Enclosed Boat Trailer Rear Arms and Rollers for Solo Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boat trailers require significant time and personnel to load and unload boats due to the need for manual alignment, cable engagement, and winch operation, making the process inefficient and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
An enclosed boat trailer with a modular roller system and launch assist system, featuring a wide-opening rear door, roller pairs, central rollers, and a winch, allows for direct boat loading and unloading by a single operator, reducing effort and time through automated alignment and engagement mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual alignment and cable engagement are used for loading boats, then the loading process can be completed with basic equipment, but significant time and personnel are required making the process inefficient and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The roller system automatically adjusts and aligns itself as the boat is being loaded, eliminating the need for manual alignment operations. The rollers self-adjust to the boat's position and shape, enabling the system to service itself during the loading process rather than requiring external manual intervention for alignment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (hand-aligning, hand-engaging cables) with an automated roller system that uses mechanical advantage and controlled movement to position and secure the boat automatically, substituting human labor with a mechanical automation system
2Ease of operation
If traditional winch operation and cable engagement are used, then boat securing can be achieved, but the process requires multiple personnel and significant effort
Solution Approach 1:
The roller system automatically engages and secures the boat without requiring personnel to manually operate winches or handle cables. The system performs the securing function autonomously through the mechanical action of the rollers as they move and position the boat
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex cable engagement and winch operation steps from the loading process, removing these manual operations entirely by replacing them with a simplified roller-based system that achieves the same securing function through different, simpler means
3Manufacturing precision
If rear arms are extended to guide boat entry, then alignment during loading is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rear arms are designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than fixed, allowing them to be extended or retracted based on the specific loading situation. This dynamic capability provides alignment precision when needed while allowing the structure to remain simpler when the arms are retracted, reducing overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance system is segmented into separate extendable rear arms that can be independently adjusted, allowing precise alignment to be achieved through simple, modular components rather than a complex integrated structure
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative embodiment of an enclosed boat trailer may be configured to allow loading of a boat in the water for the purpose of removing the boat from the water using the enclosed boat trailer to engage the boat for storage and/or transportation. An illustrative embodiment of an enclosed boat trailer may be comprised of a roller system positioned on the floor and a right and left rear arm adjacent a rear opening in the enclosed boat trailer. In an illustrative method of use, a boat operator may load and/or unload the boat into the water from the enclosed boat trailer without leaving the boat and without additional personnel.