Necked-Down Fastener Break-Away Mount for Marine Drives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marine drives and vessel combinations lack effective protection against underwater impacts, which can damage the propulsion systems and vessels, leading to potential failures during operation.
Innovation Solution
A marine drive system with a break-away mount mechanism using necked-down threaded fasteners with varying underwater impact strengths, allowing the second section supporting the propulsor to break away from the first section in response to impacts, protecting the vessel and propulsion system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional rigid mounting is used to connect the second section to the first section, then structural strength and stability are improved, but vulnerability to underwater impact damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into multiple fasteners (at least two) that can independently fail. Each fastener is designed with a specific failure mode that allows it to break away at a predetermined impact level, segmenting the overall mounting strength into manageable portions that protect the hull while maintaining operational integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fasteners are designed with varying parameters including different materials, diameters, lengths, and thread configurations to achieve specific failure strengths. By changing these parameters, the system can be tuned to fail at predetermined impact levels while maintaining sufficient strength for normal operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fasteners with high underwater impact strength are used, then protection against impact is improved, but the ability to break away at predetermined strengths is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Different fasteners in the mounting system are designed with different local qualities - some with higher strength materials and dimensions for general impact resistance, while others are specifically designed with lower strength characteristics to fail first at predetermined impact levels. This local differentiation ensures the break-away function is achieved at the intended fasteners while maintaining overall system protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple fasteners with varying strengths are used, then impact protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fasteners are designed to serve multiple functions: they provide structural mounting strength during normal operation, absorb impact energy through controlled deformation, and fail in a predictable manner at predetermined impact levels. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
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 break-away mount system effectively absorbs and manages underwater impacts, reducing damage to the marine drive and vessel by fracturing at predetermined strengths, ensuring continued operation and safety.
Implementation Method 1
necks of the threaded fasteners are designed to fracture at predetermined underwater impact strengths
Data Source
AI summary
A marine drive has a break-away mount provided by hollowed-out threaded fasteners mounting first and second sections of the drive and breaking away in response to a given underwater impact against the second section to protect the first section and the vessel.