Internal Releasable Fastening for Modular Watertight Hull Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large articles, such as watercraft, are difficult to handle, transport, and store due to their size, and existing solutions often require rigid but releasable fastening systems that can be cumbersome and prone to malfunction or injury.
Innovation Solution
A modular releasable fastening system where separate portions are securely fastened together using internal fastening mechanisms, such as protrusions and cavities with gaskets, and push-to-lock devices, allowing for quick assembly and disassembly, and providing a watertight and stiff structure without external hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If large articles are made as single-piece structures, then structural integrity and functionality are maintained, but transportation, handling, and storage costs increase due to size
Solution Approach 1:
The large article is divided into multiple separate portions or modules that can be transported and stored independently. Each module maintains the necessary structural integrity for its function, but the overall article can be disassembled into these smaller, more manageable segments for logistics purposes.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate portions are used to reduce transportation costs, then handling and storage become easier, but the fastening system becomes more complex and prone to malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fastening mechanisms are combined into an integrated fastening system where the components work together as a unified assembly. The fastening elements on adjacent portions are designed to mate with each other, creating a coordinated system that reduces overall complexity compared to using multiple independent fastening systems.
3Ease of operation
If external hardware fasteners are used for joining portions, then assembly is straightforward, but the risk of injury and malfunction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening mechanisms are extracted from the external surface and relocated to the interior of the modules. This removes the potentially harmful external hardware from contact with users while maintaining the fastening function. The fastening elements are accessed through openings or access points rather than being exposed on the exterior.
4Strength
If rigid fastening mechanisms are used to ensure structural stability, then joint strength is improved, but the ability to release and reassemble is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system employs dynamic elements that allow the joint to transition between locked and unlocked states. The fastening mechanisms are designed with movable components that enable secure engagement when fastened and easy release when needed, providing both strength and adaptability throughout the product lifecycle.
Data Source
AI summary
An article with at least two partially or fully separable portions that are configured to be securely fastened together to assemble the completed article. There are a plurality of releasable fastening mechanism, each fastening mechanism located in part in each of two adjoining portions that are configured to be joined together.