Sliding Boat Seat Stabilizer With Wedge Tracks Against Wobble
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slidably adjustable boat accessories, such as seats and tables, experience side-to-side and front-to-back wobble due to wear, manufacturing tolerances, and environmental variations, despite locking mechanisms, which compromise user stability and comfort.
Innovation Solution
A pair of rigid plate members with tapered or beveled edges and a wedge mechanism, combined with manually adjustable threaded members, ensure snug engagement within tracks to stabilize the accessory, preventing rocking or wobbling, especially when occupied.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a pair of slidably engaged plates with a locking mechanism is used to adjust the fore and aft location of a boat accessory, then the user can be firmly locked in the desired location, but side-to-side and front to back wobble may occur due to wear, manufacturing tolerances, and environmental variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding stabilization elements (wedges or blocking members) specifically at the side edges of the slidable plate, rather than redesigning the entire locking mechanism. This targeted approach addresses the side-to-side wobble problem locally while preserving the existing fore-aft locking functionality. The stabilization elements are positioned only where needed (at the sides) to prevent wobbling during use.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the locking mechanism is made more complex to eliminate wobble, then stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary stabilization element (wedge or blocking member) that mediates between the slidable plate and the track. This intermediary component absorbs the complexity of preventing side-to-side wobble without requiring fundamental changes to the existing locking mechanism. The wedge acts as a mediator that converts lateral movements into vertical movements within the track, simplifying the overall solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilization function is segmented from the locking function. The existing locking mechanism handles fore-aft positioning, while separate stabilization elements (wedges or blocking members) handle side-to-side stability. This segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized independently and simplifies maintenance and adjustment.
3Stability of the object's composition
If frictional engagement is increased to prevent wobble, then stability improves, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic stabilization where the wedge or blocking member can move freely during the adjustment phase (when the user is sliding the plate to change position) but automatically engages to provide stabilization when the plate is stationary. The manual release mechanism allows the user to temporarily disengage the stabilization element during adjustment, making operation easy, and then re-engage it for stability during use.
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
The solution effectively minimizes wobbling and rocking, providing enhanced stability and comfort for users by ensuring secure engagement of the boat accessory, even during boat movement, through the use of tapered edges and adjustable wedges.
Implementation Method 1
a wedge of suitable material is coupled to the same plate edge with a section of the wedge having a taper resting on the tapered or beveled portion of the rigid member
Implementation Method 2
Manually adjustable threaded members on the plate member in contact with the wedge are operated as necessary to move the wedge along the side of the plate member
Implementation Method 3
the slidable member is snugly engaged in its associated track to prevent the attached boat seat from wobbling or rocking
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism for stabilizing a slidably adjustable boat accessory such as a boat seat or table including a first rigid plate member adapted for attachment to the underside of a boat accessory, a second rigid plate member adapted for attachment to a support surface with the first plate member having two elongate opposite side edges curved underside forming parallel tracks and the second plate member having two elongate opposite side edges slidably engaging corresponding respective tracks of the first plate member for slidably moving the first plate member along the tracks for slidably adjusting the location of an attached boat accessory with at least one of the opposing side edges of the second plate member beveled at least in part, a wedge shaped member engaged with the second plate member resting in part on the bevel, while adjustably moving the wedge shaped member along the bevel such that the wedge shaped member is moved laterally in its associated track.