Quick Connect Outboard Stabilizer Attachment System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The broader adoption of outboard stabilizers for high-performance watercraft is limited by the additional maximum width they impose, which poses challenges during transportation, as existing attachment mechanisms are complex, time-consuming, and require specialized tools and personnel for removal and installation.
Innovation Solution
A quick connect system using tension members and tensioning mechanisms, such as ratchets or winches, that securely attach and detach outboard stabilizing members to the watercraft, allowing for easy installation and removal, including secondary connector mechanisms for added security and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If outboard stabilizers are installed on high-performance watercraft, then stability and safety during high-speed maneuvers are improved, but the maximum width of the watercraft increases making transportation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The outboard stabilizer system is divided into separable components that can be attached to and removed from the watercraft. The stabilizers are not permanently fixed but can be quickly detached during transportation to reduce width, and reattached at the launch site to provide stability during operation.
2Reliability
If traditional attachment mechanisms are used for outboard stabilizers, then secure fixation is achieved, but removal and installation require many hours and trained personnel with special tools
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism transitions from a static, permanent fixation system to a dynamic, quickly adjustable system. The new mechanism allows the stabilizers to be securely fixed during operation but can be rapidly released and removed, adapting to different operational needs (transportation vs. operation).
Solution Approach 2:
The complex attachment and detachment process is extracted and simplified into a quick-connect system that eliminates the need for trained personnel and special tools. The mechanism is designed to be intuitively operable by anyone, significantly reducing the time and expertise required for installation and removal.
3Reliability
If existing attachment mechanisms are used, then stabilizers can be fixed securely, but the process requires special tools and trained personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is designed to be self-servicing, allowing users to attach and detach stabilizers without requiring trained personnel or special tools. The system incorporates intuitive design elements and self-aligning features that enable ordinary users to perform the attachment process successfully.
Data Source
AI summary
A watercraft with outboard stabilizing members on a hull with a bow wrap and port and starboard side sheets with one or more longitudinal channels. The port and starboard stabilizing members comprise buoyant members in a sheath having one or more longitudinal keepers that are configured to be received into the side sheet channels. Tension members extend through the keepers, and are attachable near the aft end of the watercraft, and releasably engage tensioning mechanisms in the bow wrap, for releasably attaching the stabilizing members to the side sheet. Deck access plates through the side walls provide access to the tensioning mechanisms, which may be, for example, crank or electric winch mechanism.