direction and the width direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two contact points is a contact point of the support block with the tank most distant from the fixed point. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, wherein the support surfaces are formed wider than the support block bottom surfaces in an inclining direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, wherein, in the bottom surface section of the tank, an area of the portion opposed to the inclined surface or the multistage surface is formed larger than a portion opposed to the bottom surface section of the housing section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, wherein the tank includes a frame body section that locks the support blocks. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, wherein the tank includes leg sections projecting downward, the support blocks are arranged on the leg sections, and the support block bottom surfaces and the support surfaces are formed with the leg sections set as a part of the tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tank support structure according to claim 1, wherein the tank includes a sidewall section having fixed width along a center line direction of the floating construction or a sidewall section, a width of which changes along the center line direction of the floating construction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 2. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 3. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 4. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 5. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 6. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 7. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 8. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) A floating construction comprising: a main body section supported on water by buoyancy; and a housing section formed in the main body section and having a tank mounted therein, wherein the tank is mounted on the housing section by the tank support structure according to claim 9.