IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0150048
(2005-06-10)
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등록번호 |
US-7273019
(2007-09-25)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Towley, III,Carl K.
- Olson,Gregory S.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
6 인용 특허 :
9 |
초록
▼
A multi-use, multi-level structure can be installed in and removed from a body of water in a seasonal fashion. The structure has a lower level that includes a boat lift and an upper level that provides an entertainment area. The structure carries a ballast system for selectively floating the structu
A multi-use, multi-level structure can be installed in and removed from a body of water in a seasonal fashion. The structure has a lower level that includes a boat lift and an upper level that provides an entertainment area. The structure carries a ballast system for selectively floating the structure on the body of water or sinking the structure in the water. The ballast system includes an array of hydraulically interconnected ballast tanks that are vented to the atmosphere. A valve may be opened to admit water to the ballast tanks to flood the tanks. A pump is used to pump water out of the ballast tanks when desired.
대표청구항
▼
We claim: 1. A structure that may be used in a body of water, which comprises: (a) a multi-level structure having a lower level and an upper level, wherein the lower level is tall enough to accommodate at least a watercraft therein, and wherein the upper level includes a weight bearing deck that is
We claim: 1. A structure that may be used in a body of water, which comprises: (a) a multi-level structure having a lower level and an upper level, wherein the lower level is tall enough to accommodate at least a watercraft therein, and wherein the upper level includes a weight bearing deck that is strong enough to support a plurality of people and furniture in a first entertainment area on the structure; (b) at least a pair of wheels that can be at least temporarily attached to the lower level of the structure to allow the structure to be transported by ground to and from the body of water and to be rolled into and out of the body of water; and (c) a ballast system carried on the structure which may be selectively emptied of or filled with enough water to selectively change from a buoyant state in which the structure floats on the body of water to a non-buoyant state in which the structure does not float on the body of water, wherein the ballast system adds enough weight to the structure in the non-buoyant state of the structure such that the structure sinks in the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water. 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the wheels are pneumatic rubber wheels to permit ground transport of the structure over a roadway at higher than walking speeds. 3. The structure of claim 1, wherein a vertically movable boat lift is provided in the lower level of the structure, the lower level of the structure being tall enough to accommodate the watercraft when the watercraft is held by the boat lift whether the boat lift is in a lowered position with the watercraft in contact with the body of water or is in a raised position with the watercraft raised above the body of water. 4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the lower level includes a plurality of uprights having upper ends which support an underside of the deck of the second level, and wherein the boat lift vertically slides up and down at least some of the deck supporting uprights of the lower level. 5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the lower level of the structure is tall enough to accommodate standing people and includes a weight bearing deck that is strong enough to support a plurality of people and furniture in a second entertainment area on the structure. 6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the structure includes a plurality of vertically adjustable, bottom engaging leveling legs thereon to level the structure as the structure rests on the bottom of the body of water. 7. A structure for use in a body of water, which comprises: (a) a structure having at least a lower level that includes a boat lift that is vertically movable up and down relative to the lower level of the structure to raise a boat carried on the boat lift up and down relative to the structure; and (b) a ballast system, which comprises: (i) at least one ballast tank carried on the structure, the ballast tank when substantially empty of water providing enough buoyancy for floating the structure on the body of water; (ii) a selectively operable valve for admitting water to the ballast Lank When the structure is floating on the body of water to add weight to the structure; and (iii) an air vent to allow air to escape from the ballast tank when the ballast tank is being filled with water, the air vent having an air outlet that remains above the level of the body of water even when the ballast tank is completely filled with water. 8. The structure of claim 7, further including a water pump operatively connected to the ballast tank to selectively pump water from the ballast tank to empty the tank of water. 9. The structure of claim 8, wherein the pump is located within the ballast tank substantially adjacent a lowest portion of the ballast tank. 10. The structure of claim 8, wherein the pump is an electrically operated pump. 11. The structure of claim 7, wherein the structure includes an upper level above the lower level, the upper level having a weight bearing deck that is sufficiently strong for supporting a plurality of people and furniture in an entertainment area. 12. A structure for use in a body of water, which comprises: (a) a structure having at least one level; and (b) a ballast system, which comprises: (i) at least one ballast tank carried on the structure, the ballast tank when substantially empty of water providing enough buoyancy for floating the structure on the body of water; (ii) a selectively operable inlet valve for admitting water to the ballast tank when the structure is floating on the body of water to add weight to the structure; (iii) an air vent to allow air to escape from the ballast tank when the ballast tank is being filled with water, the air vent having an air outlet that remains above the level of the body of water even when the ballast tank is completely filled with water; and (iv) wherein a plurality of ballast tanks are carried on the structure in an array of tanks, wherein the ballast tanks in the array are hydraulically interconnected with one another to allow water entering through the inlet valve to flow between the interconnected ballast tanks and reach a common level within the array. 13. The structure of claim 12, wherein the hydraulic interconnections between the ballast tanks in the array are sized to permit water to flow between the ballast tanks in the array at a rate faster than the rate at which a pump can pump water out of the array such that the water level within the array recedes evenly within the various interconnected ballast tanks during operation of the pump. 14. The structure of claim 13, wherein a single water pump is used to pump water out of all the interconnected ballast tanks forming the array. 15. The structure of claim 12, wherein each ballast tank within the array has its own individual air vent. 16. The structure of claim 12, wherein a pair of ballast tank arrays are carried along opposite sides of the structure with each ballast tank array comprising a horizontal row of tanks along one side of the structure. 17. The structure of claim 16, wherein each ballast tank array comprises a pair of horizontal rows of tanks with a second horizontal row of tanks stacked on top of a first horizontal row of tanks. 18. A structure for use in a body of water, which comprises: (a) a structure having at least one level, the structure further including a plurality of vertically movable legs carried on the structure capable of being vertically extended downwardly away from the structure or retracted upwardly towards the structure to allow the legs to engage against a bottom of the body of water to level the structure relative to the body of water; and (b) a ballast system, which comprises: (i) at least one ballast tank carried on the structure, the ballast tank when substantially empty of water providing enough buoyancy for floating the structure on the body of water; (ii) a selectively operable valve for admitting water to the ballast tank when the structure is floating on the body of water to add weight to the structure; and (iii) an air vent to allow air to escape from the ballast tank when the ballast tank is being filled with water, the air vent having an air outlet that remains above the level of the body of water even when the ballast tank is completely filled with water. 19. A structure for use in a body of water, which comprises: (a) a structure that includes a lower level comprising at least one component chosen from the following group of components: (i) a boat lift for holding a watercraft, and (ii) a weight bearing deck that is strong enough to support a plurality of people thereon, wherein the structure also includes an upper level comprising a weight bearing deck that is strong enough to support a plurality of people and furniture in a first entertainment area on the structure, wherein the upper level of the structure is sufficiently open to allow wind to pass beneath and act against an underside of the upper level of the structure; (b) a ballast system on the structure that may be selectively emptied of or filled with water, wherein the ballast system when substantially filled adds enough weight to the structure such that the structure sinks in the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water; and (c) wherein the structure has a dry gross weight measured when the structure is on ground and the ballast system is substantially empty of water, and wherein the ballast system is sized to at least approximately double the dry gross weight of the structure when the structure is installed in a body of water and the ballast system is substantially filled with water. 20. The structure of claim 19, wherein the ballast system is sized to at least approximately triple the dry gross weight of the structure when the structure is installed in a body of water and the ballast system is substantially filled with water. 21. The structure of claim 19, wherein the weight bearing deck of the lower level comprises a section of a dock. 22. The structure of claim 19, wherein the weight bearing deck of the lower level comprises a second entertainment area for supporting a plurality of people and furniture thereon.
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