Patent Application
20230031467
A portion of the disclosure of this patent contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to devices that are designed to stabilize a shoreline and provide a place for aquatic life to thrive.
The erosion of coastal shorelines (and other similar shorelines) by both natural and man-made activities has become a very serious and urgent matter having detrimental effects in some areas of the world. There has been much work in developing shoreline stabilization devices, especially ones capable of supporting aquatic life. Both attenuation of erosion by waves, as well as a need to reinforce the shoreline, are the primary uses of such devices.
While there are many examples of such shoreline devices, there are serious and inadequate problems with the currently used devices. These problems include use of plastics, introduction of loose fibers to the shoreline, a lack of means to prevent wave erosion, the need to regrade the shoreline, the need to position plants in the device, and devices that are primarily made of cement. In addition, shoreline stabilization may need to be customized to the type of shoreline and to the extent of erosion. What is needed is a shoreline stabilization device that supports living growth, shoreline fortification, and wave erosion reduction without the drawback of the materials currently being used in the prior art.
The present invention relates to the discovery that calcium carbonate containing materials sourced from living creatures, such as egg shells, snail shells, seashells, pearls; and the like can be cemented together to form blocks that can be used to stabilize shorelines.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, there is a device for shoreline stabilization comprising:
a) a plurality of primarily calcium carbonate materials obtained from living sources;
b) a cement that is capable of holding the primarily calcium carbonate material in a block; and
c) wherein the primarily calcium carbonate material is held together in a block form by the cement.
While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure of such embodiments is to be considered as an example of the principles and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar, or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings. This detailed description defines the meaning of the terms used herein and specifically describes embodiments in order for those skilled in the art to practice the invention.
The terms “about” and “essentially” mean±10 percent.
The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or as more than one. The term “plurality”, as used herein, is defined as two or as more than two. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having”, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled”, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
The term “comprising” is not intended to limit inventions to only claiming the present invention with such comprising language. Any invention using the term comprising could be separated into one or more claims using “consisting” or “consisting of” claim language and is so intended.
Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment”, “certain embodiments”, “an embodiment”, or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
The term “or”, as used herein, is to be interpreted as an inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B, or C” means any of the following: “A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C”. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps, or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
The drawings featured in the figures are for the purpose of illustrating certain convenient embodiments of the present invention and are not to be considered as limitation thereto. The term “means” preceding a present participle of an operation indicates a desired function for which there is one or more embodiments, i.e., one or more methods, devices, or apparatuses for achieving the desired function and that one skilled in the art could select from these or their equivalent in view of the disclosure herein, and use of the term “means” is not intended to be limiting.
As used herein, the term “device for shoreline stabilization” refers to one or more blocks of primarily calcium carbonate material that are positioned in the water near the shoreline. The blocks can be positioned independent of other blocks or tied together connecting all the blocks into a group of blocks. The blocks are made by selecting a primarily calcium carbonate material and casting them in a form utilizing cement (as shown in the figures). The device can also, in one embodiment, have reinforcing rods like rebar to stabilize the block, especially for blocks that are larger. The limiting factor of the size of the blocks is the weight and how well it conforms to the shoreline in shape.
As used herein, the term “primarily calcium carbonate material” refers to once living material from a living organism that produces portions of the organism that are primarily made up of calcium carbonate. Included are aquatic shells, like oysters (shown in the figures), egg shells, snail shells, pearls, and the like. A collection of these materials is treated with cement in a block form to produce a block of the material, once the cement dries.
As used herein, the term “cement” refers to any biocompatible material, which can be used to hold the primarily calcium carbonate material together in a block form and be resistant to wave action, storms, and the like. Examples include, but are not limited to, portland cement. In one embodiment, the cement is a bio-cement compatible with the primarily calcium carbonate material which has the capability of supporting growth on the block formation by the primarily calcium carbonate material and cement. Examples include quicklime made from oyster shells.
As used herein, the term “block” refers to a solid piece of a plurality of primarily calcium carbonate material held together with cement and in one embodiment, with a bio-cement. In one embodiment, the block has one or more flat sides, though any shape is contemplated. While the block can be any size, the smallest practical block will be about 25 pounds in size. The shape can be determined by the geometries of the shoreline to be protected, the energy needed to be attenuated, and the overall desired aesthetic. The blocks, in one embodiment, can have holes to allow water to pass back and forth through the block or to connect the blocks (e.g., with a rope, or the like).
As used herein, the term “reinforcing rod” refers to a rigid rod such as steel rebar that can be used to stabilize the blocks, especially very large blocks during manufacturing, by placement in the block before the cement cures. Other materials for reinforcing rods include, but are not limited to scrap metal and t-posts.
In making the blocks, a plurality of primarily calcium carbonate material, such as oyster shells shown in the figures, is placed in a shaping mold structure of the desired shape. If a hole is desired in the block, the mold structure can have additional structures (e.g., as shown in the figures) to create a hole. Next, a cement or a bio-cement is poured into the mold, such that when it hardens, the block can be removed from the mold structure for use after the cement cures. If reinforcement, such as a reinforcing bar is desired, the reinforcing bar can be added to the mold and positioned as needed by the mold shape and size, and exact material used. The blocks can then be positioned in the water near the shoreline in order to stabilize the shoreline.
Now referring to the drawings,
Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make modifications resulting in other embodiments employing principles of the present invention without departing from its spirit or characteristics, particularly upon considering the foregoing teachings. Accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description or drawings. Consequently, while the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, modifications of structure, sequence, materials, and the like apparent to those skilled in the art still fall within the scope of the invention as claimed by the applicant.
