Attachable Loading Ramp for Centered Watercraft Docking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular floating vessel platforms face challenges in safely and easily accommodating watercraft of various sizes due to vertical entry points, which cause wear and tear on float modules and potential damage to the watercraft, and require precise positioning, especially for inexperienced operators or in adverse conditions.
Innovation Solution
An attachable loading ramp with upwardly sloped sides and a connection point that secures to the edge of the floating vessel platform, providing a smooth transition and centering mechanism for watercraft to align and ascend onto the platform without a vertical curb, using a U-shaped design with adjustable attachment points for different platform configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vertical face entrance point is used on the floating vessel platform, then the platform maintains sufficient buoyancy and freeboard, but the watercraft hull experiences wear and tear and potential damage when pushed up and over the curb
Solution Approach 1:
A ramp structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the water and the platform surface. The ramp has a lower entry point that contacts the water and an upper surface that contacts the platform, creating a gradual transition slope that eliminates the vertical curb while maintaining platform buoyancy through its support structure
2Ease of operation
If the entrance point is lowered to the water surface level, then watercraft can easily drive onto the platform, but the platform loses sufficient freeboard to keep the upper surface dry
Solution Approach 1:
The solution transitions from a horizontal dimension problem (lowering the entrance point horizontally) to a vertical dimension solution by introducing a ramp with a sloped profile. The ramp extends vertically from the water level up to the platform surface, allowing easy watercraft access while maintaining the platform's elevated dry surface through the ramp's inclined geometry
3Strength
If a vertical curb is present at the entrance, then the platform maintains structural integrity, but the bow of the watercraft rises dangerously high preventing operator visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp replaces the sharp vertical curb with a curved, sloped surface that gradually transitions from water level to platform height. This curved profile allows the watercraft bow to follow a smoother path upward, preventing sudden vertical rises that would block the operator's view while maintaining structural support through the ramp's engineered slope
4Manufacturing precision
If precise positioning is required at the entrance point, then the watercraft can be properly aligned, but inexperienced operators struggle especially in windy conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp's extended lower entry point creates a larger, more visible target area that contacts the water surface. This expanded entry zone provides visual cues and a broader margin for error, allowing inexperienced operators to more easily identify and align the watercraft with the correct entrance position even in adverse weather conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A loading ramp includes a contoured component with upwardly sloping surfaces and an opening for receiving the hull of a watercraft. The contoured component has a centrally located lower surface relative to the sides and front of the contoured unit. The loading ramp incorporates a way for the loading ramp to attach to a modular floating vessel platform.