Dock Coupling Device Pin Alignment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of dock segments is challenging due to the difficulty in aligning and inserting pins between hinge plates, which often results in finger pinching, tool loss, and instability in water environments, especially with factors like wave action and shifting loads.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device with an elongate pin portion and clamp portions that can be actuated between open and pin-engaging configurations, allowing for rotational movement and secure alignment of dock segments, reducing the need for manual alignment and minimizing the risk of injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hinge-type coupling with matching hinge plates is used, then the dock segments can be connected, but the alignment and pin insertion becomes extremely difficult and dangerous requiring precise manual alignment in all directions
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is divided into separate components: a clamp portion with clamp surfaces that can independently position the pin, and the pin portion itself. This segmentation allows the clamp surfaces to provide alignment guidance without requiring manual alignment of entire hinge plates, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment in all directions while maintaining connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp surfaces act as an intermediary mechanism between the dock segments and the pin. These clamp surfaces provide the alignment and positioning function that previously required manual intervention, serving as a mediator that guides the pin into the correct position automatically, thereby improving safety by eliminating the need for workers to manually align components in hazardous water environments
2Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment is required to insert the pin between narrow gap hinge plates, then connection is achieved, but finger pinching and tool loss into water becomes highly likely
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp surfaces are designed to automatically perform the alignment function without requiring manual intervention. The geometry of the clamp surfaces self-aligns with the pin, providing precise positioning through the design of the components themselves rather than through human skill and effort, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of finger pinching while maintaining manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional alignment problem (aligning hinge plates in all directions) to a one-dimensional solution by using the clamp surfaces to provide alignment in the critical insertion dimension. The clamp surfaces constrain the pin movement to a specific path, reducing the alignment complexity from multiple dimensions to a single guided dimension, which eliminates the need for manual alignment while maintaining precision and reducing injury risk
3Strength
If hinge plates are used to connect dock segments, then the segments are joined, but the installation becomes complicated by wave action, current, wind, and shifting loads
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device incorporates dynamic elements including the actuator mechanism that can adjust the clamp portions, and the rotatable pin portion that can accommodate movement. These dynamic features allow the connection to adapt to changing conditions such as wave action and shifting loads, maintaining connection strength while simplifying installation by providing built-in adjustment capabilities rather than requiring complex manual alignment procedures
Data Source
AI summary
Described are various embodiments for coupling devices for dock installations.