Outdoor Watercraft Rack With Rollers for Single-Person Loading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing outdoor storage racks for watercraft require at least two persons to load and unload watercraft, making it difficult for elderly or physically compromised individuals to manage alone.

Innovation Solution

A freestanding outdoor storage rack equipped with support side panels, arm bars, and exterior rollers that assist in loading and unloading watercraft, allowing a single person to easily and safely store and retrieve watercraft.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If prior outdoor storage racks are used, then watercraft can be stored outdoors, but at least two persons are required to load and unload watercraft

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of loading watercraftVSAvoidrack structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces arm bars with rollers as intermediary elements between the watercraft and the rack structure. These arm bars act as mediators that facilitate the loading process by providing rolling contact, reducing friction and making it possible for a single person to load watercraft onto the rack.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The rack system enables self-service loading through the self-adjusting arm bars that can be manually positioned. The rollers on the arm bars automatically facilitate the watercraft loading process without requiring additional mechanical assistance or complex automated mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If prior outdoor storage racks are used, then watercraft storage is provided, but elderly or physically compromised individuals cannot load watercraft alone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of use for physically compromised usersVSAvoidforce required to load watercraft

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The arm bars with rollers serve as mechanical intermediaries that reduce the force required to load watercraft. By introducing rolling contact instead of direct sliding or lifting, the system significantly reduces the effort needed, making it accessible to elderly or physically compromised individuals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The arm bars are designed to be positioned at various heights along the rack, allowing users to load watercraft at the most convenient height for their physical capability. This creates equipotential loading positions that adapt to different user strengths and limitations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #12Equipotentiality

3Ease of operation

If the rack is designed to be flexible for easy loading, then single-person loading is enabled, but stability when loaded may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility for loadingVSAvoidrack stability when loaded

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The rack system employs dynamic arm bars that can move and adjust during the loading process, providing flexibility when needed. Once the watercraft is loaded and positioned, the arm bars naturally settle into stable positions that maintain rack stability during storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the rack have different properties: the arm bars are designed to be movable and flexible for loading, while the main rack structure maintains rigid stability for storage. This local differentiation of qualities allows the system to be both easy to load and stable when loaded.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

Enables a single individual to load and unload watercraft without assistance, providing ease of use for elderly or physically challenged users while ensuring stability and safety when loaded.

Implementation Method 1

Exterior rollers (which can be tubes) can be disposed over the various storage sections of the arm bars

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRolling friction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS12291313B1Freestanding storage rack preferably for outdoor storage of a plurality of watercraft

Publication Date: 2025.05.06 HARRISON JAMES V

AI summary

A freestanding outdoor storage rack which allows a single person to load and unload a watercraft onto a designated area or slot of the storage rack. The storage rack can comprise support side panels having openings therethrough for receipt of arm bars that can extend the intended length of the storage rack. Exterior tube rollers can be disposed over the various storage sections of the arm bars as defined by the location of the support side panels. The rollers assist in loading the watercraft, such that elderly or other physically comprised individuals can load and unload a watercraft on their own by placing the bow end of the watercraft on a forward/front exterior roller of the intended storage slot. The person can then go to the opposite end of the watercraft and with rolling assistance provided by the forward roller, move the watercraft back forward such that the bow end reaches and rests on a back exterior roller of the storage slot.