Telescopic Tender Track for Safe Launch and Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for handling boat tenders on larger boats face challenges due to limited space and require multiple persons to balance the tender during transfer, complicating operations and increasing the risk of accidents.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic track system with a rotating slider and winch mechanism that extends to the water's edge, allowing easy loading and unloading of the tender, minimizing space requirements and reducing the need for manual balancing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed track system is used to transfer the tender, then the tender can be moved along a predefined path, but multiple persons are required to balance the tender during transfer and the operation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The track system is made telescopic rather than fixed, allowing the track length to be dynamically adjusted. This enables the track to extend to the water's edge for easy tender loading, then retract to minimize space requirements during storage, eliminating the need for multiple persons to balance the tender throughout the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The winch mechanism automatically pulls the tender along the track system, eliminating the need for manual balancing by multiple persons. The system performs the work of moving and positioning the tender itself, rather than requiring human operators to physically balance and guide it.
2Ease of operation
If the track is extended to reach the water for easy tender loading, then the loading operation is simplified, but the space occupied on the boat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The track system uses telescopic sections that can be extended when needed for tender loading and then retracted to minimize the space occupied on the boat. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to provide full functionality during operation while maintaining a compact profile during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The track is divided into multiple telescopic sections that can be independently extended or retracted. This segmentation allows the track to adapt its length based on operational needs, extending to the water's edge during tender handling and retracting to a compact configuration when not in use.
3Ease of operation
If conventional winch placement is used at the end of a rotating arm, then the winch can be positioned above the tender, but the handling space required complicates coupling operations
Solution Approach 1:
The winch mechanism is extracted from the conventional rotating arm configuration and integrated directly into the garage structure. The cable is routed through guides along the track, allowing the winch to be positioned in a compact location while still providing effective tender retrieval without requiring large handling spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Cable guides are introduced as intermediary elements that route the winch cable along the track path. This allows the winch to be positioned in a compact location within the garage structure while the cable smoothly guides the tender along the track, eliminating the need for large handling spaces associated with conventional winch placement.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for aiding the handling of boat tenders (A), which comprises at least one track (2) which can be installed on board a boat and is configured to support and guide the tender (A) along a predefined movement direction (B), during its launching and its recovery on board. The track (2) is of the telescopic type and comprises a first member (2a), which can be anchored to the boat, and at least one extensible member (2b), which can move along the movement direction (B) with respect to the first member (2a) in order to vary the length of the track (2).