Collapsible Transom for Inflatable Raft Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflatable rafts lack a stable and rigid platform, making it difficult for users to stand comfortably, and current transoms are often cumbersome, difficult to install, and not easily transportable.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible transom for inflatable rafts, featuring a front section with parallel struts and a rear section with a floor portion and a collapsible support portion, allowing for slidable connection and adjustable positioning to provide a stable platform that can be easily transported in a collapsed state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a transom is added to provide rigidity and a stable platform, then the stability and usability of the raft are improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of transport increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transom is divided into multiple modular components including front struts, rear struts, a floor portion, and support portions that can be separately assembled and disassembled. This segmentation allows the transom to provide structural stability when assembled while being easy to break down for transport, resolving the contradiction between stability and transport complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transom incorporates collapsible support portions that can pivot between an extended position (providing stability and standing surface) and a collapsed position (reducing volume for transport). This dynamic capability allows the structure to adapt between providing rigidity and being compact, resolving the contradiction between stability and transport ease.
2Ease of operation
If a rigid transom structure is used to provide a stable standing platform, then the usability is improved, but the weight and transportability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible support portions allow the transom to provide a rigid, stable platform when needed for usability, while being able to collapse to a compact configuration that significantly reduces weight for transport. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between usability requiring rigidity and transportability requiring lightness.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed transom structure is used to increase raft rigidity, then the stability is improved, but the adaptability to different raft sizes and ease of storage worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segmented design allows the transom components to be configured for different raft sizes and shapes. The front and rear struts can be adjusted and reconfigured to fit various inflatable raft dimensions, providing both the required rigidity for stability and the adaptability to different raft types.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible and adjustable support portions enable the transom to adapt its configuration to different raft sizes while maintaining structural rigidity when assembled. The ability to collapse and reconfigure provides versatility for different applications while ensuring stable platform performance when deployed.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible transom for an inflatable raft has a front section including two parallel front struts and a rear section including a floor portion and a collapsible support portion. The floor portion includes two parallel rear struts, and the two parallel front struts and two parallel rear struts are slidably connectable to each other by insertion into tubular end portions. The support portion is pivotally connected to the floor portion and movable between an expanded position with the support portion substantially parallel to and spaced away from the floor to a collapsed position with the support portion adjacent the floor.