Subsurface Buoy Tether System with Indentation Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subsurface buoys are prone to entanglement and damage from fishing trawler nets due to the pinching of tethers against anchoring bases, leading to severance and loss of connection.
Innovation Solution
A trawler net resistant tether system featuring concentric cones around the buoy to reorient it horizontally and an anchoring base with indentations on its upper surface to protect the tether from pinching, allowing trawler nets to slide over without damaging the tether.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional tether system is used, then the buoy remains securely connected to the base, but the tether becomes pinched and severed when trawler nets drag over the base
Solution Approach 1:
The base is divided into multiple raised portions with indentations, creating segmented protection zones along the tether path. This segmentation allows the tether to be received and protected at multiple locations, preventing pinching between the base and trawler net while maintaining secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The indentations on the base surface act as intermediary protective structures between the tether and the harmful trawler net. These indentations receive and protect the tether, serving as a mediator that prevents direct contact and pinching while allowing the net to pass over the base.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the buoy is held vertically, then it maintains stable orientation, but it becomes entangled with trawler nets when dragged horizontally
Solution Approach 1:
The buoy is designed to dynamically change its orientation from vertical to horizontal when subjected to trawler net forces. This dynamic reorientation allows the buoy to adapt to the horizontal dragging action, preventing entanglement while maintaining connection to the tether.
Solution Approach 2:
The buoy transitions from a vertical orientation (one-dimensional stability) to a horizontal orientation (two-dimensional stability on the sea floor). This dimensional change allows the buoy to accommodate the horizontal forces from trawler nets without becoming entangled, while still maintaining secure tether connection.
3Ease of manufacture
If the base surface is flat, then manufacturing is simple, but the tether is exposed to pinching damage
Solution Approach 1:
The base surface is segmented into multiple raised portions with indentations, creating a patterned surface that protects the tether. This segmentation provides protection without requiring complex overall base structure, maintaining ease of manufacture while preventing tether pinching.
Solution Approach 2:
The base has a uniform overall structure but incorporates localized indentations at specific positions where the tether passes. This local quality enhancement provides targeted protection to the tether without significantly complicating the overall base manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
An anchoring base and a buoy that are adapted to resist entanglement with a trawler net that may be dragged over the anchor and buoy. The buoy may have a plurality of cones that are secured to the tether in a spaced relationship proximate the lower end of the buoy. The anchoring base has a top side having an upper surface that defines a plurality of indentations between raised portions. The tether may be received in at least one of the indentations when the tether is pressed against the upper surface of the insert to protect the tether from being damaged or severed.