Rotating Lighted Guideposts for Submerged Boat Trailer Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Boat trailers lack effective visual indicators that remain visible when submerged in water, making it difficult to identify the rear of the trailer during launching and loading operations.
Innovation Solution
A lighted guidepost system comprising a vertically extending guidepost with an illuminated light assembly that can rotate 90 degrees, coupled to the sides of the boat trailer to enhance visibility, even when submerged, using a combination of support legs, stopper couplings, and light housings with LEDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a guidepost is used to indicate the rear of the boat trailer, then visibility is improved, but the guidepost becomes invisible when the rear of the trailer is submerged in water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies illumination by mounting a light assembly on the guidepost that emits light to make the guidepost visible. This resolves the contradiction by changing the optical property of the guidepost from passive reflection to active emission, ensuring visibility even when submerged in water where natural light reflection would be insufficient or impossible.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the light assembly is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but the light assembly cannot adapt to different operational orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the light assembly dynamic by enabling it to rotate about the vertical axis of the guidepost. This allows the light assembly to be positioned in different orientations (e.g., facing forward, backward, left, right) depending on operational needs, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity by introducing a simple rotational degree of freedom.
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 lighted guidepost system significantly increases visibility of the trailer's rear, ensuring safe and efficient launching and loading by remaining visible above water and rotating to maintain orientation as needed.
Implementation Method 1
The light assembly may be illuminated to increase the visibility of the guidepost
Data Source
AI summary
The lighted guidepost for a boat trailer may comprise a guidepost and a light assembly. The guidepost may be coupled to a boat trailer such that the guidepost extends vertically above a side of the rear of the boat trailer. The guidepost may be configured to be visible even when the rear of the boat trailer is submerged in water. The light assembly may be coupled to the top of the guidepost. The light assembly may be illuminated to increase the visibility of the guidepost. A pair of lighted guideposts may be coupled to opposing sides of the rear of the boat trailer such that the light assemblies may designate the rear of the boat trailer.