X-Shaped Swim Marker With Fixed Anchor Line Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fishing location marking devices, such as those with H-shaped floating bodies, face challenges in accurately marking fishing spots due to wave action, currents, and winds, which cause the anchor line to lengthen, leading to inaccurate positioning of the floating body.
Innovation Solution
A fishing location marking device with a floating body forming a substantially X-shaped configuration, featuring a central portion with a circumferential spooling surface and anchor line retaining means that fix a length of the anchor line, preventing it from spooling or unspooling due to rotation of the floating body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the anchor line is allowed to spool around the floating body for deployment, then the device is easy to deploy and the anchor line can be paid out automatically, but the floating body rotates and revolves causing the anchor line to lengthen and the marking position to become inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the anchor line management into two distinct functional zones: a spooling portion for deployment where the line can wrap around the floating body, and a fixed portion secured by retaining means that prevents further spooling. This segmentation allows the line to be paid out automatically during deployment while preventing rotation-induced lengthening during use, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of deployment and marking position accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor line retaining means is pre-configured on the floating body to automatically engage and fix the anchor line at the appropriate length. This preliminary action ensures that as soon as the anchor line reaches the correct deployment length, it is automatically secured, preventing any further spooling or rotation that would compromise marking accuracy, while still allowing easy deployment to occur first.
2Measurement precision
If the anchor line is fixed at a specific length, then the marking position accuracy is maintained, but the device cannot adapt to varying water depths
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs dynamic anchor line management where the length of the anchor line can be adjusted before deployment. The spooling portion allows the line to be paid out to the required length based on water depth, and then the retaining means secures it at that specific length. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the device to adapt to varying water depths while maintaining marking position accuracy through the fixed portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changes in the anchor line parameter (length) to adapt to different water depths. By permitting the anchor line to be spooled to different extents before securing it with the retaining means, the device can adjust its operational parameters to match varying deployment conditions while ensuring that once set, the length remains fixed for accurate marking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the floating body is allowed to rotate freely on the water surface, then it can respond to wave action and currents, but the anchor line lengthens and the floating body drifts from the marking position
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor line is segmented into a spooling portion that can rotate with the floating body to accommodate wave action and currents, and a fixed portion secured by retaining means that maintains constant length. This segmentation allows the floating body to respond freely to environmental conditions through rotation of the spooling portion while the fixed portion prevents drift and maintains marking position accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The spooling portion acts as an intermediary between the floating body and the fixed anchor line. It allows rotational movement to absorb wave action and currents while the retaining means anchors the line at a fixed point, thus mediating between the need for environmental adaptability and the requirement for position accuracy.
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 X-shaped configuration allows for accurate marking of fishing locations by maintaining a fixed length of the anchor line, ensuring the floating body remains directly above the submerged weight, even in adverse conditions such as waves and currents.
Implementation Method 1
Fishing markers in the form of swim marker floats or buoys are well known for mapping a fishing area within a body of water
Implementation Method 2
The other end of the anchor line is attached to a submerged weight, which holds the floating marker in position
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fishing location marking device or marking device otherwise known as a swim marker 10. The present invention provides a swim marker 10 which is simple, compact, robust and does not rely on a fixed length of anchor line and varies the length of the anchor line depending upon the depth of the water. The swim marker 10 comprises a floating body 12 and anchor line retaining means 17 wherein an anchor line is arranged, in use, to extend from the floating body 12 to a submerged weighted component in order to retain the floating body 12 in a marking position on a surface of a body of water relative to the weighted component. The floating body 12 comprises a first arm 20, a second arm 21, a third arm 22 and a fourth arm 23. The floating body 12 also comprises a body portion 16 providing an anchor line spooling portion comprising a circumferential spooling surface on a central portion of the floating body 12. The first arm 20, the second arm 21, the third arm 22 and the fourth arm 23 extend radially outwardly from the central portion 16 and form a substantially X-shaped body. The anchor line retaining means 17 fixes a length of anchor line extending between the anchor line retaining means 17 and the weighted component, and wherein the circumferential spooling surface is fixed and unmovable relative to the arms 20, 21, 22, 23.