Maritime Vehicle Removable Cap for Water-Tight Hull Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing maritime vehicles lack a efficient and secure mechanism for accessing and transporting components while maintaining water-tight integrity and ease of handling.
Innovation Solution
A maritime vehicle with a removably coupled cap that can transition between sealed and accessible configurations, featuring a hinge system and sealing elements, and a pick point for easy handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cap is made removable and movable between sealed and accessible configurations, then access to internal components is improved, but water-tight integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into multiple segments that can be independently opened or closed. This allows selective access to specific areas of the hull interior while maintaining sealing in other areas, resolving the contradiction between needing access and maintaining water-tight integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap transitions from a static sealed structure to a dynamic system that can change its sealing state. The cap can be opened for access and closed for sealing, with the sealing elements automatically engaging when closed, allowing the system to adapt between accessibility and water-tightness requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is made removable for access, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap structure serves multiple functions: it provides access when opened, maintains water-tight integrity when closed, and the same structural elements (latches and hinges) enable both operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms for access and sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch and hinge system is designed to be manually operated by the user without requiring external tools or complex control systems. The mechanical self-latching and self-sealing features reduce the operational complexity while maintaining ease of access when needed.
3Ease of operation
If pick points are added to the cap for easy handling, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pick points are extracted as separate, discrete elements from the main cap structure. These can be simple protrusions, loops, or attachment points that are integrated into the cap during manufacturing but remain as distinct functional features, allowing easy handling without adding significant structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous maritime surface vehicle (AMSV) that includes a hull and a cap removably coupled to the hull (e.g., via a plurality of latches). The cap is movable between a first configuration, in which the cap is coupled to and sealingly encloses an entirety of an interior of the hull, and a second configuration in which the cap is at least partially decoupled from the hull, thereby permitting access to the interior of the hull. The AMSV also includes a single pick point coupled to a top, exterior surface of the cap, such that the AMSV can be easily and efficiently picked up and carried via the single pick point.