Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02836727 2015-12-30
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN ENGINEERED JOINT
[00011
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to systems and methods for engineered
joints of
flexible structures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] Features and advantages of the various embodiments, and the
manner of attaining
them, will become more apparent and will be better understood by reference to
the
accompanying drawings.
[0004] Figure la is a cross-section view along the line A-A in Figure
lb, and Figure lb is
a side elevation view of an engineered joint of a flexible structure according
to multiple
embodiments and alternatives;
[0005] Figure 2 is a top plan view of loops of the engineered joint
according to multiple
embodiments and alternatives;
[0006] Figure 3 is a front elevation view of a flexible structure with
the engineered joint
according to multiple embodiments and alternatives;
[0007] Figure 4 is a cross-section view of an engineered joint of a
flexible structure
according to multiple embodiments and alternatives;
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[0008] Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the engineered joint
according to multiple
embodiments and alternatives;
[0009] Figure 6 is a top plan view of a loop of the engineered joint
according to multiple
embodiments and alternatives;
[0010] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a reinforcing membrane of the
engineered joint
according to multiple embodiments and alternatives; and
[0011] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a loop of the engineered
joint according to
multiple embodiments and alternatives.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The following description and drawings illustrate embodiments
sufficiently to
enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It is to be
understood that the
disclosure is not limited to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set
forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
For example, other
embodiments may incorporate structural, chronological, electrical, process,
and other changes.
Examples merely typify possible variations. Individual components and
functions are optional
unless explicitly required, and the sequence of operations may vary. Portions
and features of
some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of others. The
scope of the
application encompasses the appended claims and all available equivalents. The
following
description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense.
[0013] Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is
for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use
of "including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass
the items listed
thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited
otherwise, the
terms "connected," "coupled," and "mounted," and variations thereof herein are
used broadly
and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings.
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[0014] Turning now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures
la, lb, 4 and 5,
example embodiments of an engineered joint 150 of a flexible structure are
illustrated. The joint
150 includes a hinge pin 30 and loops 14. The loops 14 extend from or are
attached to
membranes 12 on modules 20, wrap around the hinge pin 30, and back to the
modules 20
connecting them together. In certain embodiments, the engineered joint may be
used as part of
flexible structures to assist with separating or isolating liquids, such as
those described in U.S.
Patent No. 6,554,534 to Butterfield (entitled "Flexible structure and method
for controlling the
quality of liquids")
[0015] In multiple embodiments, the membranes 12 are resilient
impermeable
membranes, such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 6,554,534 to
Butterfield. In certain
embodiments, the membrane 12 is a vulcanized rubber, such as silicone rubber
reinforced with a
high strength silica filament or other non-corrosive fiber strong enough to
resist tensile forces
without elongating. However, the membrane 12 may consist of any other material
that can be
reinforced with various fibers for specific tensile loads, withstand a variety
of chemicals and
temperature extremes without physical or chemical change and be pigmented or
coated with
various colors, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, nylon or vinyl,
for example.
[0016] In some embodiments, the membranes 12 may form single layer
square-shaped
modules, such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 6,554,534 to Butterfield.
The modules may
be made and used in triangles, rectangles or any other shape, size or
proportion. For example,
the modules may be square-shaped and have a height of approximately four feet
and a width of
approximately four feet. The modules may be pigmented or coated with any
color, including
reflective finishes. In some embodiments, for example, the membranes may be
white to retard
marine growth.
[0017] In some embodiments, the module 20 consists of a foamed core
22 sandwiched
between two layers of the impermeable membrane 12, such as that described in
U.S. Patent No.
6,554,534 to Butterfield. In such embodiments, the two layers of the
impermeable membrane 12
may be sealed together at the edges of the module 20, with loops 14 at
specific edges, and not at
others. The module 20 may be made and used in triangles, rectangles or any
other shape, size or
proportion. For example, the module 20 may be square-shaped and have a height
of
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approximately four feet and a width of approximately four feet. The module may
be pigmented
or coated with any color, including reflective finishes. In some embodiments,
for example, the
membranes may be white to retard marine growth.
[0018] In certain embodiments, the foam core 22 is a polystyrene
block, foamed with a
high volume of air or inert gas for lightness and high resistance to heat
transfer, or insulation
value. However, the core 22 may consist of any other material, either rigid or
flexible, that can
retain its large-celled sealed structure without deteriorating or failing due
to chemical or physical
impact, or the module may have no core 22.
[0019] In some embodiments, the loops 14 are formed continuously from
the same
material as the membrane 12. In other embodiments, the loops 14 may be
attached to the
membrane 12. The loops 14 may be formed from a vulcanized rubber, such as
silicone rubber
reinforced with a high strength silica filament or other non-corrosive fiber
strong enough to resist
tensile forces without elongating. However, the loops 14 may consist of any
other material that
can resist tensile loads, be reinforced with various fibers for specific
strength, withstand a variety
of chemicals and temperature extremes without physical or chemical change and
be pigmented
or coated with various colors, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber,
nylon or vinyl, for
example. In some embodiments, the loops 14 may be attached to the membranes 12
using an
adhesive that cures to a solid form of the same material as the membranes. In
certain
embodiments, the adhesive is room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone
rubber. However,
the loops 14 may be attached to the membrane 12 using any other material that
can resist tensile
loads and withstand a variety of chemicals and temperature extremes without
physical or
chemical change, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, nylon or vinyl,
for example.
[0020] The loops 14 may be made and used in rectangles, squares,
parallelograms or any
other shape, size or proportion. As illustrated in Figure 2, the loops 14 may
be a parallelogram,
and as illustrated in Figure 6, the loops may be a rectangle. In some
embodiments, the loops 14
have a length t perpendicular to an edge 220 of the membrane 12 or
perpendicular to an axis of
rotation of the hinge pin. In certain embodiments, the length t may be
approximately the
circumference of the hinge pin, which may reduce seepage of liquids, for
example, through the
joint 150. In some embodiments, the loops 14 have a width co parallel to the
edge 220 of the
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membrane 12. In certain embodiments, the width co may be approximately two
inches, three
inches or five inches.
[0021] In some embodiments, the loops 14 may extend from the membrane
12 of the
module 20 at an angle to a cross-section plane, at line A-A (shown in Figure
lb), of the hinge
pin. In certain embodiments, the width co may be approximately two inches and
the loops 14
may make approximately a fourteen degree angle with the cross-section plane at
line A-A. In
other embodiments, the loops 14 may extend from the membrane 12 of the module
20 parallel to
the cross-section plane at line A-A or substantially perpendicular to the edge
220 of the
membrane 12, for example, in some embodiments with a single layer module or
with a double
o layer of membranes sandwiching a buoyant core. In certain embodiments,
the width o) may be
approximately two inches and the loops 14 may wrap around the hinge pin
parallel to the cross-
section plane at line A-A or substantially perpendicular to the axis of
rotation of the hinge pin 30.
[0022] In some embodiments, a tab portion 240 may extend from the
loops 14. In some
embodiments, the tab portions 240 are formed continuously from the same
material as the loops
14. In other embodiments, the tab portions 240 may be attached to the loops
14. The tab
portions 240 may be formed from a vulcanized rubber, such as silicone rubber
reinforced with a
high strength silica filament or other non-corrosive fiber strong enough to
resist tensile forces
without elongating. However, the tab portions 240 may consist of any other
material that can
resist tensile loads, be reinforced with various fibers for specific strength,
withstand a variety of
chemicals and temperature extremes without physical or chemical change and be
pigmented or
coated with various colors, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, nylon
or vinyl, for
example. In some embodiments, the tab portions 240 may be attached to the
loops 14 using an
adhesive that cures to a solid form of the same material as the membranes. In
certain
embodiments, the adhesive is room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone
rubber. However,
the tab portions 240 may be attached to the loops 14 using any other material
that can resist
tensile loads and withstand a variety of chemicals and temperature extremes
without physical or
chemical change, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, nylon or vinyl,
for example.
[0023] The tab portion 240 may be made and used in rectangles,
squares, parallelograms
or any other shape, size or proportion. For example, it may be rectangular and
have a width
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approximately two times the width co of the loops 14. In certain embodiments,
the width lir may
be approximately four inches, six inches or ten inches.
[0024] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the loops 14 may include
apertures 60 positioned at
or near the tab portions 240. In some embodiments, the apertures 60 may be
slits. The apertures
60 may have a width approximately one half of the width co of the loops 14. In
certain
embodiments, the width of the apertures may be one inch and the width of the
loops may be two
inches, the width of the apertures may be one and a half inches and the width
of the loops may be
three inches or the width of the apertures may be two and a half inches and
the width of the loops
may be five inches.
[0025] As illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 7, the joint 150 may be
reinforced with a
reinforcing membrane 15 positioned over the apertures 60. The reinforcing
membrane 15 may
be formed from a vulcanized rubber, such as silicone rubber reinforced with a
high strength silica
filament or other non-corrosive fiber strong enough to resist tensile forces
without elongating.
However, the reinforcing membrane 15 may consist of any other material that
can resist tensile
loads, be reinforced with various fibers for specific strength, withstand a
variety of chemicals
and temperature extremes without physical or chemical change and be pigmented
or coated with
various colors, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, nylon or vinyl,
for example. In
some embodiments, the reinforcing membrane 15 may be attached to the loops 14
and the tab
portions 240 using an adhesive that cures to a solid form of the same material
as the membranes.
In certain embodiments, the adhesive is room temperature vulcanizing (RTV)
silicone rubber.
However, the reinforcing membrane 15 may be attached to the loops 14 and the
tab portions 240
using any other material that can resist tensile loads and withstand a variety
of chemicals and
temperature extremes without physical or chemical change, such as
polypropylene, polyethylene,
rubber, nylon or vinyl, for example.
[0026] The reinforcing membrane 15 may be made and used in rectangles,
squares or any
other shape, size or proportion. For example, it may be rectangular and have a
width
approximately equal to the width (1) of the loops 14.
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[0027] Returning to Figures la, lb, 4 and 5, in some embodiments,
the hinge pin 30 is a
buoyant, hollow tube of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). However, it may
consist of any
other non-corrosive, resilient and durable material of adequate rigidity,
shearing and bearing
strength, such as rigid nylon or wood. In some embodiments, the hinge pin 30
is slightly less
than four feet in length. In other embodiments, it may be approximately five
or six feet in
length.
[0028] In multiple embodiments, the loops 14 wrap around the hinge
pin 30 to connect
the modules 20, creating a flexible connection that assists flexible
structures in yielding to
waves, currents and impact loads and in converting impact loads into tensile
stresses. In some
embodiments, the loops 14 from an upper module and a lower module wrap around
the hinge pin
30 adjacent to one another. The loops 14 may extend parallel to the cross-
section plane at line
A-A or substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hinge pin
30. The loops 14 may
also make an angle a with the cross-section plane at line A-A, for example, in
some
embodiments with two layers of membranes. In certain embodiments, the angle a
may be
approximately fourteen degrees.
[0029] As illustrated in Figures la and lb, in some embodiments, the
loops 14 extend
from one layer of membrane 12 to wrap around the hinge pin 30 in a spiral
manner and cross to
attach to the other layer of membrane 12 of the module. In such embodiments,
when a vertical
force is exerted on the modules 20 and joint 150, both vertical and horizontal
force components
are exerted on the loops 14. For example, if a vertical tensile force is
exerted on the modules 20
and joint 150, both vertical and horizontal force components are exerted on
the loops 14, the
horizontal component pulling the two layers of membrane 12 together, reducing
any peeling
action of the tab portions 240 and the membranes 12 and increasing strength
and durability of the
joint 150.
[0030] As shown in Figure lb, in certain embodiments, the loops 14 from an
upper
module and a lower module may wrap around the hinge pin 30 such that the loops
from the
upper and lower modules interweave with or cross one another as they wrap
around the hinge pin
30. Such an arrangement of the loops 14 may further reduce any peeling action
of the tab
portions 240 and the membranes 12 and increase strength and durability of the
joint 150. In
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other embodiments, the loops 14 from an upper module and a lower module may
extend around
the hinge pin 30 such that the loops from the upper and lower modules do not
interweave with or
cross one another.
[0031] As illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 8, in some embodiments, the
loops 14 attach to
one layer of membrane 12, wrap around the hinge pin 30, cross over themselves
and hook
together in apertures 60 and attach to the other layer of membrane 12 of the
module. In such
embodiments, when a vertical force is exerted on the modules 20 and joint 150,
both vertical and
horizontal force components are exerted on the loops 14. By crossing the
loops, the horizontal
component pulls the two layers of membrane 12 together, reduces any peeling
action of the tab
portions 240 and the membranes 12 and increases strength and durability of the
joint 150. In
certain embodiments, the joint 150 may be reinforced with the reinforcing
membrane 15
positioned over the apertures 60. The reinforcing membrane 15 may further
increase strength
and durability of the joint 150.
100321 In multiple embodiments, the loops 14 are attached back to the
membranes 12
after they extend around the hinge pin 30. In some embodiments, the tab
portion 240 is attached
back to the membranes 12. In some embodiments, the loops 14 are attached back
to the
membranes 12 using an adhesive that cures to a solid form of the same material
as the
membranes. In certain embodiments, the adhesive is room temperature
vulcanizing (RTV)
silicone rubber. However, the loops 14 may be attached to the membrane 12
using any other
material that can resist tensile loads and withstand a variety of chemicals
and temperature
extremes without physical or chemical change, such as polypropylene,
polyethylene, rubber,
nylon or vinyl, for example.
[0033] Persons of skill in the art will recognize that the engineered
joint of the present
invention provides features that may be used to good advantage in a variety of
applications. For
example, embodiments of the engineered joint resist chemical deterioration and
marine growth
from long exposure in seawater and so are more durable than materials used in
conventional
concrete and steel structures. Embodiments of the engineered joint also assist
flexible structures
in changing form with tidal motion or flooding, thereby reducing bending
stresses. Thin
membranes that resist only tension stresses are much cheaper than conventional
rigid structures
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that resist bending stresses. In addition, embodiments of the engineered joint
assist flexible
structures in yielding to waves, currents and impact loads, converting them
into tensile stresses
too. Embodiments of the joint also pull layers of membranes together, reduce
any peeling action
of the membranes and increase joint strength and durability.
[0034] As illustrated in Figure 3, embodiments of the engineered joint may
be used as
part of a flexible structure to assist with separating or isolating liquids.
Advantages of flexible
structures with embodiments of the engineered joint include: convenient volume
and mass to
facilitate handling, transportation and floating; simple parts and their
assembly facilitating
installing, removal, repair and replacement by unskilled workers; ease of
dismantling to
io encourage easier government agency approvals for use in near shore
waters than for
conventional rigid structures; anchoring methods that simplify positioning the
structures; greater
economy than conventional structures; inert material that renders it more
durable than
conventional structures; buoyancy and flexibility that simplify stress
patterns and reduce the
material needed to resist them, further lowering the cost compared to rigid
structures; hinges to
avoid fatigue failure caused by repeated reverse bending; reduced seepage so
it cannot affect
liquids on the other side; improved isolation and separation, which improve
filter efficiency by
maintaining a low head on the pump; insulation against heat transfer through
the structures;
hinging methods to allow forms that adapt to varying water depths;
adaptability to modifications
to accommodate site conditions; flexibility that yields to impact and is safe
for people, fish and
boats; surfaces in various colors to absorb or reflect heat or to design
visual effects for various
esthetic or psychological purposes; and control of water (or other liquid)
quality to motivate uses
that would otherwise be unfeasible in polluted or frigid water.
[0035] The foregoing description of several embodiments has been
presented for
purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
application to the
precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are
possible in light of
the above teaching. It is understood that the invention may be practiced in
ways other than as
specifically set forth herein without departing from the current teachings.
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