Thruster Bracket for Angled Boat Transoms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wakeboard and wakesurfing boats face difficulties in mounting thrusters due to space constraints and angled transoms, and lack of lighting on the stern, making it challenging to install thrusters and lights effectively.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system that includes a vertical and horizontal portion, allowing for rotatable thruster mounting and integration of an underwater lamp, with a compliant pad for secure attachment to the transom, optimizing space usage and accommodating angled surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a thruster is mounted directly to the transom, then the mounting process is simple, but the space available for mounting is insufficient due to components like trim tabs and wake adjusting apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket extends the mounting solution into three-dimensional space by creating L-shaped and T-shaped configurations that project outward from the transom surface. This allows the thruster to be positioned in available space away from the transom face while maintaining a compact footprint on the transom itself, effectively utilizing vertical and lateral dimensions to overcome the limited mounting area.
2Ease of manufacture
If the transom is formed at an angle for easier hull removal, then hull fabrication is simplified, but the mounting surface for the thruster becomes non-perpendicular and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is designed with asymmetric geometry that specifically accommodates the angled transom surface. The bracket includes angled mounting surfaces and non-uniform thickness profiles that match the asymmetric shape of the transom, allowing it to interface properly with the angled surface while providing a perpendicular mounting face for the thruster.
3Illumination intensity
If lights are added to the stern for night operations, then visibility is improved, but the space constraints and component interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is merged with the thruster mounting bracket, integrating both functions into a single structural assembly. The bracket serves dual purposes as both the mechanical support for the thruster and the mounting structure for the lights, eliminating the need for separate lighting installation and reducing overall space requirements.
4Productivity
If a bracket extends horizontally to position the thruster, then water flow is optimized, but the bracket height increases requiring more vertical space
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates a rotatable mounting mechanism that allows the thruster to be dynamically adjusted in orientation and position. This enables optimization of water flow conditions by rotating the thruster to the appropriate angle while maintaining a compact bracket height, as the thruster can be positioned horizontally when needed without requiring excessive vertical clearance.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for mounting a thruster to a boat includes a horizontal portion, a vertical portion that provides a vertical surface that matches an angle of the vessel transom, generally. The horizontal portion includes an enclosure. The vertical portion forms a transom-facing surface in a plane that is generally at a right angle relative to a horizontal plane, within a small range of angles. The transom-facing surface can angled to match the angle of the transom of a boat to which the thruster bracket is mounted. A thruster is mounted to the thruster bracket on a rotatable thruster mount that allows the thruster to be rotated in a generally horizontal plane relative to the bracket and the vessel to facilitate low speed maneuvering.