Floatable Tracked Hull for Thin-Ice Ice Fishing Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor vehicles, particularly those used for ice fishing, face challenges such as insufficient traction, maneuverability, and uneven weight distribution on thin or unstable ice, which can lead to breakthrough events.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle with a floatable hull and a continuous track system that distributes weight across a longer area, reducing pressure on the ice and enhancing traction, while also being positively buoyant to traverse thin ice and open water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wheeled vehicle is used for ice fishing, then the vehicle can transport passengers to ice fishing locations, but the vehicle has insufficient traction and maneuverability on ice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the contact interface parameter from wheels to continuous tracks, fundamentally altering how the vehicle interacts with the ice surface. The continuous track system provides significantly increased surface area contact with the ice, improving traction and maneuverability while reducing pressure on the ice to prevent breakthroughs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from point contact (wheels) to line contact (continuous tracks), effectively adding a dimensional aspect to the contact interface. This dimensional change from discrete wheel contact points to continuous linear contact along the track provides superior traction and weight distribution across the ice surface
2Reliability
If a wheeled vehicle is used, then the vehicle can move across terrain, but the vehicle spreads weight unevenly causing potential breakthrough on thin ice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the weight distribution parameter by replacing wheels with continuous tracks, which spread the vehicle's weight over a much larger surface area. This parameter change reduces the pressure exerted on the ice surface, preventing breakthroughs on thin or unstable ice while maintaining vehicle mobility
Solution Approach 2:
The transition from point contact wheels to line contact continuous tracks adds a dimensional element to weight distribution. The continuous track system distributes weight along the length of the track, creating a more uniform pressure distribution across the ice surface compared to the concentrated loads from wheels
3Productivity
If a traditional outdoor vehicle is used, then the vehicle can transport equipment and passengers, but the vehicle is difficult to transport due to size considerations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by designing the vehicle as a modular assembly with the continuous track system that can be detached or folded. This allows the vehicle to be broken into transportable segments that can be moved more easily, then reassembled at the destination to provide full transport capability for equipment and passengers
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 vehicle improves safety and accessibility for ice fishing by allowing traversal on thin ice, reducing the risk of breakthroughs, and enabling fishing in previously inaccessible areas, thereby extending the ice fishing season.
Implementation Method 1
a first continuous track assembly and a second continuous track assembly disposed exterior to the hull and extending below the hull for supporting the vehicle when the vehicle is disposed on land
Implementation Method 2
The outdoor vehicle may include a floatable hull... the vehicle is positively buoyant when the hatch is attached to the at least one hole and the vehicle is disposed in water
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a hull defining one or more holes in a keel of the hull. The one or more holes are provided for ice fishing from the one or more holes. The holes include a hatch or a tube extending upwards, for preventing water from entering the hull. The vehicle also includes continuous track assemblies for providing traction on an ice surface. The continuous track assemblies may also provide a motive force when the vehicle is suspended in water. By the hull design, the vehicle may float on the water, allowing the vehicle to access ice surfaces which may otherwise be inaccessible to ice-fishers. The vehicle also increases safety while fishing during thin or unstable ice conditions.