Protective device

• US 6,273,641 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vetco Gray Controls Inc (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: ABB Offshore Technology AS
• Inventors: Bull, Anders Henrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US09/331,028
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 405/15, 405/16, 405/17, 405/19, 405/154, 405/157, 405/158, 405/159, 405/172, 405/49, 405/46
• US Class Current: 405/157
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/123 mainly consisting of stone, concrete or similar stony material
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/123 Devices for the protection of pipes under water

Abstract

A protective device having a shell structure and being shaped from a plate-shaped material, in particular but not exclusively, adapted for covering of a sub sea structure, such as at least one pipe line (21, 22), a Christmas tree or parts of such constructions. The protective device is designed as a downward open and upwards closed convex container or channel, comprising a substantially plane roof plate (5), e.g., two substantially plane and inclined side walls (3, 4) which may end in an individual foot plate (1, 2). The protective device or parts thereof is (are) designed with a shallow wave structure or with a weakly corrugated structure, the waves having a wave length (1) above 2.5 times the wave-height (h), and where the wave height does not exceed 10 times the thickness (d) of the plate-shaped material. As examples of usages the following may be mentioned: protection of constructions on land, lining of tunnels, building materials and modules for offshore living quarters.

Claims

1. A protective device made from a plate-shaped material and shaped as a downwards open and upwards closed convex shell construction, comprising as integrated portions:

a roof plate; and

at least one side wall which ends in a footplate, wherein the roof plate is undulate so as to stiffen the protective device, with cursive waves having a longer wave length than 2.5 times the wave height (h), and wherein the wave height does not exceed ten times the thickness (d) of the plate-shaped material, and where the roof plate is integrated with the at least one side wall.

2. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wave length is less than 25 times the wave height (h).

3. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one side wall of the protective device is undulate.

4. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot plate is undulate.

5. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, produced from a plate-shaped, multi layer, laminated material.

6. A protective device as claimed in claim 5, made of a laminated, artificial material.

7. A protective devices as claimed in claim 6, wherein the laminated artificial material comprises at least three layers, at least one layer being an artificial material having a large impact resistance.

8. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, assembled from a plurality of longitudinally combined sections.

9. A protective device as claimed in claim 8, wherein each section has a length at least corresponding to one wave-length.

10. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot plate is manufactured from a material having a density higher than density of the remaining parts of the protective device, and density of the complete device is higher than density of water.

11. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising undulate end walls.

12. A protective device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wave length is more than six times the wave height and less than ten times the wave height.