Foldable Water Flow Deflection Device for Wake Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water ski boats are not designed to create surfable waves, making wake surfing difficult and potentially dangerous, as they prioritize minimizing displacement and drag over wave generation, and adding static ballast for wake enhancement poses safety risks and occupies passenger space.
Innovation Solution
A water flow deflection device with a movable deflector that can be adjusted between extended and folded positions to enhance wake formation, attached to a watercraft using suction cups and a quick release skewer assembly, allowing for adjustable surface area and angle to optimize wake creation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If static ballast is added to the boat to increase wake size, then wake generation is improved, but passenger space is occupied and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ballast function from traditional heavy objects (concrete blocks, water bags) and replaces it with a deployable deflector structure that can be attached to the boat's transom. This deflector actively redirects water flow to create wake without adding permanent weight or occupying passenger space.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflector is designed with movable sections that can be adjusted between extended and folded positions. When extended, it creates the desired wake pattern; when folded, it minimizes space occupation and allows normal boat operation. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between wake generation and space availability.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the deflector surface area is increased to enhance wake formation, then wake quality is improved, but storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector is divided into multiple sections (first section and second section) that can be folded relative to each other. This segmentation allows the large surface area needed for wake formation to be collapsed into a compact configuration for storage, resolving the contradiction between wake quality and storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable sections are designed to nest within each other when in the folded position, maximizing compactness for storage while maintaining the full extended surface area when deployed for wake creation.
3Speed
If conventional ski boat design is used to minimize displacement and drag, then boat speed is improved, but wake generation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector acts as an intermediary device that modifies water flow without requiring changes to the boat's hull design or propulsion system. It mediates between the boat's speed-optimized design and the need for wake generation by actively redirecting water flow at the transom area.
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 device effectively enhances wake formation behind the watercraft, allowing for safer and more efficient wake surfing without the need for significant boat modifications or space-consuming ballast, providing a customizable solution for wake enhancement.
Implementation Method 1
attached to a watercraft using suction cups
Data Source
AI summary
A water flow deflection device configured to be attached to a side of a watercraft for wake enhancement, the water flow deflection device having a water flow deflector having a stationary portion operably connected to a foldable portion, the foldable portion capable of being configured between a fully extended position and a folded position with intermediate folding positions there between, whereby the foldable portion in the folded position is configured to facilitate storage of the device. The water flow deflection device also includes a frame connected to the stationary portion of the water flow deflector, the frame including a base, at least one extension arm, and two or more suction cups for attaching the water flow deflection device to the side of the boat.