Inflatable Kayak Side Tubes Inclined Surface Water Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inflatable kayaks lack the aesthetics and structural stability of solid-body kayaks due to horizontal tube configurations, and suffer from water ingress into vacant spaces at connection parts, leading to reduced lifespan and damage.
Innovation Solution
Inflatable kayak design featuring side tubes with inclined outer surfaces and a convex lower surface, utilizing specific adhesive tape configurations to eliminate vacant spaces and enhance structural integrity, with additional features like V-tapes and a water barrier to prevent water entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bottom tube and side tubes are formed with a horizontal plate structure, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the kayak lacks the aesthetics and structural stability of a solid-body kayak with smooth inclined surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The side tubes are designed with inclined outer surfaces instead of horizontal plate structures. This curvature principle transforms the flat, simple-to-manufacture horizontal plates into inclined surfaces that mimic the smooth, curved appearance of solid-body kayaks, thereby improving aesthetics and structural stability while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard inflatable tube construction
2Ease of manufacture
If the bottom tube and side tubes are adhered using side adhesive tapes, then the assembly process is straightforward, but vacant spaces are formed among the components allowing water ingress that damages adhered parts and shortens lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vacant spaces that form between the bottom tube, side tubes, and side adhesive tapes by redesigning the connection geometry. The side tubes are positioned and shaped such that when adhered with side adhesive tapes, no gaps or cavities remain that could trap water. This extraction of harmful vacant spaces eliminates the water ingress pathway while maintaining the simple adhesive tape assembly process
Solution Approach 2:
The side adhesive tapes function as flexible sealing films that conform to the surfaces of the bottom tube and side tubes. These thin film adhesives create a continuous seal that prevents water penetration into the structure, transforming the simple adhesive bonding process into an effective waterproofing solution that extends the kayak's lifespan
3Ease of manufacture
If vacant spaces exist at connection parts between bottom tube and side tubes, then the assembly allows for manufacturing tolerances, but water fills these spaces causing damage to adhered parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of vacant spaces into a benefit by designing the connection geometry such that the adhesive tapes overlap and seal the interfaces between bottom tube and side tubes. The design ensures that even with manufacturing tolerances, the adhesive configuration creates a waterproof barrier, transforming what could be water-trapping gaps into sealed, water-exclusion zones that protect the adhered parts
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is an inflatable kayak in which side tubes have inclined outer surfaces to appropriately implement the inclined solid body structure of a general kayak, and vacant spaces are removed from connection parts between a bottom tube and the side tubes to solve problems caused by inflow of water into the vacant spaces. The inflatable kayak includes a bottom tube (10), side tubes (20) provided on both sides of the upper surface of the bottom tube (10), upper tapes (30) adhered to the upper parts of both open sides of the bottom tube (10), lower tapes (40) adhered to the lower parts of the open sides of the bottom tube (10) and adhered to the upper tapes (30), and side tapes (50) adhered to both open sides of the side tubes (20) and configured such that ends of the upper tapes (30) are adhered to the side tapes (50).