BUOY FOR BUILDING A FLOATING PLATFORM

Abstract

There is disclosed a buoy for building a floating platform. The buoy includes a plurality of wave-like sides each for engagement with one of the wave-like sides of another buoy, four lugs each between two of the wave-like sides in order to receive a pin, a top and a rough bottom for dissipating impacts from waves.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a floating platform and, more particularly, to a buoy for building a floating platform.

2. Related Prior Art

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,151, a floating platform 20 includes a plurality of buoys 21. Each buoy 21 is made with a substantially cubic configuration including a top, a bottom, four wave-like sides and four lugs 212 each between two wave-like sides. Each wave-like side includes alternate valleys 213 and ridges 214. When a buoy 21 is put against another buoy 21, a wave-like side of the former is engaged with a wave-like side of the latter. A pin 22 is inserted in four lugs 212 of four buoys 21 so that the buoys 21 are connected to one another. The engagement of the wave-like sides of the buoys 21 reduces burdens on the pin 22 and the lugs 212. A problem has however been encountered in the use of the buoys 21. The bottom of each buoy 21 is flat so that it takes impacts from waves without dissipation. If the floating platform 20 is made of a few buoys 21, it will fluctuate fiercely on water when the waves come. People and things would be tossed on the floating platform 20.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a buoy for building a floating platform. The buoy includes a plurality of sides, a top and a rough bottom for dissipating impacts from waves, thus improving the stability of the buoy on water.

The primary advantage of the buoy according to the present invention is its ability to dissipate impacts from waves.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description referring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the buoy shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a buoy 10A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The buoy 10A includes four wave-like sides 11, four lugs 12 each between two wave-like sides 11, a top 13 and a bottom 14.

When a buoy 10A is put against another buoy 10A, a wave-like side 11 of the former will be engaged with a wave-like side 11 of the latter, thus helping them stay against each other.

Each lug 12 defines an aperture 121 in which a pin (not shown) can be inserted. The pin can be inserted in the apertures 121 of four lugs 12 of four buoys 10A, thus interconnecting the buoys 10A.

Like what happens in the prior art, the burdens on the pin are reduced by means of the engagement of the wave-like sides 11 with one another in the present invention.

The top 13 defines four sector-like recesses 132 each above a lug 12. Four sector-like recesses 132 of four buoys 10A define a circular recess for receiving a head of the pin. The top 13 includes an anti-slip patter 131, thus reducing the possibility that a person takes a slip on it.

The bottom 14 includes a cruciform area 141 of alternate valleys and ridges and a plurality of bosses 142 in areas separated by the cruciform area 141 of alternate valleys. Thus, the bottom 14 can dissipate impacts from waves. A floating platform made of the buoys 10A, large or small, will fluctuate mildly when the waves come. Hence, human activities and placing of things will not be tossed on the platform.

The cruciform area 141 may be replaced with another radial area in another embodiment. For example, it may be replaced with a six-branched area if the bottom 14 is hexagonal.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a buoy 10B according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except that the bottom 14 includes several plateaus 15 instead of the cruciform area 141 of alternate valleys and ridges and the bosses 142.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a buoy 10C according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except two things. Firstly, on the bottom 14, there are several wave-like ridges 16 instead of the area 141 and the bosses 142. The wave-like ridges 16 are located evenly. Secondly, on the top 13, there is a cruciform groove 17 instead of the anti-slip pattern 131. Wires and pipes (not shown) can be put in the cruciform groove 17. Therefore, the wires and pipes can be used on a floating platform made of the buoys 10C without hindering human activities.

The cruciform groove 17 may be replaced with another radial groove in another embodiment. For example, it may be replaced with a six-branched groove if the top 13 is hexagonal.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a buoy 10D according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except several things. Firstly, on the bottom 14, there are several well-like ridges 18 instead of the area 141 and the bosses 142. The well-like ridges 18 are co-centric. Secondly, on the top 13, there are a cavity 19 and a cruciform groove 191 in the floor of the cavity 19 instead of the anti-slip pattern 131. Like the cruciform groove 17, the cruciform groove 191 can receive wires and pipes. Thirdly, there is an additional cover 20 put in the cavity 19 in order to cover the cruciform groove 191. An anti-slip pattern 21 is formed on the cover 20. The anti-slip pattern 21 is similar to the anti-slip pattern 131.

The cruciform groove 191 may be replaced with another radial groove in another embodiment. For example, it may be replaced with a six-branched groove if the top 13 is hexagonal.

The buoy according to the present invention exhibits an advantage over the conventional buoy discussed in the Related Prior Art, i.e., its ability to dissipate the impacts from the waves. Thus, a floating made of the buoys of the present invention, large or small, will fluctuate mildly when the waves come.

The present invention has been described via detailed illustration of some embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A buoy for building a floating platform, the buoy comprising a plurality of sides, a top and a rough bottom for dissipating impacts from waves, thus improving the stability of the buoy on water.

2. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the buoy is made from a thermoplastic material.

3. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the rough bottom comprises a radial area of alternate valleys and ridges.

4. The buoy according to claim 3 wherein the rough bottom comprises a plurality of bosses in areas thereof separated by the radial area of alternate valleys and ridges.

5. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the rough bottom comprises a plurality of bosses.

6. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the rough bottom comprises a plurality of wave-like ridges.

7. The buoy according to claim 6 wherein the wave-like ridges are located evenly.

8. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the rough bottom comprises a plurality of well-like ridges.

9. The buoy according to claim 8 wherein the well-like ridges are co-centric.

10. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the top comprises an anti-slip pattern.

11. The buoy according to claim 1 comprising four lugs each between two of the sides in order to receive a pin.

12. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the top comprises a radial groove for receiving elongated objects.

13. The buoy according to claim 1 comprising a cover for covering elongated objects on the top, wherein the top comprises a cavity for receiving the cover and a radial groove in the floor of the cavity in order to receive the elongated objects.

14. The buoy according to claim 13, wherein the cover comprises an anti-slip pattern.

15. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the sides are wave-like sides each for engagement with one of the wave-like sides of another buoy.