Vacuum-Cup Mooring Assembly for Stable Watercraft Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watercraft mooring systems are often complex, costly, unreliable, and fail to maintain stable mooring under environmental conditions, and do not accommodate various shapes and sizes of watercraft effectively.
Innovation Solution
A multi-component mooring system featuring vacuum-handle members with pivotally connected vacuum cups and a connecting rod member, providing adjustable or fixed lengths, and cleat connectors for detachable attachment to watercraft or docks, ensuring stable mooring through continuous vacuum and omni-directional pivot functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ropes and boat fenders are used to moor watercraft, then the mooring can be simple and inexpensive, but the system fails to maintain stable position under environmental conditions such as waves, wakes, and currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mooring system with adjustable-length connecting members and cleat connectors as intermediaries between watercraft and docks. These components act as mediators that actively maintain mooring stability through adjustable tension and positioning mechanisms, overcoming the passive and unstable nature of simple ropes and fenders while remaining more affordable and easier to manufacture than complex automated systems.
2Reliability
If large and cumbersome mooring devices are used, then the mooring can be reliable and effective, but the devices are not portable nor inexpensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mooring system into separate, modular components including adjustable-length connecting members, cleat connectors, and attachment mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for specific functions while maintaining overall reliability, and enables portable storage and affordable manufacturing of individual parts rather than requiring large cumbersome integrated devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable-length connecting members with telescopic or extendable structures that can dynamically adapt to different mooring scenarios. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain effectiveness across various watercraft sizes and dock configurations without requiring large fixed-size equipment, thereby improving portability and reducing costs.
3Device complexity
If stretchable cords with hooks and fasteners are used, then the mooring can be simple and portable, but the system is subject to component degradation and failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes composite construction for the connecting members, combining materials with different properties to achieve both simplicity/portability and degradation resistance. For example, telescopic aluminum tubes with corrosion-resistant coatings, or high-strength polymer components with UV resistance, create a system that remains simple and portable while significantly improving resistance to environmental degradation and component failure.
4Device complexity
If boat fenders alone are used, then the system can be simple and portable, but the system fails to reliably maintain the distance between moored watercraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable-length connecting members as intermediaries between watercraft and docks, replacing the passive distance-maintaining function of fenders alone. These connecting members actively control and maintain proper distances through their adjustable lengths and tensioning mechanisms, while remaining simple and portable in design.
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 system provides stable, portable, and affordable mooring for various watercraft shapes and sizes, maintaining position under environmental conditions without human intervention, with visual vacuum indicators and easy installation.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum assembly operatively associated with the handle mount and comprising a motion actuated spherical joint continuous vacuum assembly designed and adapted to provide a continuous vacuum to the vacuum-handle member
Data Source
AI summary
A watercraft mooring system comprising a plurality of interchangeable mooring members for the temporary mooring of one watercraft to another watercraft or one watercraft to a stationary object such as a dock. The interchangeable mooring members comprising connecting rod member embodiments with adjustable lengths and connecting rod members without adjustable lengths, vacuum-handle member embodiments that provide an initial vacuum and a continuous vacuum to one or more vacuum cup assemblies, and a cleat connector member embodiment that is interchangeable with a vacuum-handle member. Embodiments of vacuum-handle member providing up to three points of omni-directional pivot functionality between the present invention and a temporarily moored watercraft.