Powered Swim Platform Actuator for Boat Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in entering and exiting a water-sports boat from the water due to the height of the swim deck, which can be above or below the waterline, making it cumbersome, especially after a long ride when they are tired, and the life preserver can impede the process.
Innovation Solution
A powered swim platform that can move between stowed and deployed positions, with the deployed position being at a lower elevation than the stowed position, allowing users to easily mount or dismount the swim deck from the water, featuring a gear assembly with a cover to prevent entanglement with gears.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the swim deck is positioned above the waterline for structural stability, then the boat maintains better stability, but users face difficulty in ingress and egress from the water
Solution Approach 1:
The swim deck is segmented into a fixed portion and a movable platform portion. The movable platform can be deployed to a lower position near the waterline to facilitate easy ingress and egress, then retracted to the higher position to maintain boat stability. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for different operational requirements at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is made dynamic by introducing an actuation mechanism that allows it to move between a deployed position (lower elevation for easy access) and a retracted position (higher elevation for stability). This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt to different operational needs, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of access.
2Ease of operation
If the swim deck is positioned at waterline level for easy access, then users can easily enter and exit, but the boat experiences reduced stability
Solution Approach 1:
The swim deck structure is divided into stable fixed portions and a movable platform portion. The movable portion can be dynamically positioned at waterline level for easy access while the fixed portions maintain structural stability, allowing both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously through spatial segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the platform dynamically adjustable, the system can adopt different configurations: when the platform is deployed at waterline level, ease of access is maximized; when retracted, stability is prioritized. This dynamic capability allows the system to resolve the contradiction by adapting to specific operational contexts.
3Device complexity
If manual deployment of the platform is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but user fatigue increases after long rides
Solution Approach 1:
The platform deployment system incorporates an actuator that enables automatic or assisted deployment without requiring significant user effort. The actuator performs the work of moving the platform, allowing users to simply initiate the process rather than manually exert force, thereby reducing user fatigue while maintaining reasonable system complexity.
4Reliability
If the life preserver is worn for safety, then user safety is improved, but the life preserver impedes ingress by snagging on the swim deck
Solution Approach 1:
The movable platform creates a dynamic ingress path that can be positioned to minimize interference with life preservers. When deployed, the platform provides a gradual transition that allows users wearing life preservers to board more smoothly, reducing snagging issues while maintaining safety requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A powered swim platform for improving accessibility to a swim deck of a water-sports boat or other watercraft. The powered swim platform includes a platform driven by an actuator. The actuator can rotate the platform between stowed and deployed configurations to assist a user in mounting or dismounting the swim deck of the water-sports boat or other watercraft.