Rail-Mounted Bracket With Single-Strap Securing for Elongated Gear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage solutions for large, bulky water sports equipment like kayaks and surfboards on boats are cumbersome due to their size and require multiple hardware components for secure mounting, which complicates transportation and storage.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with a hanger portion, an elongated body, and a retaining strap that secures both the bracket to a horizontal rail and the equipment to the bracket using a single strap, allowing for easy mounting and secure storage of elongated items like kayaks, surfboards, and paddleboards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional storage solutions are used for water sports equipment, then the equipment can be stored, but the storage system becomes cumbersome and requires multiple hardware components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single bracket assembly that integrates the hanger portion for rail attachment, the support portion for equipment placement, and the elongated body connecting them. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets, support structures, and fastening hardware, directly reducing the number of hardware components while maintaining secure mounting capability
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket assembly is designed with universal applicability to accommodate various types of water sports equipment (kayaks, surfboards, paddleboards) on different boat configurations. The hanger portion can attach to horizontal rails in various positions, and the support portion can accommodate equipment of different sizes and shapes, making the single bracket system versatile enough to replace multiple specialized storage solutions
2Reliability
If multiple hardware components are used to secure equipment, then secure mounting is achieved, but transportation and storage becomes more burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assembly is designed as separable components (hanger portion, elongated body, support portion) that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The support portion can be detached from the hanger portion, allowing the heavy-duty mounting bracket to remain installed on the boat while the support portion is removed for equipment storage or transport, thus maintaining security when needed while enabling convenience during transportation
3Area of stationary object
If space-efficient storage is implemented on boats, then storage capacity is optimized, but the mounting system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assembly utilizes the vertical dimension and three-dimensional space above the boat deck by extending upward from the horizontal rail with the elongated body and support portion. This allows equipment to be stored in previously underutilized vertical space rather than requiring additional horizontal deck area, optimizing space utilization while the simple two-piece bracket design avoids increasing mounting system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for mounting an item on a horizontal rail is disclosed. The apparatus may include a bracket having a hanger portion, a support portion, an elongated body extending from the hanger portion to the support portion, and a retaining strap that runs from the hanger portion to the support portion. Also disclosed is a system for mounting an item on a horizontal rail. The system may include a bracket having a hanger portion, a support portion, an elongated body extending from the hanger portion to the support portion, a retaining strap, and the item.