Agility Ladder Link Assemblies Prevent Rung Displacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agility ladders face issues such as tangled webbing during setup and rungs being easily displaced, requiring frequent adjustments during use.
Innovation Solution
The agility ladder features pivotally attached link assemblies that maintain links in an under-center position, preventing them from becoming parallel when deployed, and includes rung pivot joints with a pivot post and washers for secure attachment, allowing for independent deployment and folding without torque transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If webbing is used to connect rungs in traditional agility ladders, then the ladder can be flexible and portable, but the webbing becomes tangled during setup causing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous webbing structure is segmented into discrete link assemblies with rigid rungs. Each link assembly operates independently with defined pivot points, eliminating the tangling issues inherent in continuous flexible webbing while maintaining the flexible, portable nature of the overall ladder structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The link assemblies are designed with dynamic pivot joints that allow controlled movement during deployment. The under-center configuration ensures that as the ladder is set up, the links naturally guide themselves into the correct position without tangling, enabling smooth, tangle-free expansion from compact to deployed state.
2Ease of operation
If rungs are attached to webbing in traditional agility ladders, then the ladder structure is simple, but the rungs are easily displaced by user's foot requiring frequent adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The rungs are designed with curved or rounded edges that contact the user's foot at a single point or small area. This curvature concentrates the force of foot placement onto the rigid link assembly structure rather than allowing the foot to slide along flexible webbing, preventing rung displacement while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The link assemblies are designed as simple, replaceable units with robust pivot joints. If a rung becomes displaced or damaged, the entire link assembly can be quickly replaced or repositioned without affecting other parts of the ladder, minimizing adjustment time and maintaining ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If link assemblies are designed to allow free movement, then deployment is flexible, but the links may become precisely parallel causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The link assemblies utilize an under-center configuration where the pivot joints are positioned asymmetrically relative to the link geometry. This asymmetric design creates a natural mechanical preference for a specific angular relationship between links, preventing them from becoming precisely parallel while still allowing sufficient flexibility for various deployment configurations and ground conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An agility ladder has a plurality of rungs including first and second rungs. A left link assembly has ends pivotally attached to left ends of the first and second rungs, and a right link assembly has ends pivotally attached to right ends of the first and second rungs. The left and right link assemblies each include first and second links having equal lengths, with the first and second links joined at a link pivot joint which allows the first and second links to form an angle between them of less than 180 degrees.