Bottom-Mounted Marine Drive Flange for Fast Hull Sealing Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottom-mounted marine drives are difficult to assemble and mount to a boat hull, requiring complex and time-consuming installation processes, and often necessitate additional fastening and damping means to ensure sealing and force transmission.
Innovation Solution
A bottom-mounted marine drive with a preassembled flange interface comprising a body, first and second elastic rings, and clamp elements, allowing for easy installation from inside the hull, which seals off the opening and transmits driving forces while damping vibrations without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional bottom-mounted marine drives are assembled and mounted, then the drive unit can be installed in the hull, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming requiring multiple parts to be mounted from inside and outside the hull
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (mounting plate, seal elements, fastening means) into a single integrated flange interface assembly that is pre-assembled as one unit. This merging of components allows the entire assembly to be installed from inside the hull through a single opening, eliminating the need to mount parts from outside the hull and significantly simplifying the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange interface assembly is pre-assembled as a complete unit before installation into the hull. All components including the mounting plate, seal elements, and fastening means are prepared and configured in advance, allowing for quick and easy installation without requiring complex on-site assembly procedures.
2Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for mounting, then the drive can be secured to the hull, but additional fastening and damping means are required increasing the number of parts
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting plate integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural support for mounting the drive unit, incorporates seal elements to prevent water leakage, and includes fastening means to secure the assembly to the hull. This multi-functional integration eliminates the need for separate fastening and damping components.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate is designed as a universal component that simultaneously performs mounting, sealing, and damping functions. The integrated design allows a single component to fulfill multiple roles that traditionally required separate parts, reducing the overall number of components while maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If the flange interface is assembled as a preassembled unit from inside the hull, then installation is simplified, but the design must accommodate all components within the available space
Solution Approach 1:
The flange interface assembly is designed with nested components where smaller parts are positioned within or around larger structural elements. The seal elements are positioned within grooves on the mounting plate, and fastening means are integrated into the plate structure, allowing all components to fit within the limited space of the flange interface while maintaining ease of installation.
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
Facilitates quick and reliable assembly, eliminates the need for additional fastening or damping means, and ensures effective sealing and force transmission, enhancing operational stability and reducing installation complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a first elastic ring (8) and a second elastic ring (9} The elastic rings may have circular cross-sections, if they are not compressed between any contact surfaces to form seals there between.
Implementation Method 2
The elastic rings may have multiple functions. They seal off the opening in the hull bottom against water leakage, they transmit the force from the marine drive to the hull
Implementation Method 3
they transmit the force from the marine drive to the hull and they damp vibrations caused by the marine drive
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a bottom-mounted marine drive (1) comprising an upper part (2) to be fastened to the inside of a hull (4), a lower part (3) to be mounted outside the hull (4) and a flange interface (5) which is arranged between the upper part (2) and the lower part (3). The flange interface (5) comprises at least a body (10), a first clamp element (6, 7), a first elastic ring (8) and a second elastic ring (9). The flange interface (5) is configured to be mounted to the hull (4) from inside the hull (4) as a preassembled unit. The invention relates further to a boat (100) and a method to mount such a bottom-mounted marine drive (1) to a hull (4) of a boat (100).