Marker Buoy Spool and Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current marker buoys for underwater objects are unreliable and difficult to deploy, often floating away from their intended site or becoming tangled, which hinders effective marking and location of underwater hazards or objects.
Innovation Solution
A marker buoy design featuring a rotatable shaft with a spool and line-feed mechanism, combined with a foam filler for buoyancy and a locking mechanism to maintain orientation, allowing easy deployment and reliable surface indication of underwater objects, while being durable and resistant to corrosion and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a marker buoy is deployed underwater to indicate the position of an underwater object, then the marking function is achieved, but the buoy often floats away from its intended site or becomes tangled
Solution Approach 1:
The line is pre-wound onto the spool in a controlled manner before deployment. The spool is pre-positioned on the shaft with the line arranged in neat layers, preventing tangling during deployment. The locking mechanism is pre-configured to secure the shaft in a specific orientation, ensuring the buoy maintains proper positioning rather than floating away randomly.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool acts as an intermediary between the line and the shaft, providing a controlled interface for line deployment. The spool's rotation on the shaft allows the line to be fed out in an organized manner, preventing the line from becoming tangled with itself or with the buoy structure during deployment and operation.
2Reliability
If the buoy is tethered to an underwater object, then positioning is improved, but the surface-level marking component becomes tangled and fails to deploy effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The spool serves as a mediating device between the tether line and the buoy body. As the buoy ascends to the surface, the spool rotates to pay out the line in a controlled spiral pattern, preventing the line from wrapping around the buoy structure or becoming tangled. This intermediary mechanism transforms the chaotic tangling problem into an orderly line deployment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool is designed to rotate dynamically as the buoy ascends, adapting to the changing conditions during deployment. The rotation of the spool automatically adjusts the line feed rate and direction, maintaining line organization throughout the ascent process rather than relying on a static line arrangement that would become tangled.
3Illumination intensity
If the buoy floats to the surface to mark the location, then visibility is improved, but the buoy may drift away from the intended marking position
Solution Approach 1:
The spool and shaft assembly acts as a counterbalancing mechanism that resists the buoy's tendency to drift away from its intended position. As the buoy ascends, the spool's rotation and the line's tension create a stabilizing force that keeps the buoy oriented correctly and positioned accurately over the underwater object, counteracting external forces like currents and wind.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is pre-configured to secure the shaft at a specific angle that optimizes the buoy's positioning accuracy. This preliminary orientation setting ensures that when the buoy reaches the surface, it maintains the correct angular relationship with the underwater object, preventing drift and ensuring accurate marking of the location.
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 marker buoy effectively and consistently indicates the location of underwater objects, maintaining orientation and preventing tangling, with durable components that withstand various environmental conditions, ensuring reliable deployment and reuse.
Implementation Method 1
a foam filler positioned within the upper body, the foam filler configured to provide positive buoyancy for the marker buoy
Data Source
AI summary
A marker buoy and marker buoy system for attaching to underwater objects and indicating a location above the object residing beneath the surface of the water. The marker buoy can include an upper body with a shaft rotatably mounted within and a lower body oriented centrally in relation to the upper body. A line for attachment to the underwater object is wound around a spool affixed which can be to the shaft, and the line can feed out of the marker buoy through an aperture located on the lower body. The shaft may be locked to prevent rotation utilizing a locking mechanism. Various fittings and mounts enable extra components to attach onto the marker buoy for additional features.