JPH0577806B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a new type of aquarium in which the ecology of sea creatures in nature can be observed in the most natural state.

[Conventional technology]

Such underwater aquariums have conventionally existed as structures raised from the seabed, and are simply concrete or steel buildings with windows that can withstand water pressure.

Therefore, it is completely fixed and there is a large amount of natural destruction during construction. Also, construction may change the waves and tides. Furthermore, it cannot be built very deep, and the area that can be observed is limited to relatively close to the sea surface.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-2737 discloses an underwater observation device that can move up and down and rotate freely along a tower that is raised from the bottom of the water with a foundation. This underwater observation device can be submerged underwater and used as an underwater aquarium.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, even with the underwater elevating and rotating observatory device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-2737, a fixed tower must be constructed, and the tower itself is completely fixed, so there is a large risk of natural destruction during construction.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional example,
Since there are few fixed parts underwater, there is little need to change the underwater environment during construction or after installation.Furthermore, the underwater observation location can be set freely, making it possible to observe underwater over a wide range, especially waves and currents. An object of the present invention is to provide an underwater aquarium in which the observation room can be brought close to the seabed surface because the influence of water is relatively small, and the aquarium can be moved to another location.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an offshore base having a pontoon at the bottom with an elevating device including a chuck mechanism to the outer periphery of the leg and a hydraulic cylinder that moves the chuck mechanism up and down. The offshore base is installed on the sea surface by being installed on the offshore base so that it can be raised and lowered, and the legs are installed on the seabed.
The main idea is that a tower body with an underwater observation room at the bottom is suspended from the offshore base so that it can be raised and lowered, and an elevator for going up and down to the underwater observation room is installed inside the tower body.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the underwater observation room can be freely positioned in the sea by raising and lowering the tower body from an offshore base, and the most natural state can be observed by moving the observation room near the seabed only during observation.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the underwater aquarium of the present invention, and 1 in the figure indicates an offshore base.

The offshore base 1 is fixed to the seabed with legs 2, and has a pontoon 3 at the bottom, and the legs 2 have a chuck mechanism to the outer periphery of the leg 2 and a chuck mechanism to the base 1 and the pontoon 3. It can be raised and lowered freely using a lifting device with a hydraulic cylinder that moves up and down.

A tower body 4 is suspended from the center of the offshore base 1 (including the pontoon 3) so as to be able to rise and fall, and an underwater observation room 5 is provided at its lower end. Fig. 2 shows an example of the elevating mechanism of the tower body 4. The tower body 4 is a cylinder made of steel pipe, and passes vertically through the traveler girder 6 of the base 1, forming a rack 7 in the longitudinal direction of the circumferential surface. This was engaged with the pinion 8 on the traveler gutter 6 side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a guide roller 9 is provided on the traveler gutter 6 and is rolled against the circumferential surface of the tower body 4.

The underwater observation chamber 5 is spherical or disc-shaped,
An observation window 10 is formed on the circumference, an observation floor 11 is provided inside, and a balance weight 12 is provided below the observation window 10.
has been established.

On the other hand, the tower body 4 is hollow inside, and a lifting elevator 13 is disposed therein. FIG. 4 shows the details inside this tower body 4, and in the figure, 14 is an elevator guide rail formed along the inner surface of the tower body 4;
15 is an elevator guide roller, 16 is an elevator drive motor, and furthermore, a ventilation duct 17, a power, communication, and control cable 18, a water supply and drainage pipe 19, an emergency ladder 20, etc. are arranged inside the tower body 4.

Reference numeral 21 in the figure indicates a lifting guide protruding from the outer periphery of the tower body 4.

Further, elevator doors 22, 22' were installed inside the underwater observation room 5 at the upper and lower parts of the tower body 4.

Next, how to use it will be explained. The base 1 itself can navigate freely by self-propulsion or towing with the legs 2 raised, and after lowering the legs 2 at any location and inserting its tip into the seabed, the base 1 can move the legs 2 upright. In contrast, base 1 itself is raised and stopped once it reaches the surface of the sea.

If the base 1 itself is made movable in this way, it will be possible to attract a larger number of visitors, and different types of organisms (cold currents, warm currents) can be observed freely.

Passengers board the elevator 13 through the upper elevator door 22, descend within the tower body 4, and exit into the underwater observation room 5 through the lower elevator door 22'.

After that, the user goes down the stairs 23 to the observation floor 11 and observes the ocean from the observation window 10.

Note that the underwater observation chamber 5 moves up and down in the sea by driving the pinion 8 and raising and lowering the tower body 4. By lowering the position of the underwater observation chamber 5 in the sea one by one, it can be moved from shallow to deep. You can observe the underwater situation changing from place to place.

Alternatively, the tower body 4 may be lowered and the underwater observation room 5 may be installed near the seabed before the guests enter, and the elevator 13 may be used to board the room.

The offshore base 1 can also be used as a diving base or a general marine leisure base.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the underwater aquarium of the present invention, the underwater observation room can be moved up and down in the sea as needed, and it is possible to observe the most natural state without artificial additions.

In addition, it can be observed close to the ocean floor, where there is relatively little influence from waves and currents, making it possible to make interesting observations that have never been possible before.

Furthermore, since the system is fixed to the seabed using only the legs of the offshore base, there is little risk of destroying nature during and after installation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the underwater aquarium of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing the elevating mechanism of the tower body,
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the tower body, and FIG. 4 is a transverse plan view of the same. 1...Offshore base, 2...Leg, 3...Pontoon, 4...Tower body, 5...Underwater observation room, 6...Traveler girder, 7...Rack, 8...Pinion, 9
... Guide roller, 10 ... Observation window, 11 ... Observation floor, 12 ... Balance weight, 13 ...
Lifting elevator, 14... Elevator guide rail, 15... Elevator guide roller, 16...
...Elevator drive motor, 17...Ventilation duct,
18... Power, communication, control cable, 19... Water supply and drainage pipe, 20... Emergency ladder, 21... Lifting guide, 22, 22'... Elevator door, 23...
stairs.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 An offshore base with a pontoon at the bottom is provided with a lifting device consisting of a chuck mechanism to the outer periphery of the leg and a hydraulic cylinder that moves this chuck mechanism up and down, and the leg is provided so that it can be raised and lowered to the offshore base via the lifting device, and this The offshore base is installed above the sea surface by erecting legs on the seabed, and a tower body with an underwater observation room at the bottom is suspended from the offshore base so that it can be raised and lowered, and the underwater observation room can be accessed within the tower body. This underwater aquarium is characterized by the fact that it is equipped with an elevator.