This invention was a "honey do" list project. My wife loves to kayak, but was unable to lift her kayak onto the roof of her SUV to transport it to the water. So knowing my passion for solving design problems, she put me to work. This was a tough client; I needed my "A" game - no back paddling.
Her inability to lift the kayak above her head was the major problem. Securing the kayak to the racks so high up was also challenging. I had a Lowes' small trailer, so I figured loading the kayak at waist height on it would be a great solution. In addition, she could leave the kayaks on the trailer between paddling trips and the trailer could still be used for other purposes.
The photos show an overview of the project. The problem, prototyping and the final design solution. The final concept was designed to utilize the existing off-the-shelf kayak roof rack bars and not require any trailer modifications.
The project was a success. As the saying goes. Happy Wife happy life.