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US 7,823,525 B2Granted
Floating platform method and apparatus
AssigneeFloat
InventorsNeal A. Brown, Donald A. Innis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A floating platform is provided. The floating platform includes a top surface (14), a plurality of buoyancy members (12) interconnected to the top surface and extending downwardly into a body of water, a bottom plate (16) and a plurality of interstitial volumes (24) that are sealed at a bottom end by the bottom plate to prevent the flow of water into the interstitial volume.
Claims20
A floating platform, comprising:
- a top plate;
- a plurality of variable buoyancy members configured in an array, each variable buoyancy member having an open bottom end, and a closed top end coupled to the top plate, wherein two or more variable buoyancy members are in controlled communication such that a flow of air between the two or more variable buoyancy members is controllable;
- a plurality of vertical partitions, each laterally and longitudinally interconnecting two or more of the plurality of variable buoyancy members;
- a bottom plate configured to leave at least one open bottom end of at least one variable buoyancy member exposed to a volume of water;
- and
- at least one interstitial volume defined by the vertical partitions interconnecting three or more variable buoyancy members, the at least one interstitial volume being sealed to prevent inflow of the volume of water into the interstitial volume.
3 more elements
A floating platform, comprising:
- a top plate;
- a plurality of variable buoyancy members configured in an array, each variable buoyancy member having an open bottom end, and a closed top end coupled to the top plate;
- a plurality of vertical partitions, each laterally and longitudinally interconnecting two or more of the plurality of variable buoyancy members;
- a bottom plate configured to leave at least one open bottom end of at least one variable buoyancy member exposed to a volume of water;
- at least one interstitial volume defined by the vertical partitions interconnecting three or more variable buoyancy members, the at least one interstitial volume being sealed to prevent inflow of the volume of water into the interstitial volume;
- wherein the array of variable buoyancy members include, a first array of variable buoyancy members and interstitial volumes, and a second array of buoyancy members and interstitial volumes;
- one or more air ducts interconnecting one or more buoyancy members and/or one or more interstitial volumes of the first array with one or more buoyancy members and/or one or more interstitial volumes of the second array;
- and
- a network of valves placed within the one or more airducts to controllably allow air to exchange between the first array and the second array.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.