Marine Drive Steering-Arm Routing for Low-Wear Rigging Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rigging connectors in marine drives, such as hoses, wires, and cables, experience bending and abrasion due to repetitive movement around the tiller and steering arm, leading to damage and affecting the marine drive's styling and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A guide member is integrated into the steering arm and transom bracket assembly to guide the flexible rigging connector coaxially with the steering axis, minimizing movement and wear by securing it above the transom bracket, and allowing it to move with the marine drive during trimming and steering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the rigging connector extends freely around the tiller and steering arm, then ease of installation is improved, but wear and damage increase due to repetitive bending and abrasion
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the rigging connector and the steering arm. The guide member includes a guide passage that directs the rigging connector along a controlled path, reducing unnecessary bending and contact with abrasive surfaces. This mediator protects the rigging connector while maintaining installation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide passage in the guide member creates a three-dimensional routing path for the rigging connector, allowing it to bypass high-wear areas and follow an optimized trajectory. This dimensional approach enables the connector to extend from the cowling interior through the steering arm to the transom bracket while minimizing exposure to bending and abrasion.
2Reliability
If the rigging connector is secured above the transom bracket, then durability is improved by preventing rubbing, but device complexity increases due to the guide member integration
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is merged with the steering arm structure, where the guide passage is formed as an integral part of the steering arm or attached to it. This integration combines the steering function with the rigging guidance function, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining durability benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member serves multiple functions: it guides the rigging connector through the steering arm, positions it above the transom bracket to prevent rubbing, and integrates with the existing steering mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby managing device complexity.
3Reliability
If the rigging connector is aligned coaxially with the steering axis, then wear is reduced by minimizing movement, but ease of operation is worsened due to constrained positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The guide passage in the guide member is designed with appropriate clearance and flexibility to allow the rigging connector to move dynamically with the steering arm during trimming and steering operations. This dynamic design maintains coaxial alignment to reduce wear while accommodating necessary movements, preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide passage dimensions and flexibility parameters are optimized to balance constraint and freedom of movement. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves coaxial alignment for wear reduction while maintaining sufficient flexibility for operational ease during steering and trimming.
Data Source
AI summary
A marine drive for propelling a marine vessel in water, the marine drive comprising a cowling defining a cowling interior, a steering arm for steering the marine drive with respect to a steering axis; and a flexible rigging connector extending from the cowling interior to a location in the marine vessel, wherein the flexible rigging connector extends through the steering arm and coaxial with the steering axis.