Key information

Title
Fairlead locking system and method of operation
Application number
20220345
Case type
National
Status
15.10.2025 Opphevet etter innsigelse
Filed
22.03.2022
Effective date
22.03.2022
Publicly available
25.09.2023
Applicant
MORAY INNOVATION AS (NO)
Owner
MORAY INNOVATION AS (NO)
Inventor
Roar Førland Riseth (NO)
Agent
HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS (NO)
Granted
11.03.2024
Patent number
347724

Abstract and drawing

Disclaimer: This text has been machine-scanned and may contain errors – please refer to "Publications" for legally binding content.
There is provided a fairlead locking system (100) for providing pivotal locking and unlocking of a fairlead (200) mounted on an external face (300) of a vessel, comprising: an attachment means (110) for providing attachment of the locking system (100) to the external face (300) of the vessel in use; a locking plate (130) for locating wholly externally of the vessel in use and for providing attachment of the locking system (100) to the fairlead (200) in use; and a locking mechanism (120) configured to lock and unlock the fairlead (200) in use; wherein the locking plate (130) comprises a locking device receiving means (131) and the locking mechanism (120) comprises a locking device (121) configured to engage the receiving means (131) to lock the fairlead (200) to arrest pivotal motion of the fairlead (200), and disengage the receiving means (131) to unlock the fairlead (200) to allow pivotal motion of the fairlead (200).

Publications

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Documents

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Date
 Date Doc. No. Process Case number In/Out Journal description To/from
 15.10.2025 09-02 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT IAIN07P- Avgjørelse - innsigelse_2055624
15.10.2025 09-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Brev om avgjørelse, med klagefrist ZACCO NORWAY AS
 15.10.2025 08-02 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT IAIN07P- Avgjørelse - innsigelse_2055624
15.10.2025 08-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Brev om avgjørelse, med klagefrist HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 02.09.2025 07-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Opp til avgjørelse (manglende svar) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 02.09.2025 06-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Opp til avgjørelse (manglende svar) ZACCO NORWAY AS
 26.08.2025 05-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Oversendelse av innsigelse IN01P HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 12.12.2024 04-02 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN Spesialarkivet ZACCO NORWAY AS
 12.12.2024 04-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) ZACCO NORWAY AS
 06.12.2024 03-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Bekreftelse ZACCO NORWAY AS
 06.12.2024 02-08 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT P7 - WO2023079351A1
06.12.2024 02-07 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT P6 - KR101916697B1
06.12.2024 02-06 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT P5 Utvalg av stillbilder fra video vist på konferansen
06.12.2024 02-05 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT P3 807711
06.12.2024 02-04 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT P2 Presentasjon vist på Ankerhåndteringskonferansen
06.12.2024 02-03 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT P1 Facebook-post fra SRC Group AS
06.12.2024 02-02 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT OP484583NO00 - Innsigelse mot NO347724B1
06.12.2024 02-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 UT Oversendelse av innsigelse IN01P HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 03.12.2024 01-09 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN P7 - WO2023079351A1 ZACCO NORWAY AS
 03.12.2024 01-08 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN P6 - KR101916697B1 ZACCO NORWAY AS
03.12.2024 01-07 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN P5 Utvalg av stillbilder fra video vist på konferansen ZACCO NORWAY AS
03.12.2024 01-06 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN P3 807711 ZACCO NORWAY AS
03.12.2024 01-05 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN P2 Presentasjon vist på Ankerhåndteringskonferansen ZACCO NORWAY AS
03.12.2024 01-04 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN P1 Facebook-post fra SRC Group AS ZACCO NORWAY AS
 03.12.2024 01-03 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN OP484583NO00 - Innsigelse mot NO347724B1 ZACCO NORWAY AS
 03.12.2024 01-02 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN Fullmakt ZACCO NORWAY AS
 03.12.2024 01-01 Innsigelse 2024/00396 INN Nytt overprøvningskrav (OP) ZACCO NORWAY AS
 14.03.2024 11-01 Saksbehandling 20220345(347724) UT PT Registreringsbrev nasjonal patent (15) (PT20220345)
06.02.2024 10-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT PT Varsel om betaling av første årsavgift (3317) (PT20220345) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 06.12.2023 09-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT Intention to grant HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 12.04.2023 08-03 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00_translatedclaims_120423 HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 12.04.2023 08-02 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00_response_120423 HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 12.04.2023 08-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 03.03.2023 07-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT 20220345_1681624_PT 08 Eng HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 20.10.2022 06-04 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00 Response HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 20.10.2022 06-03 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00 Amended Claims (marked up) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 20.10.2022 06-02 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00 Amended Claims (clean) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 20.10.2022 06-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 17.10.2022 05-02 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT PT report 09:54:03
17.10.2022 05-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT 20220345_1627698_PT 08 Eng HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 31.03.2022 04-02 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00 Signert generalfullmakt HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 31.03.2022 04-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 23.03.2022 03-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT Formal Examination 1 HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 23.03.2022 02-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 UT Informasjon til oppfinner Roar Førland Riseth
 22.03.2022 01-03 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00 SPECIFICATION FOR FILING HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 22.03.2022 01-02 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN P30364NO00 DRAWINGS FOR FILING HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
 22.03.2022 01-01 Saksbehandling 20220345 INN Søknadsskjema Patent HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS

Description, claims and drawings

Disclaimer: This text has been machine-scanned and may contain errors – please refer to "Publications" for legally binding content. Description
FAIRLEAD LOCKING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATIONFIELDThe present invention relates to fairleads on vessels such as ships and oil rigs. More specifically, the invention relates to securely locking the fairleads when not in use.BACKGROUNDIn offshore mooring systems, mooring chains are used to temporarily secure the offshore structure, such as a floating oil rig, to the seabed to ensure the structure does not drift from the desired location. The mooring chains often reach from an anchor on the seabed to a point on the oil rig. To allow the mooring chains to be reeled in and out and to hold the chains close to the rig, the chains are usually received in a fairlead secured to a lower end of the rig.A fairlead is a device used to guide a line, rope, chain or cable. Typically a fairlead comprises a rotatable guide wheel comprising a track for reeling the line, rope, chain or cable therethrough. The rotatable guide wheel is mounted on a support structure which is pivotably mounted to a rig by welding the support structure to the hull or another major structural component of the rig. The support structure is pivotably mounted to allow the fairlead to pivot in use, thereby allowing the fairlead to point in a plurality of directions to receive and guide a chain from any of the plurality of directions.The chain passing through the fairlead is typically taught or in tension in use. In such condition, the fairlead is held firmly in a particular orientation. However, when the chain is slackened or removed from the fairlead, for example when the mooring of the rig is no longer required, the fairlead is free to pivot relative to the hull. The fairlead can hit the hull violently and repeatedly in severe weather or during moving of the rig. This can cause damage to the fairlead and/or the hull. In this connection, it is essential that the fairlead is secured from pivoting after the chain has been slackened or removed from the fairlead.The long-standing method of securing a fairlead when not in use is to use a bolster hook on a chain. The bolster hook is attached to the end of the chain and the chain is reeled through the fairlead until the bolster hook engages a fixture, referred to as a bolster, located elsewhere on the hull. This allows the chain to be pulled tight again and therefore secures the fairlead at a particular orientation. The bolster hooks are large, extremely heavy, and are often not kept on board the rig. Therefore, when the bolster hooks are to be attached (one for each fairlead around the rig) they have to be sailed out to the rig by boat. It may typically take around eight to ten hours to attach all of the bolster hooks if just one boat is used, or around four hours if two boats are used. With every hour of offshore operations costing considerable sums of money, it is time consuming and expensive to attach the bolster hooks in this manner.In use, extreme loads are transferred to the fairlead, therefore it is essential that the fairlead is strong and that there is a secure connection to the hull. Attempts have been made to lock the fairleads when not in use without requiring bolster hooks and the associated installation time. For example, in one such prior art method, the fairlead is provided with a semi-circular locking ring comprising a plurality of apertures. During installation of the fairlead on the hull of the rig, an aperture must be cut in the hull to receive the semi-circular locking ring therethrough. Internally on the hull structure there is provided a locking pin for engaging the semi-circular locking ring when it protrudes through the aperture in the hull. In this manner, the fairlead can be locked at a particular orientation. However, there are several drawbacks of this arrangement.The described arrangement requires forming an aperture in the hull of the rig. Fairleads are typically located nearer to the bottom of the hull, where it is of critical importance that the strength and integrity of the hull is maintained. Therefore, making an aperture in the hull to receive the locking ring weakens this critical structure.Furthermore, it is required that the hull be certified for use. Post-certification cutting of an aperture in the hull would result in recertification being required, which is time consuming and expensive. Additionally, the hull structure may not pass the certification process if the strength and integrity of the hull has been affected by the forming of the aperture. Furthermore, internal access to the hull is required to mount a locking mechanism to the hull in this manner. It can be time consuming and difficult to gain internal access to the hull.The invention has for its object to remedy or to reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative to prior art.The object is achieved through features, which are specified in the description below and in the claims that follow.SUMMARYThe invention is defined by the independent patent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments of the invention. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a fairlead locking system for providing pivotal locking and unlocking of a fairlead mounted on an external face of a vessel, comprising: an attachment means for providing attachment of the locking system to the external face of the vessel in use; a locking plate for locating wholly externally of the vessel in use and for providing attachment of the locking system to the fairlead in use; and a locking mechanism configured to lock and unlock the fairlead in use; wherein the locking plate comprises a locking device receiving means and the locking mechanism comprises a locking device configured to engage the receiving means to lock the fairlead to arrest pivotal motion of the fairlead, and disengage the receiving means to unlock the fairlead to allow pivotal motion of the fairlead.Advantageously, this arrangement does not require the forming of an aperture in the external face of the vessel, therefore the strength and integrity of the vessel is maintained. Typically fairleads are located near the bottom portion of hulls in semisubmersible oil rigs, where the hull must be strong and the integrity of the hull is of critical importance. Furthermore, the cost of installation is greatly reduced, as is the time required for installation and maintenance. Still further, the arrangement may not require re-certification of the vessel, as an aperture through the vessel is not required to be formed. The fairlead locking system may be treated as a part of the fairlead for certification purposes, which may make the installation of the fairlead locking system much easier and faster than prior art methods. Activation of the fairlead locking system to pivotally lock a fairlead may be considerably faster than prior art methods.Additionally, support vessels are not required to lock a fairlead using the fairlead locking system, thus reducing the cost of locking the fairlead.The external face of the vessel may be a hull of a ship or oil rig such as, but not limited to, a semi-submersible oil rig.The locking plate may be a locking ring of semi-circular or arcuate shape.Alternatively, the locking plate may be a hexagonal ring, heptagonal ring, octagonal ring, nonagonal ring or decagonal ring.The attachment plate may be configured to be welded to the external surface of the vessel. The attachment plate may be configured to be bolted to the external surface of the vessel.The locking plate may be configured to be welded to the fairlead. The locking plate may be configured to be bolted to the fairlead. The locking mechanism may form a gap within which the locking plate can be received and freely rotate within in use. The gap ensures that there is little or no friction between the locking plate and components of the locking mechanism, therefore heat and wear may be reduced or eliminated.The locking device receiving means may comprise at least one aperture or at least one detent. Apertures and detents are shapes which can be easily formed in materials. Furthermore, apertures and detents may be easily and securely engaged by a locking device.The locking device receiving means may comprise a plurality of apertures or a plurality of detents. Providing a plurality of apertures or a plurality of detents allows a plurality of possible locking positions to be provided. This is advantageous as it may be desired to lock the fairlead in different positions, during servicing or maintenance activities for example.The plurality of apertures or detents may be arranged in the locking plate such that as the fairlead pivots the apertures or detents successively align with the locking device. This may provide a plurality of potential locking positions.The locking device may comprise at least one locking pin.The locking device may be controlled by one or more of: manual actuation; hydraulic actuation; mechanical actuation; electrical actuation; remote actuation.The locking mechanism may further comprise an activation member for activating the locking mechanism to engage the locking device with the locking device receiving means.The activation member may comprise a handle for operation by a human, a robot or a remotely operated vehicle.The activation member may be configured to extend to an operation deck on the vessel, such that in use the activation member can be operated directly from the operation deck. This may remove the need to provide a remotely operated vehicle or a human operator to operate the locking mechanism.According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a fairlead system comprising: a fairlead comprising a guide device and at least one fixation for pivotally mounting the fairlead on the external face of the vessel; and a fairlead locking system according to the first aspect of the invention.The fairlead may comprise a body, wherein the guide device is pivotally mounted in the body. The at least one fixation may be at least one bracket configured to be welded to the external face of the vessel.A plurality of fixations may be provided.The locking ring may be integrally formed with the fairlead.According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an offshore vessel comprising: an external face; the fairlead system of the second aspect of the invention; wherein the fairlead is mounted on the external face of the vessel; the locking system is attached to the external face of the vessel by the attachment means; the locking plate is located wholly externally of the vessel; and the locking device receiving means is aligned with the locking device such that in use the locking device can engage the receiving means to lock the fairlead to arrest pivotal motion of the fairlead, and disengage the receiving means to unlock the fairlead to allow pivotal motion of the fairlead.According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a fairlead system for providing pivotally locking and unlocking of a fairlead mounted on an external face of a vessel, comprising the steps of: providing a fairlead system according to the second aspect of the invention; attaching the at least one fixation of the fairlead to the external face of the vessel such that the fairlead is pivotally mounted to the external face; attaching the attachment means of the locking system to the external face of the vessel; attaching the locking plate to the fairlead; and locating the locking plate in the locking mechanism such that the locking plate can freely rotate within the locking mechanism and such that the locking device can be aligned with the locking device receiving means in the locking plate in use.According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of pivotally locking a fairlead, comprising the steps of: providing a fairlead system according to the second aspect of the invention; and moving the locking device into engagement in the locking device receiving means, thereby stopping the pivotal movement of the fairlead.According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of pivotally unlocking a fairlead, comprising the steps of: providing a fairlead system according to the second aspect of the invention; and moving the locking device out of engagement with the locking device receiving means, thereby allowing pivotal movement of the fairlead.According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided use of a fairlead system according to the second aspect of the invention on an offshore vessel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSEmbodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:Figure 1a shows a first example of a fairlead locking system;Figure 1b shows a detailed view of the locking mechanism of the fairlead locking system shown in Figure 1a;Figures 1c and 1d show the fairlead of Figure 1a in first and second positions respectively;Figures 1e shows the fairlead of Figure 1a in a third position at its farthest point of pivotal travel in a first direction;Figure 1f shows the fairlead of Figure 1a in a fourth position at its farthest point of pivotal travel in a second direction;Figures 1g, 1h and 1i show details of components of the fairlead locking system shown in Figure 1a;Figure 1j shows an alternative view of the fairlead with a component of the fairlead locking system shown in Figure 1a attached thereto;Figure 2a shows a second example of a fairlead locking system;Figure 2b shows a detailed view of the locking mechanism of the fairlead locking system shown in Figure 2a;Figures 2c and 2d show the fairlead of Figure 2a in first and second positions respectively;Figures 2e shows the fairlead of Figure 2a in a third position at its farthest point of pivotal travel in a first direction;Figure 2f shows the fairlead of Figure 2a in a fourth position at its farthest point of pivotal travel in a second direction; and Figures 2g and 2h show details of components of the fairlead locking system shown in Figure 2a.For clarity reasons, some elements may in some of the figures be without reference numerals. A person skilled in the art will understand that the figures are just principal drawings. The relative proportions of individual elements may also be distorted.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSA fairlead locking system is the main subject of the following description.Therefore, for clarity reasons, other components such as a hull and a fairlead are shown in dotted lines, with the fairlead locking system shown in solid lines.Figure 1a shows a first example of a fairlead locking system 100 comprising major components of an attachment means in the form of an attachment plate 110, a locking mechanism 120 and a locking plate in the form of a locking ring 130. The fairlead locking system 100 is for locking a fairlead 200 to a hull 300 of a vessel, ship, rig or other offshore structure.The terms lock/locked and unlock/unlocked are used throughout the present description and are intended herein to mean the following. Lock/locked is intended to mean that the fairlead is temporarily arrested in its free horizontal movement.Unlock/unlocked is intended to mean that the fairlead is not arrested in its free horizontal movement by the locking mechanism, but the fairlead may of course be restricted or arrested in its free horizontal movement by means of a taught chain passing through the fairlead in use.The term locking ring is used throughout the present description and is intended to mean any full ring, semi-circular ring, or arc section configured as described herein. It will also be understood that locking ring may cover other shapes not strictly circular, but providing substantially the same effect of moving the apertures therein into a position to be engaged for locking. As non-limiting examples only, the locking rings described herein may be replaced by hexagonal rings, heptagonal rings, octagonal rings, nonagonal rings or decagonal rings.Still referring to Figure 1a further details of the fairlead 200 are now provided. The fairlead 200 comprises a body 210 and a guide wheel 220 rotatably mounted in the body 210 and configured to receive a chain, cable or the like, as is well known in the art. The fairlead 200 is secured to the hull 300 by means of an upper fixation 230a and a lower fixation 230b which are typically welded to the hull 300. The upper and lower fixations 230a, 230b are configured to allow pivoting of the body 210 and guide wheel 220 around an axis Y, thereby allowing the fairlead 200 to pivot to secure mooring chains from a plurality of angles, as previously described. The exact configuration of the body 210, guide wheel 220, and fixations 230a, 230b is not important, and may be provided in a plurality of different ways.Referring now to Figure 1b, further details of the fairlead locking system 100 can be seen in larger scale. The attachment plate 110 is configured to be attached to an external surface of the hull 300 (see Figure 1a) by any suitable securing means, preferably by welding. By welding the attachment plate 110 to an external surface of the hull 300 on the same face of the hull 300 as the fairlead 200, an aperture in the hull 300 need not be formed, thereby protecting the integrity of the hull 300 and making installation faster and easier.The locking ring 130 is configured to be attached to the body 210 of the fairlead 200 by any suitable securing means, preferably by welding. In other examples, the locking ring 130 may be releasably attached to the body 210 such that the locking ring 130 can be easily removed for replacement or maintenance. In other examples, the locking ring 130 may be integrally formed with the body 210. The locking ring 130 is preferably arranged to be located in a gap 121 in the locking mechanism 120, thereby avoiding rubbing or frictional forces between the locking ring 130 and the locking mechanism 120 when the locking ring 130 rotates when the locking mechanism 120 is in the unlocked configuration shown in Figure 1b.Figures 1c and 1d show the locking mechanism 120 in a locked configuration. The fairlead 200 is not free to move horizontally in a pivotal fashion around the Y-axis as previously explained. It can be seen most clearly in these figures that the locking ring 130 comprises a plurality of apertures 131, and that as the fairlead 200 pivots, the plurality of apertures 131 successively align with the locking mechanism 120 thereby allowing the locking mechanism 120 to arrest the movement of the locking ring 130 and therefore the fairlead 200 by means of a locking pin 122. Although apertures 131 are used in the presently described example, detents or recesses may be provided in other examples. The purpose of the apertures 131 is to receive a locking device to arrest the pivotal movement of the fairlead 200. Therefore, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that any known locking device receiving means may be provided instead of the apertures 131 shown in the presently described example. Similarly, although the locking device is a locking pin 122 in the presently described example, it will be understood that there are a myriad of solutions to provide mechanical locking of an aperture 131 (or recess, detent etc.) of the locking ring 130. For example, the locking mechanism 120 may displace the locking pin 122 by means of hydraulic actuation into an aperture 131 , as will be easily understood by a person skilled in the art. As another non-limiting example, the locking mechanism 120 may be provided with a small motor to mechanically drive the pin 122 into an aperture 130 when required. In some examples there may be an electrical and/or hydraulic connection to the operations deck on the rig or vessel. In some other non-limiting examples not shown, there may be a wireless connection to the locking mechanism 120 through any known wireless communications protocol, thereby allowing the locking mechanism 120 to be remotely controlled.Figures 1e shows the fairlead 200 in a position at its farthest point of pivotal travel in a first direction, and Figure 1f shows it in its farthest point of pivotal travel in a second direction. It can be seen in these figures that using the locking mechanism 120, the fairlead 200 can be locked in either of these positions, or in any position between these two positions. In this regard, the fairlead 200 can be neatly secured substantially in line with the hull 300 and in a locked configuration such that the fairlead 200 will not become damaged or damage the hull 300 or any other equipment by moving violently during moving of the rig or in severe weather.For completeness, an individual detail view of the locking ring 130 is provided in Figure 1 g, the locking ring 130 assembled together with the locking mechanism 120 in Figure 1h and an individual detail view of the locking mechanism 120 in Figure 1 i.Additionally, an alternative view of the locking ring 130 mounted on the fairlead 200 is shown in Figure 1j.Referring now to Figures 2a to 2h, an alternative example of a fairlead locking system 100’ is provided. Similar components to the fairlead locking system 100 shown previously are given the same reference numeral with prime (’) added.Figures 2a and 2b shows that in this example, the locking mechanism 120’ comprises an activation member 123’ for activating the locking mechanism 120’ to locate a locking pin 122’ into or through an aperture 131' in the locking ring 130'. In the presently described example, the activation member 123’ comprises a linkage arrangement 124’ to translate a motion of the activation member 123’ to a motion of the pin 122’ into the aperture 131'. It will be understood that a myriad of available linkage arrangements 124' would be suitable and may be used to transfer the motion of the activation member 123' to a locking of the locking mechanism 120’. Still referring to Figures 2a and 2b, it can be seen that the activation member 123’ provides a short handle which can be manually activated to lock the locking mechanism 120’. It will be easily understood that the handle may be operated by a human, a robot or a remotely operated vehicle or the like.In an alternative example not shown, the activation member 123’ extends to an operation deck on the vessel or rig. In this arrangement, the activation member 123’ may be operated directly from an operation deck, rather than requiring lowering of personnel or remotely operated vehicles or the like. The described activation member 123' reaching to the operation deck may provide a more reliable means of activation over wireless control previously discussed.Figures 2c and 2d show the locking mechanism 120’ in a locked configuration. The fairlead 200’ is not free to move horizontally in a pivotal fashion as previously explained. Figures 2e shows the fairlead 200’ in a position at its farthest point of pivotal travel in a first direction, and Figure 2f shows it in its farthest point of pivotal travel in a second direction. It can be seen in these figures that using the locking mechanism 120’, the fairlead 200’ can be locked in either of these positions, or in any position between these two positions. For completeness, the locking ring 130’, locking mechanism 120’ and activation member 123’ are shown assembled in Figure 2g, and the activation member 123’ and locking mechanism 120’ are shown in Figure 2h.Although in the presently described examples, the locking rings 130, 130’ and attachment plates 120, 120’ are attached to the body 210, 210’ of the fairlead 200, 200’ and hull 300, 300’ respectively, it will be understood that in some examples the locking ring 130, 130’ may be integrally formed with the body 210, 210’ of the fairlead 200, 200’ and the attachment plate 110, 110’ may be integrally formed with the hull 300, 300’. Additionally, it will be understood that there may be intermediate components between the attachment plate 110, 110’ and the hull 300, 300’, for example an intermediate bracket or receiving fixture. Similarly, there may be intermediate components between the locking ring 130, 130' and the body 210, 210’, for example an intermediate bracket or receiving fixture.It will be appreciated that in Figures 1a, 1c, 1 d, 1e and 1f, the body 210 of the fairlead 200 is shown detached from the lower fixation 230b, purely to illustrate how the body 210 may be pivotably mounted using a lower fixation 230b. Likewise, in Figures 2a, 2c, 2d, 2e and 2f, the body 210’ of the fairlead 200' is shown detached from the lower fixation 230b', purely to illustrate how the body 210’ may be pivotably mounted using a lower fixation 230b'.It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.
Claims
CLAIMS1. A fairlead locking system (100) for providing rotational locking and unlocking of a fairlead (200) mounted on an external face (300) of a vessel, comprising:an attachment means (110) for providing attachment of the locking system (100) to the external face (300) of the vessel in use;a locking plate (130) for locating wholly externally of the vessel in use and for providing attachment of the locking system (100) to the fairlead (200) in use; anda locking mechanism (120) configured to lock and unlock the fairlead (200) in use;wherein the locking plate (130) comprises a locking device receiving means (131) and the locking mechanism (120) comprises a locking device (122) configured to engage the receiving means (131) to lock the fairlead (200) to arrest rotational motion of the fairlead (200), and disengage the receiving means (131) to unlock the fairlead (200) to allow rotational motion of the fairlead (200).2. The fairlead locking system (100) of claim 1, wherein the locking plate (130) is a locking ring of semi-circular or arcuate shape.3. The fairlead locking system (100) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment plate (110) is configured to be welded to the external surface (300) of the vessel.4. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking plate (130) is configured to be welded to the fairlead (200).5. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking mechanism (120) forms a gap (121) within which the locking plate (130) can be received and freely rotate within in use.6. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking device receiving means (131) comprises at least one aperture or at least one detent.7. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking device receiving means (131) comprises a plurality of apertures or a plurality of detents.8. The fairlead locking system (100) of claim 7, wherein the plurality of apertures (131) or detents are arranged in the locking plate (130) such that as the fairlead (200) rotates the apertures (131) or detents successively align with the lock device (122).9. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking device (122) comprises at least one locking pin.10. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking device (122) is controlled by one or more of: hydraulic actuation; mechanical actuation; electrical actuation; remote actuation.11. The fairlead locking system (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the locking mechanism (120) further comprises an activation member (123’) for activating the locking mechanism (120) to engage the locking device (122) with the locking device receiving means (131).12. The fairlead locking system (100) of claim 11, wherein the activation member (123’) comprises a handle for operation by a human, a robot or a remotely operated vehicle.13. The fairlead locking system (100) of claim 11 or 12, wherein the activation member (123’) is configured to extend to an operation deck on the vessel, such that in use the activation member (123’) can be operated directly from the operation deck.14. A fairlead system comprising:a fairlead (200) comprising a guide device and at least one fixation (230a, 230b) for rotationally mounting the fairlead (200) on the external face (300) of the vessel; anda fairlead locking system (100) according to any of claims 1 to 13.15. The fairlead system of claim 14, wherein the at least one fixation (230a, 230b) is at least one bracket configured to be welded to the external face (300) of the vessel.16. The fairlead system of claim 14 or 15, comprising a plurality of fixations (230a, 230b) for mounting on the external face (300) of the vessel.17. An offshore vessel comprising:an external face (300); andthe fairlead system of any of claims 14 to 16;wherein the fairlead (200) is mounted on the external face (300) of the vessel; the locking system (100) is attached to the external face (300) of the vessel by the attachment means (110);the locking plate (130) is located wholly externally of the vessel; andthe locking device receiving means (131) is aligned with the locking device (122) such that in use the locking device (122) can engage the receiving means (131) to lock the fairlead (200) to arrest rotational motion of the fairlead (200), and disengage the receiving means (131) to unlock the fairlead (200) to allow rotational motion of the fairlead (200).18. A method of assembling a fairlead system for providing rotational locking and unlocking of a fairlead (200) mounted on an external face (300) of a vessel, comprising the steps of:a. providing a fairlead system according to any of claims 14 to 16;b. attaching the at least one fixation (230a, 230b) of the fairlead (200) to the external face (300) of the vessel such that the fairlead (200) is rotationally mounted to the external face (300);c. attaching the attachment means (110) of the locking system (100) to the external face (300) of the vessel;d. attaching the locking plate (130) to the fairlead (200); ande. locating the locking plate (130) in the locking mechanism (120) such that the locking plate (130) can freely rotate within the locking mechanism (120) and such that the locking device (122) can be aligned with the locking device receiving means (131) in the locking plate (130) in use.19. A method of rotationally locking a fairlead (200), comprising the steps of:a. providing a fairlead system according to any of claims 14 to 16;b. moving the locking device (122) into engagement in the locking device receiving means (131), thereby stopping the rotational movement of the fairlead (200).20. A method of rotationally unlocking a fairlead (200), comprising the steps of: a. providing a fairlead system according to any of claims 14 to 16;b. moving the locking device (122) out of engagement with the locking device receiving means (131), thereby allowing rotational movement of the fairlead (200).21. Use of a fairlead system according to any of claims 14 to 16 on an offshore vessel.Patentkrav1. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead for å tilveiebringe rotasjonslåsing og rotasjonsopplåsing av en fairlead (200) montert på en utvendig overflate (300) av et fartøy, omfattende:et festemiddel (110) for å tilveiebringe festing av låsesystemet (100) til den utvendige overflaten (300) av fartøyet under bruk;en låseplate (130) for å plasseres i sin helhet utvendig på fartøyet under bruk og for å tilveiebringe festing av låsesystemet (100) til fairleaden (200) under bruk; ogen låsemekanisme (120) konfigurert til å låse og låse opp fairleaden (200) under bruk;hvori låseplaten (130) omfatter et låseinnretningsmottaksmiddel (131) og låsemekanismen (120) omfatter en låseinnretning (122) konfigurert til å gripe inn i mottaksmiddelet (131) for å låse fairleaden (200) for å stoppe rotasjonsbevegelse av fairleaden (200), og frigjøres fra inngrep med mottaksmiddelet (131) for å låse opp fairleaden (200) for å tillate rotasjonsbevegelse av fairleaden (200).2. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge krav 1, hvori låseplaten (130) er en låsering med halvsirkulær eller buet form.3. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge krav 1 eller 2, hvori festemiddelet (110) er konfigurert til å sveises til den utvendige overflaten (300) av fartøyet.4. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låseplaten (130) er konfigurert til å sveises til fairleaden (200).5. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låsemekanismen (120) danner en åpning (121) som låseplaten (130) kan mottas i og rotere fritt i, under bruk.6. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131) omfatter minst én spalte eller minst én sperrehake.7. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131) omfatter en flerhet av spalter eller en flerhet av sperrehaker.8. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge krav 7, hvori flerheten av spalter (131) eller sperrehaker er anordnet i låseplaten (130) slik at når fairleaden (200) roterer, innretter spaltene (131) eller sperrehakene seg suksessivt med låseinnretningen (122).9. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låseinnretningen (122) omfatter minst én låsepinne.10. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låseinnretningen (122) er styrt av én eller flere av: hydraulisk aktuering; mekanisk aktuering; elektrisk aktuering; fjernmanøvrering.11. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst foregående krav, hvori låsemekanismen (120) videre omfatter et aktiveringselement (123’) for aktivering av låsemekanismen (120) for å bringe låseinnretningen (122) til inngrep med låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131).12. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge krav 11, hvori aktiveringselementet (123’) omfatter et håndtak for betjening av et menneske, en robot eller et fjernstyrt kjøretøy.13. Låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge krav 11 eller 12, hvori aktiveringselementet (123’) er konfigurert til å strekke seg til et betjeningsdekk på fartøyet, slik at aktiveringselementet (123’) under bruk kan betjenes direkte frabetjeningsdekket.14. Fairleadsystem omfattende:en fairlead (200) omfattende en ledeinnretning og minst én fiksering (230a, 230b) for rotasjonsmontering av fairleaden (200) på den utvendige overflaten (300) av fartøyet; oget låsesystem (100) for fairlead ifølge hvilket som helst av kravene 1 til 13.15. Fairleadsystem ifølge krav 14, hvori den minst ene fikseringen (230a, 230b) er minst én brakett konfigurert til å sveises til den utvendige overflaten (300) på fartøyet.16. Fairleadsystem ifølge krav 14 eller 15, omfattende en flerhet av fikseringer (230a, 230b) for montering på den utvendige overflaten (300) på fartøyet.17. Offshorefartøy omfattende:en utvendig overflate (300); ogfairleadsystemet ifølge hvilket som helst av kravene 14 til 16; hvori fairleaden (200) er montert på den utvendige overflaten (300) på fartøyet; låsesystemet (100) er festet til den utvendige overflaten (300) på fartøyet med festemiddelet (110);låseplaten (130) er plassert i sin helhet utvendig på fartøyet; og låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131) er innrettet med låseinnretningen (122) slik at låseinnretningen (122) under bruk kan gripe inn i mottaksmiddelet (131) for å låse fairleaden (200) for å stoppe rotasjonsbevegelse av fairleaden (200), og bringes ut av inngrep med mottaksmiddelet (131) for å låse opp fairleaden (200) for å tillate rotasjonsbevegelse av fairleaden (200).18. Fremgangsmåte for sammenstilling av et fairleadsystem for å tilveiebringe rotasjonslåsing og rotasjonsopplåsing av en fairlead (200) montert på en utvendig overflate (300) på et fartøy, omfattende trinnene:a. å tilveiebringe et fairleadsystem ifølge hvilket som helst av kravene 14 til 16;b. å feste den minst ene fikseringen (230a, 230b) av fairleaden (200) til den utvendige overflaten (300) av fartøyet slik at fairleaden (200) rotasjonsmonteres til den utvendige overflaten (300);c. å feste låsesystemets (100) festemiddel (110) til den utvendige overflaten (300) på fartøyet;d. å feste låseplaten (130) til fairleaden (200); oge. å plassere låseplaten (130) i låsemekanismen (120) slik at låseplaten (130) kan rotere fritt i låsemekanismen (120) og slik at låseinnretningen (122) kan innrettes med låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131) i låseplaten (130) under bruk.19. Fremgangsmåte for rotasjonslåsing av en fairlead (200), omfattende trinnene:a. å tilveiebringe et fairleadsystem ifølge hvilket som helst av kravene 14 til 16;b. å bevege låseinnretningen (122) til inngrep med låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131), for derved å stoppe rotasjonsbevegelsen av fairleaden (200).20. Fremgangsmåte for rotasjonsopplåsing av en fairlead (200), omfattende trinnene:a. å tilveiebringe et fairleadsystem ifølge hvilket som helst av kravene 14 til 16;b. å bevege låseinnretningen (122) ut av inngrep med låseinnretningsmottaksmiddelet (131), for derved å tillate rotasjonsbevegelse av fairleaden (200).21. Anvendelse av et fairleadsystem ifølge hvilket som helst av kravene 14 til 16 på et offshorefartøy.
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Patent classes

IPC classesB63B 21/10B63B 21/04B66D 1/36CPC classesB63B 21/10B63B 21/04B66D 1/36

Citations

US 4635875 A (A)

Applicants, owners and inventors

Owners
MORAY INNOVATION AS
Kanalarmen 10 4033 STAVANGER NO (STAVANGER Municipality, Rogaland county)Org. number: 927237245Inventors
Roar Førland Riseth
Tjodolvs gate 46 4010 STAVANGER NO (STAVANGER Municipality, Rogaland county)

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HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS
HÅMSØ PATENTBYRÅ AS

Org. number: 918752900

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Postboks 9 4068 STAVANGER NO (STAVANGER Municipality, Rogaland county)
Org. number: 918752900
Reference: P30364NO00

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InnsigelseReceived: 03.12.2024 NIPO's case No.: 2024/00396Current status: Avgjort. Innsigelsen har ført fram
OpponentSRC Estonia AS Kesk tee 31 75305 JÜRI EE
Opponent's agentZACCO NORWAY AS Postboks 488 0213 OSLO NO (OSLO Municipality, Oslo county)
Org. number: 982702887Reference: OP484583NO00

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