Cam Lock for Trolling Motor Propeller Depth Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking mechanisms for adjusting the depth of trolling motor propellers require two hands and sometimes a tool, making them time-consuming and impractical for use on a moving boat.
Innovation Solution
A cam lock with a lobe-shaped cam body and rotatable handle shaft allows for single-handed operation, featuring a cam shaft with pivotal movement and a bushing to apply locking force, enabling quick adjustment and locking of the propeller drive shaft's depth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional locking mechanisms are used, then the locking function is reliable, but the operation requires two hands and sometimes a tool, increasing the time and complexity of adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The cam body is designed to rotate between locked and unlocked positions, transforming a static locking mechanism into a dynamic one that can be quickly activated with a single rotational motion, enabling one-handed operation and rapid adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The cam body features a lobe-shaped working periphery with curved surfaces that engage with the bushing, allowing for smooth rotational movement and mechanical advantage that enables quick locking and unlocking actions with minimal force and time
2Productivity
If traditional locking mechanisms are used, then the structure is simple, but the adjustment procedure is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into distinct functional components (cam body, cam shaft, bushing, handle shaft) that work together in a simplified sequence, allowing for rapid adjustment through a single rotational action rather than multiple steps
Solution Approach 2:
The cam body is pre-positioned and the bushing is pre-aligned with the cam shaft, so that a single rotation of the cam body automatically performs the locking or unlocking action without requiring additional adjustments or operations
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
Enables rapid, one-handed adjustment and locking of the propeller drive shaft's depth, reducing the time required to change the propeller's water depth and improving operational efficiency while on a boat.
Implementation Method 1
A cam body (16) having a lobe-shaped working periphery and rotatable between a first locking position and a second unlocked position
Implementation Method 2
A bushing (30) is mounted on the cam shaft (22) and has an end proximate the cam body (16) against which a locking force is applied when the cam body (16) is rotated into its locking position
Data Source
AI summary
A cam lock that includes a cam body having a lobe-shaped working periphery and rotatable between a first locking position and a second unlocked position, a handle shaft mounted to the cam body for moving the cam body through a predetermined range of motion, and a cam shaft mounted to the cam body for pivotal movement relative to the cam body and having an end remote from the cam body for being fixed to a structure to be locked by a force applied against the structure. A bushing is mounted on the cam shaft and has an end proximate the cam body against which a locking force is applied when the cam body is rotated into its locking position.