Structural flotation device
First Claim
1. A structural flotation device, comprising:
- a pair of spaced apart elongated shear panels each formed of a substantially planar sheet of high-density polyethylene (HDPE);
a plurality of buoyancy tubes transversely oriented between the elongated shear panels, each of the buoyancy tubes being formed of HDPE pipe and being sized relatively shorter than the elongated shear panels; and
a structural joint formed between each end of each of the buoyancy tubes and a surface of each of the elongated shear panels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A structural flotation device formed of two elongated shear panels embodied as substantially planar sheets of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) that are spaced apart by two or more substantially parallel and spaced apart heavy-gauge HDPE buoyancy tubes. The buoyancy tubes are transversely oriented relative to the elongated shear panels. All of the buoyancy tubes are of a substantially identical length that is foreshortened relative to the elongated shear panels. The openings in both ends of each buoyancy tube are joined to a substantially planar and unbroken surface of each of the elongated shear panels with substantially water-tight structural seams along its entire circumference.
14 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A structural flotation device, comprising:
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a pair of spaced apart elongated shear panels each formed of a substantially planar sheet of high-density polyethylene (HDPE);
a plurality of buoyancy tubes transversely oriented between the elongated shear panels, each of the buoyancy tubes being formed of HDPE pipe and being sized relatively shorter than the elongated shear panels; and
a structural joint formed between each end of each of the buoyancy tubes and a surface of each of the elongated shear panels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 7)
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3. (cancelled)
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6. (cancelled)
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8. A structural flotation device, comprising:
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a pair of elongated shear panels each formed of a substantially planar sheet of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the elongated shear panels being spaced apart a transverse distance that is a fraction of a longitudinal dimension of the panels; and
a row of buoyancy tubes each formed of HDPE pipe having a diameter that is relatively narrower than a width dimension of the elongated shear panels and a length that substantially fills the transverse distance between the elongated shear panels, the row of buoyancy tubes being spaced apart between the elongated shear panels with each of the buoyancy tubes being structurally joined in transverse orientation to an unbroken surface of each of the elongated shear panels. - View Dependent Claims (9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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10. (cancelled)
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18. A structural floatation device, comprising:
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a plurality of tubes of substantially identical length each formed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, the tubes being arranged in a row of substantially parallel and spaced apart tubes;
two substantially planar sheets of HDPE material each being wider than a diameter of the HDPE tubes and substantially longer than the length of the HDPE tubes, the two HDPE sheets being substantially parallel and spaced apart by the row of HDPE tubes positioned there between with a respective unbroken surface of each of the HDPE sheets covering the entire diameter of the HDPE tubes and being joined thereto with a substantially rigid structural joint; and
means for supporting decking above the HDPE tubes and HDPE sheets. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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19. (cancelled)
Specification