Retractable Bimini Top Assembly with Torsion Spring Reel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retractable folding top assemblies for watercraft, such as bimini tops, require secondary struts for support and a boot for enclosure, adding complexity and cost, and users find it difficult to install and remove the boot.
Innovation Solution
A retractable folding top assembly with a covering mounted on movable struts, featuring a reel assembly with a torsion spring that winds the covering onto a spindle, eliminating the need for secondary struts and providing secure storage within a housing, allowing the covering to be maintained taut without additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secondary struts are added to support the covering, then the covering does not sag when deployed, but the assembly cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the secondary struts from the assembly, extracting the problematic component that added complexity. Instead of using secondary struts to prevent sagging, the invention uses a reel mechanism with torsion spring that winds the covering during deployment, eliminating the need for additional support structures while maintaining covering stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical support system (secondary struts) with a different mechanical mechanism (reel and torsion spring system). The torsion spring provides continuous tension force during covering deployment, substituting the need for rigid secondary support struts with an elastic energy storage mechanism.
2Reliability
If a boot is installed to enclose the covering when retracted, then the covering is protected, but installation and removal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the covering storage function with the housing structure itself. The housing contains a reel mechanism that automatically winds and stores the covering when retracted, eliminating the need for a separate boot component. The housing slot allows the covering to extend and retract while the reel mechanism provides automatic retraction and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the torsion spring automatically winds the covering onto the reel during deployment and retraction cycles. The system serves itself by using the covering's own movement to drive the reel mechanism, eliminating the need for manual boot installation and removal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Simplifies the assembly by eliminating secondary struts and the need for a boot, ensuring the covering remains taut and secure, reducing user effort and potential misplacement, while maintaining functionality across deployment positions.
Implementation Method 1
A torsion spring within the housing biases the spindle in a direction winding the covering onto the spindle and thereby maintaining tautness of the covering as it unwinds from the spindle and is moved into the deployed position.
Data Source
AI summary
A retractable top assembly for a vehicle, commonly referred to as a bimini top, includes a covering mounted on a pair of struts which are movable relative to one another to move the covering between a deployed position covering at least a portion of the vehicle and a retracted position. In the retracted position, the covering is wound upon a spindle rotatably mounted within a housing mounted on one of the struts. The housing has a slot through which the covering extends, so that the covering is attached to the other strut. A torsion spring within the housing biases the spindle in a direction winding the covering onto the spindle and thereby maintaining tautness of the covering as it unwinds from the spindle and is moved into the deployed position.