Structure forming a breakwater and capable of ice free, year round operation

Abstract

A structure for use in a body of water has at least one level that includes a boat lift, a narrow dock, or a larger entertainment area, or combinations of these items on multi-level structures (e.g. a boat lift on a first level and an entertainment area on a second level). The structure can be towed to or from a body of water independently of other structures. The structure includes a buoyancy system, e.g. at least one ballast tank or inflatable bladder, for allowing the structure to float in a buoyant state or to sink in a non-buoyant state into engagement with a bottom of the body of water. One or more structures such as these can be assembled to form an artificial breakwater by placing a wall or skirt on the windward side(s) thereof with each wall or skirt extending from below to significantly above the waterline. This forms a calmer area of water on the leeward side(s) thereof. In addition, an opposing wall or skirt can be placed on opposite sides of the structures to form a bounded chamber beneath the structure. A water recirculating device is used to pull up warmer water from near the bottom of the body of water and to discharge this warmer water into the bounded chamber and/or a water heating device is provided in the bounded chamber. This helps keep the structure sufficiently ice free to permit year round use if so desired even in northern climates.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a structure or structures capable of being easily transported to a body of water and of then being easily installed in the body of water, such as a lake, for use in water related entertainment activities, such as boating, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, entertaining guests, etc. More particularly, this invention relates to structures of this type forming an artificial breakwater providing a protected, calmer water surface on a leeward side of the breakwater and that are also capable of being left in the body of water year round even in northern climates where the body of water normally becomes ice bound or significantly ice covered during the winter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Applicant herein is an inventor of various structures designed for use in a body of water, that can be towed to and from the body of water during installation and removal, and that have a buoyancy system of some type to allow the structure to float on the body of water to aid in positioning the structure on the body of water. The buoyancy system can be selectively changed from a buoyant to a non-buoyant state after the structure has been positioned at a desired location in the body of water. In the non-buoyant state, the structure has or is provided with enough weight that the structure will sink into engagement with the bottom of the body of water to hold the structure in place at the desired location. At the end of the summer season, the buoyancy system is changed back to its buoyant state to allow the structure to be refloated for the purpose of moving it back onto the shore of the body of water. The structure can then be towed away from the shore to a winter storage location.

Different buoyancy systems can be used on the structure. A preferred system is to use a ballast system in which a plurality of ballast tanks are selectively filled with water to enter the non-buoyant state or are selectively emptied of water in the buoyant state. The added water greatly increases the weight of the structure in the non-buoyant state to help anchor or hold the structure in place in the body of water. An alternative buoyancy system can be one or more expandable, air filled bags or bladders. When compressed air is pumped into and inflates the bags or bladders, the buoyant state is achieved. When the air is bled out of or is removed from the bags or bladders, the non-buoyant state is achieved.

The Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,216,602, 7,216,603 and 7,273,019 disclose structures of the aforementioned types.

One difficulty with the enjoyment of waterfront property is the action of the wind on the water of the body of water. If the wind is blowing across a lake in one direction, it typically does not have an opportunity to create much agitation or wave action in the water adjacent the shoreline that is upwind so to speak. Often, the water is fairly calm there even with the wind blowing. But, on the opposite or downwind side of the lake, the water will be quite choppy and agitated as the wind reaches that shoreline since the wind has had a chance to move unobstructed across the surface of the lake and build up the wave action to its full extent. At this opposite downwind of the lake, the water may be so rough as to be unsuitable for many water related activities, such as swimming, fishing, or the like.

As an example of the phenomenon described above, assume a lake has a north shore and an opposite south shore separated by the width or length of the lake. When the wind blows out of the north towards the south, the water along the north shoreline of the lake will typically be fairly calm, particularly where there is a treeline or buildings along the north shoreline that form somewhat of a windbreak. But, the story will be much different on the south shore of the lake. There, after passing across the unobstructed width or length of the lake, the wave action can be very intense and rough. In addition to making it difficult to enjoy certain waterfront activities, this wave action can also lead to dramatic shoreline erosion. Such erosion is expensive to repair or if left unrepaired will dramatically decrease the value of the adjacent waterfront property.

It would be desirable for a property owner or other user of a piece of waterfront property to be able to create an area of much calmer water at or adjacent the shoreline even when the wind strikes that shoreline with its full force. It would be desirable to be able to easily and quickly provide such a calmer water area without having to place permanent structures in the body of water, which in many areas is forbidden. It would also be desirable to be able to quickly modify or rearrange the configuration of the calmer water area to suit one's need or preference. Such desires have heretofore not been met. This invention is directed to satisfying such desires.

Finally, the structures previously invented by Applicants for use in a body of water were designed to ease the task of installing the structures in the body of water in the spring and summer and of removing them in the fall or water to prevent damage to the structures from winter ice on the lake. The Applicant's prior structures meet the needs for a structure that is easy and quick to remove and install. However, if the structure could be left in place during the winter and be protected from damage by the ice, this would be potentially even more convenient and desirable to some users. Thus, this invention is also directed to providing a structure that is capable of year round operation even in ice bound or ice laden water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of this invention comprises an artificial breakwater that may be placed in a body of water for creating a calmer water surface on a leeward side of the breakwater. The breakwater comprises at least one structure that may be transported to the body of water and installed in the body of water for use in the body of water and that may be removed from the body of water when use of the structure in the body of water is no longer desired. The at least one structure comprises a structure having at least one level that includes at least one component from the group of components comprising a boat lift, a deck having a relatively narrow width in relation to its length to form a dock on which a person can walk or stand, and a deck having a width that is substantially wider in relation to its length than in the case where the deck forms the dock such that the wider deck forms an entertainment area that is able to support a plurality of people and furniture. At least a pair of wheels that can be at least temporarily attached to the structure is provided 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. A buoyancy system is carried on the structure to selectively provide the structure with a buoyant state in which the structure floats on the body of water and with a non-buoyant state in which the structure sinks into the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water. A wall or skirt extends substantially along at least one windward side of the structure when the structure is installed in the body of water. The wall or skirt is located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water against the windward side of the structure when the body of water is calm. The wall or skirt extends sufficiently above the waterline to have a height above the waterline that is substantially equal to at least an average or median size of waves that occur on the body of water and that push against the windward side of the structure, whereby the wall or skirt is effective to create a calmer water surface on the leeward side of the structure due to the wall or skirt being able to block the waves on the windward side.

Another aspect of this invention comprises a structure for use in a body of water. The structure has at least one level that includes at least one component from the group of components comprising a boat lift, a deck having a relatively narrow width in relation to its length to form a dock on which a person can walk or stand, and a deck having a width that is substantially wider in relation to its length than in the case where the deck forms the dock such that the wider deck forms an entertainment area that is able to support a plurality of people and furniture. At least a pair of wheels that can be at least temporarily attached to the structure is provided 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. A buoyancy system is carried on the structure to selectively provide the structure with a buoyant state in which the structure floats on the body of water and with a non-buoyant state in which the structure sinks into the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water. A wall or skirt extends substantially along at least one side of the structure when the structure is installed in the body of water, the wall or skirt being located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water. An opposing wall or skirt extends substantially along an opposed side of the structure with the opposing wall or skirt also being located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water. Together, the walls or skirts form a bounded chamber extending under the structure between the opposed sides of the structure. A device is installed in a position in the body of water to provide a gap between the walls or skirts of the structure and an adjacent ice sheet in the body of water. The gap providing device comprises at least one device chosen from a group of devices comprising a water recirculating device that pulls warmer water from near the bottom of the body of water into the bounded chamber and a water heating device that heats the water in the bounded chamber, thereby to create an ice free zone substantially around the structure to permit the structure to remain in the body of water during the winter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention will be described more completely in the following Detailed Description, when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of structures of a first type according to this invention, each structure comprising a dock structure, that have been assembled together in an L-shaped dock configuration adjacent a shoreline to provide an artificial breakwater adjacent the shoreline;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of one end of one of the dock structures of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating a wall or skirt placed on the normally windward side of the dock structure to create the artificial breakwater to decrease wave action on the leeward side of the dock structure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an end of one of the dock structures of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating a tow hitch that can be temporarily mounted on the dock structure to permit the towing of the dock structure over a road or other surface by a towing vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another arrangement of structures according to this invention creating an artificial breakwater in a body of water, the structures comprising a plurality of dock structures and two structures of a second type having one or more levels that can accommodate a boat lift, or a patio entertainment area, or both;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of one end of one of the dock structures of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating a wall or skirt placed both on the normally windward and leeward sides of the dock structure to create a bounded chamber within the dock structure with a water recirculating device installed in a position to pull warmer water from near the bottom of the body of water up into the bounded chamber to create an ice free zone around the dock structure to permit the dock structure to remain in the body of water during the winter;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 5 of one end of one of the boat lift/patio entertainment structures shown in FIG. 4 having one level accommodating a boat lift with two dock walkways outboard of the boat lift, particularly illustrating walls or skirts on the normally windward and leeward sides of the structure with a water recirculating device arranged to recirculate water into the bounded chamber formed by the opposed walls or skirts to create an ice free zone around the structure;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an alternate placement of the water recirculating device of FIG. 5 or 6, showing the device arranged at an outer portion of a plurality of end-to-end connected structures extending outwardly from the shoreline such that the flow of warmer water being recirculated by the device is directed inwardly along the interconnected structures towards the shoreline;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 7, particularly illustrating the water intake of the water recirculating device being connected to a deeper portion of the body of water by an elongated intake hose extending from a shallower depth at which the water recirculating device is positioned to a deeper depth in the body of water;

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of one of the structure disclosed in this application, particularly illustrating the flow of recirculating water from the water recirculating device being ported into and through one of the ballast tanks on the structure;

FIG. 10 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 9, but particularly illustrating the flow of recirculating water being ported into one of the ballast tanks on the structure and then out of the ballast tank and through at least some of the extensible legs on the structure that engage against the bottom of the body of water when the structure is installed in the body of water;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of one of the structures disclosed in this application, particularly illustrating a V-shaped prow or nose on one end of the structure for deflecting chunks of ice to either side of the structure when floating chunks or sections of ice are present in the body of water and are prone to being blown against a windward end of the structure, such as during ice break up in the spring.

FIG. 12 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 5 of one end of one of the dock structures of FIG. 1, particularly illustrating modifications to the walls or skirts on the sides of the dock structure and the addition of a water heating device beneath the water recirculating device and a thermostat or timer control device for controlling the operation of the water heating device and/or the water recirculating device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One aspect of this invention comprises a structure 2 for use in a body of water, or a plurality of such structures 2 that are placed in an interconnected configuration in the body of water, and to a method of using and placing such structures 2 in a body of water, to create an artificial breakwater 4. This aspect of this invention will be described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4. Structures 2 involved in this invention are of the type disclosed in the Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,216,602, 7,216,603 and 7,273,019, which U.S. Patents are all incorporated by reference herein. The reader hereof should refer to the 602, 603, and 019 patents for a full understanding of structures 2 involved in this invention. This Detailed Description will describe such structures 2 only to the extent needed to understand the various aspects of this invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, structures 2 as disclosed in the above referenced US Patents include a base 6 made as an open framework comprising a plurality of interconnected structural beams 8 or the like. A buoyancy system includes one or more ballast tanks 10, or one or more inflatable bags or bladders (not shown), mounted to base 6. This buoyancy system allows enough buoyancy for structure 2 to allow structure 2 to float when placed in the body of water to allow structure 2 to be more easily positioned in the body of water. However, this buoyancy system can be selectively changed from a buoyant to a non-buoyant state by the user to allow structure 2 to sink down into engagement with a bottom of the body of water when structure 2 has been properly positioned at a desired location, most typically adjacent a shoreline 5. Base 6 of structure 2 will include a plurality of telescopic, extensible legs 12 that can be selectively extended downwardly by the user to rest against the bottom of the body of water so as to level structure 2 when structure 2 has sunk into engagement with the bottom of the body of water. When so sunk, ballast tanks 10 used in the buoyancy system will normally be filled with water and either partially submerged in the body of water or fully submerged in the body of water to a depth generally slightly below the surface of the water.

Structures 2 as disclosed in the above referenced US Patents further include a set of wheels (not shown) that are at least temporarily attached to base 6 of structure 2, either through the use of a set of wheels that can be installed on structure 2 and then removed from structure 2 after structure 2 is in the body of water or through the use of a set of wheels that are simply left on structure 2 whether structure 2 is in the body of water or not. In either case, the wheels are at least temporarily attached to structure 2 to allow structure 2 to be towed over the surface of a road at road speeds when the wheels are so attached. For this purpose, the wheels comprise a set of pneumatic rubber wheels mounted on axle(s) or the like that are built to permit road towing speeds to be achieved, e.g. at least 30 mph or so. This permits the user to transport structures 2 to the body of water in which structures 2 are to be used.

Furthermore, each structure 2 disclosed in the above referenced U.S. Patents includes at least one level 14 supported atop base 6 of structure 2. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, each structure 2 shown therein is a dock structure 2a in which level 14 simply comprises a deck 16 forming a flat, dock like floor. In this case, dock structure 2a has a relatively narrow width w from side to side in relation to its length l from end to end as shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, larger structures of a second type identified as 2b can also be provided. Such structures 2b have level(s) 14 that are more square or rectangular. For example, such larger structures 2b can have only a first level in which the entire level is covered by a deck 16 to create a patio like entertainment area or in which the entire level houses a boat lift. Or, alternatively, such larger structures 2b can be multi level having a first level 14 and a second level 14 above the first level. In this case, each level might 14 be a patio like entertainment area, or the first level 14 might house a boat lift with the second, upper level 14 providing the patio like entertainment area, etc.

This invention involves the use of structures 2 as the building blocks for creating an artificial breakwater 4 adjacent a shoreline 5 in the body of water. A plurality of dock structures 2a are shown being used together in FIGS. 1-3 to create such an artificial breakwater 4.

In a preferred embodiment, each dock structure 2a is equipped to use a tow hitch 18 on one end of dock structure 2a that is easily removable from and installable on dock structure 2a. As shown in FIG. 3, tow hitch 18 has a pair of attachment brackets 20 which can be abutted against several of the structural beams 8 that form part of dock structure 2a. Attachment brackets 20 have holes 22 that line up with holes on the structural beams 8. Attachment brackets 20 can thus be removably bolted to the structural beams 8 of dock structure 2a to attach tow hitch 18 to dock structure 2a for towing of dock structure 2a to the body of water. See the phantom line illustration of tow hitch 18 in FIG. 3. When dock structure 2a reaches the body of water, tow hitch 18 can be removed either before dock structure 2a is placed in the body of water or after dock structure 2a enters the body of water.

The purpose of making tow hitch 18 removable from dock structure 2a is to allow a plurality of dock structures 2a to be aligned end-to-end with one another to form an elongated assembled dock configuration without tow hitches 18 sticking out and interfering with this aligned end-to-end relationship. Such an aligned end-to-end relationship is shown in FIG. 1 along each leg or arm of the L-shaped dock configuration formed by four individual dock structures 2a that have been individually towed to the body of water and placed therein. Any tow hitch 18 that would interfere with an adjacent dock structure is removed prior to the end-to-end relationship being established. Alternatively, use of a removable tow hitch 18 would not be required if tow hitch 18 were somehow recessed or inset into dock structure 2a so as not to stick out or protrude into a potentially interfering position with another adjacent dock structure 2a.

In addition, each dock structure 2a has, at least along one side of dock structure 2a, a vertical wall or skirt 24 along substantially the entire length of dock structure 2a. As shown in FIG. 2, such a wall or skirt 24 is desirably vertically placed on dock structure 2a at the waterline with a substantial portion of wall or skirt 24, e.g. at least 50% and preferably more than 50%, being located above the waterline and a smaller portion of wall or skirt 24 being below the waterline when structure 2 is in place in the body of water with legs 12 in engagement with the bottom of the body of water. Preferably, the portion of wall or skirt 24 above the waterline is at least as high as the average or median size of the waves that occur on the body of water in which dock structures 2a are used.

Wall or skirt 24 can be vertically adjustable along the side of dock structure 2a as shown by the phantom line illustration thereof in FIG. 2. For example, wall or skirt 24 can be bolted to dock structure 2a using bolts passing through vertically elongated slots in wall or skirt 24 to provide such vertical adjustability. Alternatively, wall or skirt 24 could be made in vertically extensible sections to allow the height of wall or skirt 24 to be extended or contracted as need be.

Wall or skirt 24 is attached to at least the normally windward side and/or end of dock structure 2a. The term normally windward is meant to refer to the side of structure 2 that normally experiences the most wave action, measured either in terms of frequency or intensity or some other desired parameter. Thus, the normally windward side of dock structure 2a would be the side of dock structure 2a against which the wind most often blows (the frequency parameter), or against which the wind blows with the most force (the intensity parameter), or the like. In the case of a plurality of dock structures 2a used adjacent a shoreline 5 on one side of a lake, as shown in FIG. 1, the normally windward side would almost always be the side facing away from the shoreline, namely the side facing the open lake and exposed to the action of waves generated by wind blowing across the lake towards dock structures 2a.

As shown in FIG. 1, each dock structure 2a arranged in the L-shaped dock configuration shown therein has a wall or skirt 24, or a plurality of adjacent side-by-side walls or skirts 24 if dock structure 2a is very long, placed on the normally windward sides thereof. Walls or skirts 24 on all the dock structures 2a extend substantially continuously in an unbroken fashion around the normally windward side of the entire configuration. For any dock structure 2a having an end thereof that is exposed along the windward side, such as the end 3 of the dock structure 2a forming the corner of the L-shaped configuration, this end 3 would also preferably be covered by a similar wall or skirt 24.

This creates an artificial breakwater 4 that blocks the action of the waves W against the normally windward side of the configuration and creates a very calm or substantially calmer area of water on the leeward side of the configuration. This calmer area of water is identified as 26 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The calmer area of water 26 provides a swimming or play area that is protected from the action of the waves W even on windy days, thus enhancing the use and enjoyment of the water by persons using the dock configuration formed by the aligned dock structures 2a. In addition, this calmer area of water 26 helps protect the adjacent shoreline from erosion.

Referring now to FIG. 4, structures 2 used to form an artificial breakwater need not comprise just a plurality of dock structures 2a that are placed end-to-end. For example, in FIG. 4, an L-shaped breakwater 4 is again formed, but this time two of the larger boat lift and/or patio entertainment structures 2b disclosed in the Applicant's prior patents are also used in the configuration that forms breakwater 4. In this case, structures 2b are not used end-to-end, but are placed into the end-to-end strings of dock structures 2a in a side-to-side manner such that one end of a dock structure 2a engages against a side or sides of structures 2b. In this use, the ends of structures 2b that are on the normally windward side of the configuration are covered or protected by a wall or skirt 24 of the type used on dock structures 2a so that the entire windward side of the configuration is so protected. In this use, if the larger structures 2b have a first level with a boat lift, the entrance 28 to the boat lift will be that end of structure 2b that is on the leeward side of the configuration so that boats can enter and leave the boat lift in the protected, calmer area 26 of water provided by breakwater 4.

Structures 2 disclosed in FIGS. 1-4, whether dock structures 2a or the larger boat lift and/or patio entertainment structures 2b, form effective artificial breakwaters 4 as described above. However, they still are usually installed in a body of water and removed from a body of water on a seasonal basis in northern climates, i.e. installed in the spring and removed in the fall. This is to prevent damage to structures 2 from any ice that may form on the body of water during the winter. The pressure exerted by such ice on structures 2 or when the ice breaks up in the spring and is pushed against the shoreline by the wind can damage structures 2 that are left in the water over the winter.

FIGS. 5-12 show further embodiments of structures 2 according to this invention that are adapted for being left in a body of water that is subject to ice accumulation in the winter. Such structures 2 have been further modified to be capable of substantially ice free, year round operation during the winter. Thus, such structures 2 may now be left in the body of water on a year round basis which obviously saves the time and effort in installing and removing them from the body of water. This is obviously an advantage that is provided without damaging structures 2 during the winter or spring from either the presence of the ice or the spring break up of the ice.

A water recirculating device 30 known as the Ice Eater is manufactured and sold by the Power House Inc. Referring to FIG. 5, water recirculating device 30 has a corset shaped housing 32 with a bottom intake 34 and a top outlet 36. A propeller 38 and a motor 40 for driving propeller 38 are enclosed inside housing 32. Propeller 38 of water recirculating device 30 draws up warmer subsurface water and deflects it to the surface creating a constant circulation of warmer water that prevents ice formation at the surface. Motor 40 is driven by some source of external electrical power (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional water recirculating device 30 is connected or suspended from base 6 of a dock structure by a pair of tethers 42. The recirculating water flow is shown by the arrows A and B in FIG. 5. Arrows A represent the warmer subsurface water being drawn upwardly through bottom intake 34 of housing 32 of water recirculating device 30. The arrows B represent the discharge of this warmer subsurface water through top outlet 36 of housing 32. Motor 40 that drives propeller 38 of water recirculating device 30 will be powered by a battery or generator carried on dock structure 2a or carried on the adjacent shoreline or from some other available electric source, such as from a power line on the shore.

Dock structure 2a is further modified to have a pair of walls or skirts 24 extending along the length of dock structure 2a on opposite sides of dock structure 2a. One of these walls or skirts can be wall or skirt 24 used on the normally windward side of dock structure 2a as explained with respect to FIGS. 1-4. The second wall or skirt 24 is simply a matching wall or skirt 24 placed on the opposite or leeward side of dock structure 2a. Together, these opposed sets of walls or skirts 24 form a bounded chamber 44 under dock structure 2a. The warmer subsurface water being drawn and discharged upwardly by water recirculating device 30 is thus contained within bounded chamber 44 under dock structure 2a. Bounded chamber 44 extends both above and below the surface of the water for a vertical distance generally equal to the height of walls or skirts 24.

With opposed walls or skirts 24 on both sides of dock structure 2a and along the length of dock structure 2a, and with the recirculating flow from water recirculating device 30 being discharged between these opposed walls or skirts, the Applicant herein has discovered that dock structures 2a will have an ice free zone around them during the winter as depicted by gaps 46 between the edge of ice sheet 48 and the sides of dock structure 2a as shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the Applicant has discovered that the edges of ice sheet 48 will be generally vertical and ice sheet 48 will have its normal thickness all the way to the edge where gap 46 occurs. Ice sheet 48 does not thin out at the edge as the Applicants discovered typically happens if water recirculating device 30 were operating in a hole in the ice sheet 48. Thus, safety is enhanced during the winter since someone walking on ice sheet 48 can walk up to the edge of ice sheet 48 and up to dock structure 2a without breaking off or crumbling the edge of ice sheet 48 and potentially falling into the water. Accordingly, the use of water recirculating device 30 and its discharge between opposed sets of walls or skirts 24 on the sides of structure 2 prevents ice from tightly forming around structure 2 thereby allowing structure 2 to be left in the water during the winter.

FIG. 6 is another view of a different structure 2b according to this invention equipped with a water recirculating device 30. This is a larger structure 2b having one level that houses a boat lift 50 for raising a boat out of the water for storage and for lowering the boat into the water for use. FIG. 6 shows boat lift 50 in its raised position with the boat held by the cradle of boat lift 50 out of the water. This would be the storage position of the boat. In addition to boat lift 50, structure 2b includes a pair of catwalks or dock walkways 52 along either side of boat lift 50 for allowing users to walk along the sides of structure 2b. A flexible tarpaulin or cover 54 is used on structure 2b during the winter covering the raised boat and dock walkways 52 along the side of structure 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, a water recirculating device 30 is used underneath the boat lift portion of structure 2 to direct warmer subsurface water upwardly. Water recirculating device 30 can be tethered or anchored to any suitable portion of structure 2b, including to the cradle of boat lift 50 as shown or to some of the beams 8 of structure 2b. Walls or skirts 24 are provided on structure 2b on the outer sides of dock walkways 52. If such dock walkways 52 were absent, then the walls or skirts 24 would be provided on opposite sides of the outermost beams 8 of structure 2b. Again, walls or skirts 24 are opposed to one another and form a bounded chamber 44 that receives the recirculating warmer subsurface water. This provides structure 2b shown in FIG. 6 with the same gaps 46 between structure 2 and ice sheet 48 as in FIG. 5, thus leading to the same advantages.

In structures 2 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a single water recirculating device 30 may suffice to provide the ice free zones depending upon the overall area covered by structure 2 with the user using larger capacity water recirculating devices 30 for larger areas and smaller capacity water recirculating devices 30 for smaller areas. Alternatively, if the area is very large, the user may need to install and run multiple water recirculating devices 30 underneath structures 2.

FIG. 7 illustrates a plurality of dock structures 2a aligned in an end-to-end relationship and extending outwardly from the shoreline. The shoreline is not shown in FIG. 7 but would be located to the extreme left of FIG. 7. If all dock structures 2a are fitted with the opposed walls or skirts 24 on the opposite sides of dock structures 2a, as in FIG. 5, then these walls or skirts 24 would form a substantially continuous bounded channel 56 extending from the free end of the dock formed by all dock structures 2a back to the shoreline. A water recirculating device 30 can be located beneath or adjacent the free end of the dock with outlet 36 of water recirculating device 30 pointing into channel 56 formed by the walls or skirts 24. Operation of water recirculating device 30 will form a warm current of water (represented by the arrows C in FIG. 7) extending back through channel 56 formed underneath all dock structures 2a all the way back to the shoreline. Thus, the entire dock configuration formed by all the interconnected dock structures 2a will be kept ice free on either side thereof.

In some circumstances, the water depth beneath structures 2 or the assemblage of structures may be too shallow for water recirculating device 30 to be able to draw up sufficiently warm subsurface water to keep structures 2 ice free during the winter. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, water recirculating device 30 will have an elongated intake hose or conduit 60 with an outlet end that is coupled to the intake 34 of water recirculating device 30. Hose or conduit 60 will have an intake end 62 located in deeper water in the body of water. The intake end 62 of hose or conduit 60 will be protected by a basket filter or screen 64 to prevent debris from clogging the intake hose or conduit. Intake hose or conduit 60 allows sufficiently warm subsurface water to be drawn into and through water recirculating device 30 even though water recirculating device 30 itself is located in fairly shallow water.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the water flow from outlet 36 of water recirculating device 30 is directed by a first hose or conduit 70 into one of the ballast tanks 10 on structure 2 and from there back into the body of water through a second hose or conduit 72. Alternatively, instead of directing the water directly back into the body of water through the second hose or conduit 72 as shown in FIG. 9, the second hose or conduit 72, or a pair of such hoses or conduits 72, can lead into the beams 8 that support the hollow extensible legs 12 used to support structure 2 on the bottom of the body of water. This embodiment is depicted in FIG. 10. The water ported into beams 8 or the extensible legs 12 will eventually escape back into the body of water through some of the height adjustment holes 74 used in the legs 12 or through the telescopic fit between the extensible legs 12 and beams 8, both as represented by the arrows D in FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 shows an alternative structure according to this embodiment. A V-shaped ice breaking or deflecting prow or nose 80 can be mounted on the end of structure 2 adjacent open water. During motion of the ice against the shoreline, either from the pressure of ice sheet 48 during the winter or from the action of the wind during ice break up in the spring, the V-shaped prow or nose 80 will deflect the ice or chunks thereof to either side of structure 2.

Referring again to FIG. 4, structures 2 disclosed herein can also serve as platforms for supporting and carrying a solar panel array 81 or a wind turbine 82 for generating electrical energy from the action of the sun or the action of the wind. Such electrical energy can be used to help power water recirculating devices 30 during the winter or to help power electrical devices used on structures 2 during the summer, such as motors used to raise and lower boat lift 50 or electricity consuming entertainment devices, such as stereos, televisions, and the like, used on the patio entertainment areas of structure 2. Electrical energy from these “green” electrical energy generating devices can be stored in a rechargeable on board battery 83 carried on structure 2 or can be piped back into a shore based electrical grid when the energy being generated exceeds the energy demands of structures 2. This sale of excess energy will reduce the overall energy costs to the user of operating structures 2.

The solar panel array 81, wind turbine 82, and battery 83 have been shown in FIG. 4 as being placed on one of the larger boat lift/patio entertainment type structures 2b. Preferably, at least the solar panel array 81 and the wind turbine 82 could be conveniently mounted at one end of the upper patio level of a multi-level structure 2b. This has the benefits of providing unobstructed sun access to the solar panel array 81 and of elevating the wind turbine 82 off the water as far as possible. Wind turbine 82 would be typically carried atop a mounting post or column. With this mounting post or column mounted on the upper level of a multi-level structure, the height of wind turbine 82 above the water would be significant, allowing the wind turbine 82 to better catch available breezes.

However, the solar panel array 81, wind turbine 82, and battery 83 could be used as well on the smaller dock structures 2a, although wind turbine 82 must always be somewhat elevated or shielded to prevent any risk of injury to users from the rotating blades of the wind turbine. In addition, such devices could be split up and used on multiple ones of the structures 2a and 2b. For example, wind turbine 82 could be used on the top level of a multi-level structure 2b, the battery 93 could be placed on the bottom level of the multi-level structure 2b, and the solar panel array 81 could be placed on a dock structure 2a. The solar panel array 81 and wind turbine 82 are electrically connected by a circuit 84 to battery 83. Solar panel array 81 and wind turbine 82 can be used together jointly as shown or only the solar panel array 81 or wind turbine 82 could be used individually without using the other.

Referring now to FIG. 12, when using opposed walls or skirts 24 to provide a bounded chamber 44 in permitting year round operation of a structure 2, the use of water recirculating device 30 can be supplemented with an electrical water heating device 86, such as an electrical heating coil, placed within bounded chamber 44. Water heating device 86 has been shown as being added or coupled to the bottom of water recirculating device 30 in FIG. 12 allowing concurrent use of both devices. However, water heating device 86 could be totally separate from water recirculating device 30 such that the two are not physically connected together but are simply within the same bounded chamber 44. Alternatively, water heating device 86 could be used in place of or as an alternative to water recirculating device 30.

A thermostat or timer control device 88 can measure the air or water temperature inside bounded chamber 44, or the passage of time, to turn the water recirculating device 30, and/or the water heating device 86 if used, off and on according to the environmental conditions inside the bounded chamber 44 or according to a preset time schedule. For example, if control device 88 is a thermostat, devices 30 and/or 86 will run when the measured air or water temperature in chamber 44 is below a certain threshold and will be shut off when the measured air or water temperature in chamber 44 is above a certain threshold. If control device 88 is a timer, devices 30 and/or 86 will be cycled on and off according to a schedule, i.e. one hour on, one hour off, etc. Using such a control device 88 can decrease the energy usage compared to a situation where the devices 30 and/or 86 constantly operate.

Preferably, the gaps 46 between ice sheet 48 and the sides of structure 2 should be managed so as not to grow too large or too small. In a structure 2 intended for year round use, walls or skirts 24 will desirably extend all the way to the top of structure 2, i.e. up to the deck or floor of structure 2, so that the bounded chamber 44 is closed off at the top and does not leak warm air out over the top of the walls or skirts 24. In addition, walls or skirts 24 desirably extend at least as low as the bottom of ice sheet 48. When ice sheet 48 typically freezes down as far as the lake bottom, then walls or skirts 24 should desirably extend down fairly close to the lake bottom as well.

In any event, the use of water recirculating device 30, or the use of water heating device 86, or the use of both devices 30 and 86 together, to warm up and circulate the water inside bounded chamber 44 is what helps keep structure 2 from becoming ice bound during the winter. To keep a nice vertical edge on the ice sheet 48 without the gaps 46 being too large or too small, the walls or skirts 24 could be provided with a plurality of vents 90 to allow the warm, recirculating water to pass out through the sides of the walls or skirts 24 into the gaps 46 adjacent the ice sheets 48. Then, the control device 88 could be used to turn the devices 30 and/or 86 on and off according to a measured air or water temperature, or a time schedule, that is empirically determined in connection with the size and placement of vents 90 to achieve the desired result of keeping the size of gaps 46 within a desired range, e.g. a gap 46 at least three inches wide but not exceeding six inches wide.

Various modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the scope of this invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An artificial breakwater that may be placed in a body of water for creating a calmer water surface on a leeward side of the breakwater, which comprises:

(a) at least one structure that may be transported to the body of water and installed in the body of water for use in the body of water and that may be removed from the body of water when use of the structure in the body of water is no longer desired, wherein the at least one structure comprises: (i) a structure having at least one level that includes at least one component from the group of components comprising a boat lift, a deck having a relatively narrow width in relation to its length to form a dock on which a person can walk or stand, and a deck having a width that is substantially wider in relation to its length than in the case where the deck forms the dock such that the wider deck forms an entertainment area that is able to support a plurality of people and furniture; (ii) at least a pair of wheels that can be at least temporarily attached to 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 (iii) a buoyancy system carried on the structure to selectively provide the structure with a buoyant state in which the structure floats on the body of water and with a non-buoyant state in which the structure sinks into the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water; and

(b) a wall or skirt extending substantially along at least one windward side of the structure when the structure is installed in the body of water, the wall or skirt being located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water against the windward side of the structure when the body of water is calm, wherein the wall or skirt extends sufficiently above the waterline to have a height above the waterline that is substantially equal to at least an average or median size of waves that occur on the body of water and that push against the windward side of the structure, whereby the wall or skirt is effective to create a calmer water surface on the leeward side of the structure due to the wall or skirt being able to block the waves on the windward side.

2. The breakwater of claim 1, wherein the wall or skirt is vertically adjustable on the structure to allow proper placement of the wall or skirt relative to the waterline.

3. The breakwater of claim 1, wherein more than 50% of the wall or skirt is located above the waterline.

4. The breakwater of claim 1, further including a plurality of the at least one level structures that are installed in the body of water and that are abutted with each other with the walls or skirts thereon extending substantially continuously along the windward sides of the abutted structures to form a longer breakwater than a breakwater formed by a single structure.

5. The breakwater of claim 4, wherein the plurality of structures that are abutted with each other include a plurality of structures in which the structures have only a single level and that single level includes a deck having a relatively narrow width in relation to its length to form a dock on which a person can walk or stand, and wherein the plurality of dock structures are assembled end-to-end in forming the breakwater.

6. The breakwater of claim 5, wherein the dock structures have tow hitches that are installable or removable from one end of the dock structures, the tow hitches being removed from any ends of the dock structures that would interfere with an adjacent dock structure when the dock structures are placed in their end-to-end relationship before such dock structures are so assembled relative to one another.

7. The breakwater of claim 5, wherein the plurality of structures that are abutted with each other include at least one structure in which the at least one level of the structure includes a component chosen from the group of components comprising the boatlift and the entertainment area.

8. The breakwater of claim 7, wherein the plurality of structures that are abutted with each other include at least one structure having two levels comprising upper and lower levels, and wherein the lower level of the structure includes the boatlift and the upper level includes the entertainment area.

9. The breakwater of claim 8, wherein the two level structure is inserted into the end-to-end relationship of the dock structures such that an entrance to the boatlift is not obstructed by the dock structures but is open with at least one dock structure abutting against at least one side of the dock structure that is perpendicular to the entrance to the boatlift, and wherein the wall or skirt on the two level structure is placed on a side of the two level structure that is opposite to the entrance to the boatlift with the entrance to the boatlift being located in the area of calmer water formed by the breakwater.

10. The breakwater of claim 1, wherein an opposing wall or skirt is placed on a leeward side of the structure such that the windward wall or skirt and the leeward wall or skirt form a bounded chamber between the windward and leeward sides of the structure, and further including a water recirculating device installed in a position in the body of water to pull warmer water from near the bottom of the body of water into the bounded chamber to create an ice free zone around the structure to permit the structure to remain in the body of water during the winter.

11. The breakwater of claim 1, wherein the structure supports the at least one component on an open framework formed by a plurality of longitudinal and transverse beams that are rigidly connected together but with the framework formed thereby being sufficiently open to the passage of water and without having a hull or solid bottom such that the structure without more would sink when placed in the body of water.

12. A structure for use in a body of water, which comprises:

(a) a structure having at least one level that includes at least one component from the group of components comprising a boat lift, a deck having a relatively narrow width in relation to its length to form a dock on which a person can walk or stand, and a deck having a width that is substantially wider in relation to its length than in the case where the deck forms the dock such that the wider deck forms an entertainment area that is able to support a plurality of people and furniture;

(b) at least a pair of wheels that can be at least temporarily attached to 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;

(c) a buoyancy system carried on the structure to selectively provide the structure with a buoyant state in which the structure floats on the body of water and with a non-buoyant state in which the structure sinks into the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water;

(d) a wall or skirt extending substantially along at least one side of the structure when the structure is installed in the body of water, the wall or skirt being located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water;

(e) an opposing wall or skirt substantially along an opposed side of the structure, wherein the opposing wall or skirt is also located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water, wherein the walls or skirts form a bounded chamber extending under the structure between the opposed sides of the structure; and

(f) a device installed in a position in the body of water to provide a gap between the walls or skirts of the structure and an adjacent ice sheet in the body of water, wherein the gap providing device comprises at least one device chosen from a group of devices comprising a water recirculating device that pulls warmer water from near the bottom of the body of water into the bounded chamber and a water heating device that heats the water in the bounded chamber, thereby to create an ice free zone substantially around the structure to permit the structure to remain in the body of water during the winter.

13. The structure of claim 12, wherein the at least one level of the structure includes a boatlift.

14. The structure of claim 13, wherein the at least one level of the structure includes a pair of walkways along opposite sides of the boatlift, and wherein the walls or skirts are located on exterior sides of the walkways.

15. The structure of claim 12, wherein the gap providing device is electrically operated by a source of electrical power carried on the structure or on an adjacent shoreline of the body of water.

16. The structure of claim 15, wherein the source of electrical power carried on the structure comprises at least one component from the group of components comprising a battery, an electrical power generating windmill, and an electrical power generating solar panel.

17. The structure of claim 16, wherein the structure is a multi-level structure having a lower level and an upper level, and wherein at least one component from the group of components comprising the windmill and the solar panel is located on the upper level of the structure.

18. The structure of claim 17, wherein the lower level of the structure has the boat lift and the upper level of the structure forms the entertainment area.

19. The structure of claim 12, wherein the bounded chamber extends substantially perpendicularly from an inner end adjacent a shoreline of the body of water to an outer end that is located further away from the shoreline than the inner end, and wherein the gap providing device comprises a water recirculating device that is oriented relative to the structure to direct the water being discharged from the water recirculating device back through the bounded chamber towards the shoreline.

20. The structure of claim 12, wherein the gap providing device comprises a water recirculating device that in use is adjacent to some portion the structure, and further including an elongated conduit or hose connecting an inlet of the water recirculating device to a deeper portion of the body of water.

21. The structure of claim 12, wherein the gap providing device is flexibly tethered to the structure.

22. The structure of claim 12, wherein the buoyancy system includes at least one ballast tank carried on the structure which ballast tank is substantially filled with water when the ballast tank is in the non-buoyant state thereof, and wherein the gap providing device comprises a water recirculating device and the water being discharged by the water recirculating device is routed into and out of the at least one ballast tank.

23. The structure of claim 22, wherein the structure has a plurality of extensible legs for supporting the structure in a level orientation on the bottom of the body of water, and wherein the water being discharged by the water recirculating device is routed out of the at least one ballast tank and then into and out of at least one of the extensible legs.

24. The structure of claim 12, wherein the structure has a plurality of extensible legs for supporting the structure in a level orientation on the bottom of the body of water, and wherein the gap providing device comprises a water recirculating device and the water being discharged by the water recirculating device is routed into and out of at least one of the extensible legs.

25. The structure of claim 12, wherein the walls or skirts have a plurality of vents leading from the bounded chamber through the walls or skirts to a position at or below the waterline of the body of water.

26. The structure of claim 26, further including a control device for turning the gap providing device on and off in accordance with an air or water temperature in the bounded chamber or in accordance with a time schedule.