Anchor Clamp Locking Mechanism for One-Handed Safe Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rope access technicians face difficulties in easily attaching and detaching safety equipment, such as a first aid kit, to an anchor point while minimizing the risk of loss and ensuring safety, especially when they are injured and have limited mobility.
Innovation Solution
An attachment device with a clamp and lock mechanism that allows for easy attachment and detachment from an anchor point using a single hand, featuring a rigid tab and flexible member to secure the device in the closed position, and a lock that transitions between locked and unlocked states to facilitate release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the attachment device is securely fixed to the anchor point to prevent loss, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because it becomes difficult to detach
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a dynamic lock mechanism that transitions between locked and unlocked states. The lock includes a first part attached to the rigid tab and a second part connected to the support, allowing the system to switch between secure attachment (locked state) and easy detachment (unlocked state) through a simple releasing action
Solution Approach 2:
The lock is divided into two separate parts: a first part attached to the rigid tab and a second part connected to the support. This segmentation allows independent movement of each part, enabling the locking and unlocking functions to be achieved through relative movement between the two parts without requiring complex mechanisms
2Reliability
If the attachment device requires two hands for safe detachment, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates when the technician is injured and has limited mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The first part of the lock is designed to be grippable and movable by a single hand. When the first part is moved, it automatically triggers the unlocking mechanism through its connection to the rigid tab, allowing the device to be released with one hand without requiring complex manual manipulation
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid tab serves as an intermediary element connecting the first part of the lock to the clamp mechanism. Movement of the first part is transmitted through the rigid tab to the clamp, enabling the detachment function to be activated with a simple single-hand gripping and pulling motion
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment device includes a clamp for attachment to an anchor point. The clamp defines a closed position and an open position respectively preventing or allowing extraction from the anchor point. The clamp has a support defining a hole and a rigid tab installed movably with respect to the hole. A lock has a first part and a second part, the first part being secured to the second part or released from the second part to define a locked state or an unlocked state. The first part is attached to the rigid tab. In the locked position, the first part limits movement of the rigid tab to prevent a relative movement between the rigid tab and the support out of the closed position to keep the clamp in the closed position.