Carrying Tray for Marine Drive Latching Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for transporting and installing latching assemblies on marine drives often result in tangled or damaged flexible connectors and incorrect installation due to the lack of a central lifting location, leading to potential damage to the cowl surfaces and functionality issues.
Innovation Solution
A carrying tray with latching device cavities and an actuator retainer that maintains the latching devices and actuator in spaced-apart orientations, preventing tangling and damage, and facilitating accurate installation by positioning components correctly on the cowl.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If latching assembly components are transported without a carrying tray, then the structure is simpler, but the flexible connectors become tangled and damaged during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The carrying tray serves as an intermediary container that holds the latching assembly components during transport. The tray includes specific cavities and retainers that position the flexible connectors and latching devices, preventing tangling and damage while transporting the assembly from the packaging to the installation location.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrying tray is prepared in advance with pre-formed cavities and retainers positioned to match the final installation configuration. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when components are placed in the tray, they are automatically positioned correctly, eliminating the need for complex alignment operations during installation.
2Manufacturing precision
If latching assembly components are installed without positioning guidance, then the installation process is faster, but incorrect installation occurs due to lack of central lifting location
Solution Approach 1:
The carrying tray acts as an intermediary positioning tool during installation. The cavities and retainers in the tray provide precise positioning guidance for the latching devices and actuator, ensuring correct alignment with the cowl mounting positions. This intermediary structure eliminates the need for complex alignment procedures while maintaining high installation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrying tray is designed so that the components self-position within the tray's cavities and retainers. The geometric constraints of the tray structure automatically align the latching devices and actuator with their correct mounting positions on the cowl, eliminating the need for external positioning aids or complex installation procedures.
3Reliability
If flexible connectors are routed without protection, then the installation is simpler, but the connectors are damaged during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The carrying tray provides a protected intermediate space for the flexible connectors. The tray's cavities and retainers create a structured environment that shields the connectors from mechanical damage, kinking, and tangling during transport and installation, while the connectors remain accessible for proper routing to the mounting positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrying tray facilitates installation of a latching assembly on a cowl of a marine drive. The carrying tray comprises a plurality of latching device cavities configured to retain a plurality of latching devices in a spaced-apart orientation that positions each respective latching device with respect to its mounting position on the cowl so that the respective latching device can be directly installed onto the cowl without tangling or damaging the flexible connectors, and an actuator retainer that retains an actuator in a position with respect to its mounting position on the cowl so that the actuator can be directly installed onto the cowl without tangling or damaging the flexible connectors.