Dual-Function Oar Axle for Watercraft Ground Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Recreational watercraft such as canoes and kayaks are often heavy and bulky, making them difficult to transport over ground surfaces without risking damage, as they require assistance or dragging, which can be cumbersome and damaging.
Innovation Solution
A dual-purpose oar with circular paddle portions and a handle that can be reconfigured into an axle and wheels, allowing the watercraft to be rolled across the ground, featuring detachable connections and threaded holes for secure attachment, enabling easy transportation while maintaining functionality as a propulsion device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the watercraft is transported by dragging it across the ground, then the watercraft can be moved to a new location, but the watercraft may suffer damage and the process is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The oar is designed with detachable connections that allow it to dynamically transform from a rigid paddle configuration to a wheeled transport configuration. The handle portion can be detached from the paddle portions and reconfigured as an axle, enabling the watercraft to transition from being dragged to being rolled, thus eliminating ground contact damage while maintaining ease of transportation
Solution Approach 2:
The oar is segmented into separate components (handle portion and paddle portions) with detachable connections. This segmentation allows the components to be separated and reconfigured into a wheel mechanism, transforming the watercraft from a static object to one with mobile components that can roll across the ground without damaging the hull
2Ease of operation
If the oar is reconfigured into a wheel mechanism for transportation, then the watercraft can be rolled across the ground, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The oar serves multiple functions: it acts as a propulsion device when assembled in the traditional paddle configuration, and it transforms into a wheeled transport mechanism when the handle portion is detached and reconfigured as an axle. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate transportation equipment, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining ease of transportation
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable connections enable the oar to dynamically reconfigure between two functional states without requiring additional components. The same parts that make up the oar can be quickly assembled or disassembled to switch between paddling and rolling modes, maintaining structural simplicity while enabling versatile operation
Data Source
AI summary
An oar for use in propelling a watercraft through water includes a first circular paddle portion. An edge hole extends into an edge of the first paddle portion. The oar also includes a second circular paddle portion, with an edge hole extending into an edge of the second paddle portion. The oar also includes a handle portion having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first paddle portion edge hole and the handle portion first end are structured so that the handle portion first end is detachably securable in the first paddle portion edge hole. The second paddle portion edge hole and the handle portion second end are structured so that the handle portion second end is detachably securable in the second paddle portion edge hole.