Reconfigurable Paddle Shaft for Elastic Energy-Assisted Strokes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Paddling activities, such as kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, can lead to user fatigue due to the strenuous effort required to overcome fluid resistance in water or frictional resistance on land, especially in shallow waters or on surfaces like mud or sand, which affects performance and safety.
Innovation Solution
A paddle assembly with a pair of shaft bodies that can be connected in two configurations - a bow-shaped and an S-shaped configuration - allowing for rotational positioning and resilient deformation, which stores elastic potential energy to assist in paddling by releasing it as work during each stroke, and paddle blades designed for buoyancy and efficient water flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a user paddles through shallow water or on ground surfaces, then propulsion is achieved, but user fatigue increases due to pushing off ground and strenuous effort
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft bodies are designed with resiliently deformable portions that change their physical state from rigid to flexible during operation. This allows the shaft to store elastic potential energy when bent by water resistance or ground friction, then release this energy to assist the user during the return stroke, reducing the energy the user must expend and thereby reducing fatigue while maintaining productivity.
2Strength
If the shaft is rigid to provide structural stability, then strength is improved, but the shaft cannot store elastic potential energy to assist paddling
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than making the entire shaft rigid or entirely flexible, the invention applies local quality by providing specific resiliently deformable portions at predetermined locations along the shaft bodies, while other portions remain rigid. This allows the shaft to maintain overall structural strength and stability while having localized regions that can bend and store elastic potential energy to assist the paddling motion.
3Productivity
If the paddle blade is designed for optimal water resistance, then propulsion efficiency is improved, but the blade creates more drag when raising the paddle out of water
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient shaft enables periodic action by automatically adjusting its flexibility throughout the paddling cycle. During the power stroke, the shaft is stiff to maximize propulsion efficiency. During the recovery stroke when the blade must be raised from water, the shaft becomes more flexible to reduce drag and energy loss, allowing the blade to be lifted with less effort while maintaining optimal propulsion during the active paddling phase.
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 paddle assembly reduces user fatigue by enhancing paddling efficiency and propulsion, allowing for longer performance without fatigue and improved control, while the buoyant and resilient design aids in easier handling and reduced strain on the user's wrists.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of each shaft body is resiliently deformable
Implementation Method 2
stores elastic potential energy to assist in paddling by releasing it as work during each stroke
Implementation Method 3
paddle blades designed for buoyancy
Data Source
AI summary
Paddle assembly (11) including a pair of shaft bodies (12, 14) extending between opposed ends (16, 18, 20, 22). A first end (16, 20) of each body (12, 14) is connectable to the first end (16, 20) of the other body (12, 14) to allow rotationally positioning the bodies (12, 14) relative to each other in two or more positions. A second end (18, 22) of each body carries a paddle blade (24, 25, 26, 124). The shaft bodies (12, 14) are shaped to be connectable to each other in a first configuration (28) to form a bow-shaped shaft (30), and connectable to each other in a second configuration (32) to form an S-shaped shaft (34).