Watercraft Trailer Depth Guide System with Electrical Contact Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for determining the proper depth of watercraft trailers or lifts in water are complex, expensive, and prone to malfunction due to debris or other issues, leading to inconsistent and unsafe launching and recovery practices.
Innovation Solution
A depth guide system featuring a vertically extending elongate member with a visual indicator and an activator device that uses electrical contacts within a housing to indicate when the system is submerged, activating a visual and audible alert when water connects the contacts, allowing for easy installation and adjustment without complex mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex depth determination devices are used, then depth measurement capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The depth guide system is divided into separate functional components: a vertically extending elongate member serving as the measurement scale, an activator device with electrical contacts for detection, and a visual indicator for signaling. This segmentation allows each component to be simple and independent, avoiding complex integrated systems while maintaining effective depth measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical depth determination mechanisms with a simple electrical detection system. Water-submerged electrical contacts complete a circuit to activate a visual indicator, substituting elaborate mechanical sensors with basic electrical components that are less prone to malfunction and easier to manufacture.
2Measurement precision
If complex depth determination devices are used, then depth measurement capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs inexpensive components that can be easily manufactured and replaced if needed. The electrical contacts, visual indicator, and elongate member are made from basic materials that are cost-effective to produce, making the overall system affordable while maintaining functional reliability for depth measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing expensive mechanical depth sensors with simple electrical contacts and visual indicators, the system achieves cost-effective manufacturing. The electrical components are inexpensive to produce at scale and require minimal assembly, significantly reducing manufacturing costs compared to complex mechanical depth determination devices.
3Extent of automation
If float valve mechanisms are used, then automatic depth determination is improved, but reliability decreases due to jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic float valve mechanism from the system and replaces it with direct electrical contacts that sense water depth. By removing the float valve component entirely, the system eliminates the jamming issue while maintaining automatic depth determination through the electrical contact-visual indicator mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system substitutes mechanical float valve mechanisms with an electrical sensing approach. Water-submerged electrical contacts complete a circuit to activate a visual indicator, providing automatic depth determination without the moving parts and debris susceptibility of mechanical valves, thereby significantly improving reliability.
4Ease of manufacture
If simple depth indication systems are used, then ease of installation is improved, but measurement precision may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the depth indication function into a vertically extending elongate member with marked intervals and separate electrical sensing components. This allows the elongate member to provide precise depth reference marks while the electrical contacts simply detect water level, combining simple installation with accurate depth measurement capability.
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 system provides a simple, affordable, and reliable method for ensuring watercraft are launched or recovered at the correct depth, reducing stress and ensuring safety with minimal equipment failure, while being easy to use and install.
Implementation Method 1
at least one probe located inside the hollow interior space of the housing and forming a pair of electrical contacts. The activator device is configured so that in a first state when the pair of electrical contacts are not electrically connected by water within the housing the activator device deactivates the visual indicator, and in a second state when water within the housing electrically connects the pair of contacts the activator device activates the visual indicator.
Data Source
AI summary
A depth guide system gives an operator of a watercraft carrier an alert that the carrier is at a proper water depth to launch or stow the watercraft. The system includes an activator device or sensor having a housing vertically adjustable along a length of a vertical member. The device activates and deactivates the alert based on water level within the housing. When water is absent from the housing, the device activates a first LED at the top of the vertical member. When water located within the housing is sufficient to electrically connect two contacts, the device deactivates the first LED and activates a second LED of a different color at the top of the vertical member and can also activate an audible alert. A proximity sensor can be included which warns of any obstructions around the perimeter of the watercraft carrier via a secondary audible alarm.