Retractable Fish Venting Needle With Dual-Spring Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fishing tools for deep-sea fish venting are unsafe, cumbersome, and fail to comply with fisheries regulations, leading to barotrauma and increased fish mortality upon retrieval.
Innovation Solution
A retractable venting tool with a needle mechanism that automatically retracts after use, featuring a dual spring system for safe storage and compliance with regulations, minimizing fish and user injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed venting tool is used, then the venting function is reliable, but the tool is cumbersome and unsafe during storage and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The venting tool transitions from a fixed state to a retractable dynamic structure. The needle can extend when needed for venting and retract when not in use, allowing the tool to adapt between operational and storage states. This dynamic design eliminates the need for separate storage containers and reduces the risk of accidental injuries during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is nested within the barrel housing, with the barrel itself containing the needle mechanism. When the needle is not in use, it retracts into the barrel, creating a compact nested structure that is safe for storage and transport while maintaining full venting functionality when deployed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a retractable needle mechanism is used, then user safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism automatically pushes the needle back into the barrel after venting, eliminating the need for manual retraction by the user. This self-service feature reduces operational complexity while maintaining safety, as the system handles its own retraction without requiring additional user actions or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex spring-loaded retraction mechanism is extracted and integrated into the barrel assembly, separating the venting function from the retraction function. This allows the needle to be simple and effective for venting while the barrel handles the complex safety retraction, optimizing both components independently.
3Productivity
If the needle remains exposed after venting, then the venting action is complete, but the tool poses safety hazards and does not comply with fisheries regulations
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism provides immediate feedback after the needle completes its venting function by automatically retracting it into the barrel. This feedback mechanism ensures that the needle is retracted without requiring user intervention, thereby eliminating safety hazards and ensuring compliance with fisheries regulations that require needle retraction after use.
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 tool effectively vents deep-sea fish to alleviate barotrauma while ensuring safe handling and adherence to fisheries guidelines, enhancing fish survival and user safety.
Implementation Method 1
The front spring compresses upon advancing the knob and needle outwardly from the tip
Implementation Method 2
The rear spring compresses upon the knob being furthest from the tip
Data Source
AI summary
A Retractable Venting Tool has a needle with a point and an opposite shank, a knob connecting to the needle proximate the shank, a barrel receiving the needle and a primary slot guiding passage of the knob, a front spring near the tip, a rear spring away from the primary slot, and a clip outside of the barrel. The barrel has ridges outward of the primary slot, a shoulder outward of the ridges, and a head opposite the tip. The front spring compresses upon advancing the knob and needle outwardly from the tip. Upon completion of venting of a fish and turning the knob, the front spring retracts the needle abruptly. The rear spring compresses upon the knob being furthest from the tip. Before venting a fish, the rear spring imparts an axial force to the needle and cooperating with the knob retains the needle inside the barrel until needed.