Portable Mooring Mate With Cleat And Clamping Jaw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boat mooring systems, such as tiedown rails and fixed cleats, are inadequate as they can lead to slippage and movement of boats due to wind and waves, and are not optimally designed for varying boat sizes, making them inefficient and time-consuming to use.
Innovation Solution
A portable mooring apparatus with a cleat and mount body featuring a clamping structure with movable and fixed jaws, which can be securely attached to dock rails, providing adjustable and stable mooring for different boat sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ropes are used to tie boats to tiedown rails, then boats can be moored, but the ropes may slip along the rail due to wind, waves, and boat rocking, leading to boat movement and potential collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cleat as an intermediary device between the rope and the rail. The cleat provides a fixed point for the rope to wrap around, preventing direct contact and slippage along the rail. This mediator device ensures the rope maintains its position even under wind, wave, and boat movement forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleat is pre-positioned at optimal locations on the rail before mooring operations. This preliminary placement ensures that the rope is directed to the correct wrapping point, preventing slippage and ensuring stable mooring from the outset, rather than requiring adjustment during use.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed cleats are permanently attached at fixed locations, then boats can be tied off, but the fixed locations are not optimal for varying boat sizes and may require suboptimal tying positions
Solution Approach 1:
The rail is divided into multiple segments with cleats placed at different locations along its length. This segmentation allows users to select the most appropriate cleat position based on the specific boat size and type, enabling optimal rope wrapping geometry for each scenario rather than forcing all boats to use a single fixed position.
Solution Approach 2:
While the cleats themselves are fixed, the system becomes dynamic in its application - different cleats are selected based on varying boat sizes and mooring requirements. This dynamic selection process allows the fixed infrastructure to adapt to changing operational needs, providing optimal tying positions for different boat configurations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed cleats are installed to accommodate different boat sizes, then more boat configurations can be tied off, but the number of cleats and their placement increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Each cleat is designed as a universal component that can serve multiple boat types and configurations. The standardized cleat design allows a single component to fulfill multiple functions across different mooring scenarios, reducing the need for specialized cleats for each boat size and thereby simplifying the overall system despite its versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for mooring a boat may include a mount body including a plurality of sidewalls forming a channel. A cleat may extend from a first of the plurality of sidewalls. A plate may be removably coupled to the mount body. The apparatus may include a clamping structure comprising a movable jaw coupled to a second of the plurality of sidewalls and configured to clamp the mount to a dock rail.