Spring-Loaded Wakeboard Booster Energy Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wakeboards fail to effectively harness and utilize the energy expended in mounting the wake to increase the height of jumps at the crest of the wake, limiting the rider's airborne tricks and performance.
Innovation Solution
A spring-loaded wakeboard booster equipped with a piston spring mechanism that stores energy while cutting through the wake and releases it at the crest, using a helical spring axially aligned within a cylindrical housing, connected to the tow rope via a connector shaft and swivel support for maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a conventional wakeboard is used, then the board can be towed through the wake, but the energy expended in mounting the wake cannot be harnessed to increase jump height
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is pre-loaded during the approach phase as the board cuts through the wake, storing energy before the critical launch moment. The piston compresses the spring in advance, so that when the board reaches the crest, the stored energy is immediately available to propel the rider higher into the air.
Solution Approach 2:
The wake resistance, which normally acts as a drag force opposing motion, is converted into a beneficial compressive force on the spring mechanism. As the board cuts through the wake, the resistance pushes the piston forward, compressing the spring and storing energy that will later enhance the jump height.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the piston spring mechanism compresses the spring during wake cutting, then energy is stored, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston spring mechanism is nested within the existing wakeboard structure. The cylindrical housing containing the spring and piston is integrated into the board's core, with the piston rod extending through the board's longitudinal axis. This nesting approach minimizes additional complexity by utilizing the existing structural space.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston rod serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural element of the board, a connector for the tow rope via the connector shaft, and a plunger for the spring mechanism. The connector shaft at the proximal end provides both structural support and the interface for rope attachment, reducing the need for separate components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the swivel support allows maneuverability, then the board can be angled to the wake, but the stability of the mechanism decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The swivel support provides controlled dynamic movement, allowing the board to rotate and angle relative to the towing direction. This dynamic capability enables the rider to adjust the board's angle of attack to the wake, optimizing performance while maintaining stability through controlled motion rather than rigid fixation.
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
Enhances jump height by converting wake resistance energy into a forward motion over the crest, allowing riders to perform higher airborne tricks and improve wakeboarding performance.
Implementation Method 1
a helical spring axially aligned within a substantially horizontal cylindrical spring housing and confined between a piston head and the proximal end of the spring housing
Implementation Method 2
The piston spring mechanism operates to store energy in the spring while the board is cutting through the wake
Implementation Method 3
When the board reaches the crest of the wake, the wake resistance diminishes, reducing the pull on the piston rod and allowing the spring to expand
Implementation Method 4
The reaction force of the piston head springing backward impels the board forward over the crest of the wake and into the air
Implementation Method 5
The swivel support allows the rider of the wakeboard to maneuver the board to the right or left of the direction of the towing force, thereby changing the board's angle of attack to the wake
Data Source
AI summary
A spring-loaded wakeboard booster has a vertical swivel connection to the towing tower of a motorboat at its proximal end. The swivel connection rotatably supports a cylindrical piston spring assembly, which has a tow rope connection shaft at its proximal end, through which the piston spring assembly is connected by a tow line extending to the wakeboard. When the wakeboard is being towed, the force on the tow line draws the piston toward the proximal end of the piston spring assembly, thereby compressing the spring. When the wakeboard reaches the crest of the boat's wake, the water resistance drops and the spring expands, drawing the board forward and over the wake.