Self-Filling Sediment Container With Auto-Closing Mouth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional erosion control methods, such as using sandbags, are labor-intensive and inefficient for reducing erosion along river banks and shorelines due to environmental forces.
Innovation Solution
A flexible container apparatus with a mouth and a cord mechanism that secures to a water body surface, allowing sediment to be directed into the container via its mouth, which closes automatically as it fills with sediment, eliminating the need for human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sandbags are used to reduce erosion, then erosion control effectiveness is improved, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed to automatically fill with sediment through its mouth opening positioned to receive sediment carried by water currents or wind. The flexible container secures to the river bank or shoreline and accumulates sediment without human intervention, eliminating the labor-intensive process of manually filling sandbags while maintaining erosion control effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The container is pre-positioned and secured to the river bank or shoreline in advance, with its mouth oriented to receive incoming sediment. This preliminary setup allows the container to passively accumulate sediment as environmental forces naturally transport it, rather than requiring continuous manual intervention to fill and place erosion control materials
2Reliability
If sandbags are placed manually along river banks, then erosion protection is achieved, but operational complexity and labor requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container with mouth opening is designed to automatically receive and accumulate sediment through environmental forces such as water currents or wind. Once secured to the river bank or shoreline, the container self-fills without requiring manual placement or filling operations, dramatically improving ease of operation while maintaining reliable erosion protection
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the labor-intensive filling and placing operations from the erosion control process. By designing a container that passively accumulates sediment through its strategically positioned mouth, the system removes the need for human intervention in filling and positioning, leaving only the initial securing operation
3Quantity of substance
If conventional erosion control structures are used, then sediment accumulation is achieved, but human intervention and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container is designed to automatically accumulate sediment through its mouth opening that receives sediment carried by environmental forces. The container secures to the river bank or shoreline and passively fills itself over time without requiring human intervention for monitoring, refilling, or maintenance, achieving complete automation of the sediment accumulation process
Solution Approach 2:
The container is pre-configured with its mouth opening oriented to receive incoming sediment and is secured in position before deployment. This preliminary setup enables the container to autonomously accumulate sediment as environmental forces naturally transport it, eliminating the need for ongoing human intervention to maintain sediment accumulation
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 apparatus effectively collects sediment over time without manual filling, reducing erosion by anchoring to water bodies and utilizing environmental forces to fill and close the container, thus minimizing labor and time consumption.
Implementation Method 1
A loop of the noose may circumscribe the mouth of the container and tighten around the mouth as sediment urges the mouth away from the anchored end of the cord.
Data Source
AI summary
An erosion control apparatus includes a flexible, container and a cord. The container includes a container upper side, a container lower side opposite the container upper side, a container trailing end, a container leading end opposite the container trailing end, and a container mouth toward the container leading end. The container mouth provides an opening to a container interior. The cord is attached between the container mouth and an attachment point toward the container trailing end. The cord draws the container mouth toward the container trailing end due to a length of the cord between the container mouth and the attachment point being shorter than a length of the container between the container mouth and the attachment point. The cord further draws the container mouth toward a closed position as sediment enters the container mouth, fills the container interior, and urges the container leading end away from the attachment point.