Angled Drain Plug With Dual Handles For Boat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drain plugs for watercraft are prone to being lost due to failed retaining mechanisms and offer limited access for installation and removal, especially when the boat is in the water or on a lift, leading to potential flooding and sinking hazards.
Innovation Solution
An angled drain plug design with dual handles on the interior and exterior sides of the boat, allowing for installation and removal from either side, and an angled drain port for clearance, preventing the handles from passing through the opening and ensuring a secure, accessible seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a drain plug with a tether mechanism is used to prevent loss, then the drain plug can be retrieved after removal, but the tether mechanism is not permanent and is subject to failure, causing the drain plug to be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate tether mechanism and integrates the retention function directly into the drain plug structure itself. The drain plug features an angled configuration where the plug body extends at an angle relative to the drain port, with the handling portion positioned such that it cannot pass through the transom opening, providing inherent retention without additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the retention function with the drain plug structure by positioning the handling portion at an angle that prevents it from passing through the transom opening. This merges the plug retention mechanism into the plug body itself, eliminating the need for separate tethers or retaining devices.
2Ease of operation
If the drain port is positioned on the exterior side of the boat for easy access, then the drain plug can be easily installed and removed, but once the boat is in the water there is no way to access the back of the boat to reinstall the drain plug
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the handling portion of the drain plug in a different spatial dimension relative to the drain port opening. The angled configuration extends the handling portion toward the interior of the boat, allowing access from the interior side while maintaining exterior installation capability. This dimensional repositioning enables dual-side access.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain plug design provides universal access capability, allowing the plug to be installed and removed from either the exterior or interior side of the boat. The angled configuration with the handling portion positioned to extend toward the interior enables the same plug structure to serve multiple access scenarios.
3Ease of manufacture
If the drain plug is designed to be removed completely for cleaning or replacement, then maintenance is easier, but the drain plug can be lost or forgotten
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a preliminary retention mechanism into the drain plug design where the handling portion is positioned at an angle that prevents it from passing through the transom opening. This preliminary action of positioning the handle ensures the plug remains retained during maintenance operations while still allowing complete removal when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A drain plug including a first handle on an interior side of a boat and a second handle on an exterior side of the boat, allowing the drain plug to be operated from an exterior side of the boat or from the interior side of the boat. The handles are also sized to prevent passage through a drain port to prevent the drain plug from being lost. The drain port in which the drain plug is disposed may be angled to provide for clearance between the first handle of the drain plug and the hull of the boat and enable a user to easily grasp the interior handle of the drain plug to install and uninstall the drain plug by hand.