Outboard Motor Support Cradle for Stable Trailering Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outboard motor support devices fail to provide adequate lateral stability and often become dislodged during trailering, potentially causing damage to the motor and its hydraulic systems, and require additional installation steps with separate steering clips.
Innovation Solution
An outboard motor support device featuring a transom connection mechanism with pivot joints and plunger pin mechanisms that provide adjustable alignment and engagement with the motor, offering both vertical and horizontal stabilization through a motor cradle and solid support base, ensuring robust support and preventing dislodgment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a rigid rod-type support device is used to provide vertical support to the outboard motor, then the motor is supported during trailering, but the device provides little or no resistance to lateral movements and may become dislodged
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is divided into multiple functional segments: a vertical support rod for gravitational load, a motor cradle with lateral engagement surfaces for horizontal stabilization, and a transom connection mechanism with multiple attachment points. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific directional forces, resolving the contradiction between vertical support and lateral stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional vertical support to three-dimensional stabilization by adding the motor cradle that engages lateral surfaces of the motor lower unit. The cradle extends in horizontal dimensions and provides engagement surfaces perpendicular to the vertical support axis, thereby resisting lateral movements while maintaining vertical support capability.
2Reliability
If separate steering clips are installed on hydraulic pistons to restrain lateral movement, then lateral stability is improved, but the installation complexity increases with additional steps and components
Solution Approach 1:
The motor cradle integrates multiple stabilization functions into a single unified component that attaches to the transom bracket and engages the motor lower unit. This merged structure combines vertical support, lateral restraint, and anti-dislodgment features that would otherwise require separate steering clips and additional installation steps, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor cradle serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides vertical support guidance, lateral stabilization through side engagement surfaces, and prevention of motor dislodgment during trailering. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate steering clips, reducing both component count and installation complexity while achieving comprehensive motor stabilization.
3Ease of operation
If the support device is rigidly attached to the transom bracket, then installation is simplified, but the device cannot accommodate misalignment and may not engage firmly with the motor lower unit
Solution Approach 1:
The transom connection mechanism incorporates a pivot joint that allows the support rod to rotate and self-align with the motor lower unit during installation. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the rigid support structure to accommodate minor misalignments while maintaining firm engagement, thereby preserving both installation ease and engagement reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot joint changes the angular parameter of the support rod relative to the transom bracket, allowing adjustment from a fixed rigid angle to a variable angle that can accommodate misalignment. This parameter change enables the device to adapt to different installation conditions while maintaining secure engagement with the motor lower unit.
Data Source
AI summary
An outboard motor support device includes a transom connection mechanism, a pivot joint, and a motor support. The transom connection mechanism engages directly with a transom bracket to maximize stability and is configured to provide a consistently correct angular orientation of the motor support relative to the motor during use. In particular, the pivot joint adjustably aligns to the motor is a desired orientation during assembly to ensure a firm and “nested” engagement with the lower unit of the motor in the motor support. The motor support can be designed to fit specific motors, allowing for maximum stability and maximum surface area contact when properly aligned and engaged with the motor. The present outboard motor support device is formed as a single unit that provides vertical support as well as horizontal stabilization to the motor during transit, thereby also preserving the transom brackets and tilt/trim mechanism of the motor.