Icebreaker and waterway with icebreaker

Abstract

An icebreaker main body 16 in which an expandable/shrinkable film body 18 is fixed, by fittings, to a wall surface 14 of a canal 10 is provided near a gate. When an ice 36 is formed in the vicinity of the surface of water 34 of the canal 10, air is supplied from a compressor 32 into the expandable/shrinkable film body 18 to inflate the expandable/shrinkable film body 18. The ice 36 is crashed due to a pressure applied from the inflating expandable/shrinkable film body 18, whereby the gate can be opened/closed smoothly.

1 . An icebreaker for breaking through an ice formed at a channel, comprising 
 an expandable/shrinkable film body which is disposed along a wall surface of the channel;    a fixing member for fixing the expandable/shrinkable film body to the wall surface; and    an air-supply means for supplying air to between the expandable/shrinkable film body and the wall surface to inflate the expandable/shrinkable film body at the channel inner side.    
   
   
       2 . The icebreaker according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lower film body provided in close contact with the wall surface, wherein the air-supplying means supplies air into between the expandable/shrinkable film body and the lower film body.  
   
   
       3 . A channel provided with an ice breaker, comprising: 
 a channel;    a gate for opening/closing the channel; and 
 the ice breaker according to  claim 1  disposed near the gate of the channel.