Gravity Buoy Pulley Tether for Accurate Tide-Resistant Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional buoys in inland waterways and marinas are inaccurate due to tether length variations with tide changes, wind, and currents, leading to potential collisions with submerged obstacles, and existing solutions fail to maintain buoy position and are prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A gravity buoy system using a tether with a weight that travels through a pulley and down to an anchor, maintaining constant tension to keep the buoy above the anchor, made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for durability and recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-length tether is used to accommodate mean higher high tide, then the anchor weight prevents buoy submersion at high tide, but the tether becomes slack and allows buoy drift at lower tides
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the static single-length tether with a dynamic tether system that includes a winch mechanism. The winch can actively adjust the tether length to maintain optimal tension and positioning accuracy across varying tide levels, transforming the system from passive to active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that monitor tether tension, buoy position, and water level, feeding this information to a control system that automatically adjusts winch operation. This closed-loop feedback ensures the buoy maintains accurate position regardless of tide changes or environmental forces.
2Measurement precision
If the tether is made long enough for mean higher high tide, then the buoy remains visible, but accuracy decreases as tide lowers and obstacles become more dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic tether system with winch control allows the buoy to maintain consistent distance from the anchor point across varying tide levels. This active adjustment ensures the buoy remains in the optimal position for marking submerged obstacles, improving both location accuracy and collision avoidance reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical tether system with an active electromechanical system incorporating winch, motor, and control electronics. This substitution enables precise positioning control that was impossible with traditional passive tethers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed rod with sliding buoyant tube is used, then the buoy can track water level changes, but the rigidity makes it prone to shock and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid fixed rod with a flexible tether system that can absorb shock and physical impact. The tether's flexibility allows it to withstand collision forces and environmental stresses that would damage a rigid rod, while still enabling the buoy to track water level changes effectively.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional buoys are used with single-length tethers, then installation is simple, but maintenance is difficult due to drift and positioning issues
Solution Approach 1:
The winch system incorporates automatic positioning capabilities that reduce the need for manual intervention. The system can self-adjust to maintain optimal buoy position, reducing maintenance requirements compared to traditional buoys that drift and require frequent repositioning.
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 buoy maintains accurate positioning regardless of tide, wind, or current, reducing the risk of collisions and environmental impact, while being cost-effective and easy to install and maintain.
Implementation Method 1
The gravity buoy maintains a position over the anchor to which it is tethered... uses a weight on the end of a tether that travels through a pulley and then down to an anchor to create a constant tension on the tether
Implementation Method 2
Other prior buoys have been known to sit at the same depth but had a similar buoyant tube that slid up and down with the tide
Data Source
AI summary
The gravity buoy includes a can float that is visible above the waterline and provides the buoyancy for the device. A pulley assembly permits a tether under constant tension to pass easily through a point near the bottom of the can float, thus creating a pull point. A tension weight provides the downward force that puts the tether under constant tension so that the can float maintains its location above the anchor, and helps keep the can float vertical in the water along with concrete ballast inside the bottom of the can float. An anchor provides the downward force that will keep the buoyancy of the can buoy and the weight of the tension weight from displacing the gravity buoy from its intended location. An inline weight provides downward force on the anchor-side of the tether.