Modular Boat Lift Vertical Movement Guide Posts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boat lifts struggle to accommodate changing water levels due to tides and wave action, and they often require precise positioning of piles, which can be impractical.
Innovation Solution
A modular boat lift system that allows vertical movement relative to attached piles or objects, using guide posts with blades that engage pile guides, enabling the lift to float and adjust horizontally while maintaining vertical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a boat lift is rigidly attached to piles driven into the earth, then the horizontal position is fixed, but the boat lift cannot accommodate changing water levels due to tides and wave action
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by enabling the boat lift to move vertically along the piles while maintaining horizontal positioning. The lift is rigidly attached to the piles at multiple points to prevent horizontal movement, but the entire assembly can slide vertically along the piles to accommodate changing water levels. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to tidal changes and wave action while maintaining stable horizontal orientation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If precise positioning of piles is required for the boat lift, then horizontal stability is improved, but construction time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the parameter changes principle by decoupling the horizontal positioning function from the vertical support function. The piles only need to be positioned horizontally at rough locations, as the boat lift assembly includes components that can slide vertically along the piles while maintaining horizontal stability. This changes the positioning parameter requirements from precise to approximate, significantly reducing construction time and complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the boat lift is designed to move vertically along piles, then adaptability to water level changes is improved, but the complexity of the attachment mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the segmentation principle by dividing the attachment mechanism into distinct functional components: vertical support elements (piles) and horizontal positioning elements (rigid attachments). The boat lift assembly is segmented to include sliding components that move vertically along the piles while maintaining horizontal orientation through rigid attachments at multiple points. This segmentation simplifies each component's function while achieving both vertical movement and horizontal stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A boat lift is attached to piles driven into the earth or to another object. The boat lift is held in horizontal position relative to piles or the object to which it is attached, but vertical movement of the boat lift relative to the object is permitted. The boat lift is connected to the piles by modular units or cube constructs that have a post extending there through. The post has a blade extending from it. The blades are attached at an angle, according to the application, to pile guides that engage piles. The pile guides vertically traverse the piles, permitting the boat lift to move vertically relative to the object, but fixing the horizontal position of the boat lift.