Braided Safety Restraint for Towing Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety devices for towing assemblies, such as tow bars and hitches, fail to effectively restrain broken components from becoming projectiles and provide adequate protection against compressive loading, leading to potential accidents and injuries.
Innovation Solution
A woven or braided body made of metallic or composite materials, configured to change diameter under tension, encapsulates the towing assembly and captures broken components, providing a redundant tensile load path and compressive load bearing capability to prevent disassociation and ensure safe travel even in the event of component failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety cable is used to retain the towed vehicle with the towing vehicle in the event of tow bar failure, then the tensile connection between vehicles is maintained, but the towed vehicle will collide into the back of the towing vehicle when the towing vehicle brakes to a stop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the safety cable and tow bar into a single integrated towing assembly. The tow bar provides rigid structural support during normal operation, while the safety cable is integrated alongside it to provide tensile retention during failure. This merging allows the system to handle both normal towing and failure scenarios with a unified structure, preventing the towed vehicle from colliding with the towing vehicle during braking by maintaining proper spacing through the cable's tensile strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety cable acts as a pre-positioned cushioning element that becomes active upon tow bar failure. It is installed in advance alongside the tow bar, ready to immediately assume the tensile load if the rigid tow bar fails. This beforehand cushioning prevents the harmful effect of vehicle collision by providing a compliant tensile path that maintains separation between vehicles during emergency braking.
2Reliability
If a redundant load path is provided in the form of a secondary tow bar with load sharing, then the reliability of the towing assembly is improved, but the complexity of the ride design and manufacturing and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the primary tow bar and secondary safety cable into a single integrated towing assembly. Instead of installing two separate tow bars that share load, the design combines the rigid structural element (tow bar) with a compliant safety element (cable) in one assembly. This reduces complexity while maintaining reliability, as the integrated design simplifies installation and maintenance compared to managing two separate rigid tow bar systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the safety element from a rigid tow bar to a flexible cable with appropriate tensile strength. This parameter change allows the safety element to provide redundant load path functionality without the complexity of a second rigid tow bar system. The cable's flexibility and tensile properties enable it to share load and provide backup support with simpler construction and maintenance requirements.
3Reliability
If existing safety devices such as chains or wire cables are used to retain the trailer with the towing vehicle, then tensile load retention is provided, but the towing assembly or tow bar may fall down and the front of the tow bar may dig into or catch on a physical structure causing the trailer to vault off the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the safety retention function with the structural support function into an integrated towing assembly. The tow bar and safety cable work together as a unified system where the cable is positioned and anchored to prevent the tow bar from falling or catching on structures. This combined design ensures that tensile load retention and structural stability are achieved simultaneously, preventing trailer vaulting accidents while maintaining reliable tensile connection.
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 solution effectively restrains broken components, preventing them from becoming projectiles and ensuring safe operation by providing a compressive load path during braking, thus enhancing safety and reducing the risk of accidents.
Implementation Method 1
configured to have a first diameter when at rest or under compression that is larger than a second diameter when installed over a towing assembly and placed under tension
Data Source
AI summary
A safety restraint for use with a towing assembly. The towing assembly is attached at a first end to a towing vehicle and at a second end to a towed vehicle. The restraint includes an elongate, hollow body that receives the towing assembly. The body is formed from at least two fibers that are woven into a multi-axis braid pattern. The cylindrical body at least partially encapsulates the towing assembly. For example, the body may include a first set of fibers arranged into a first ribbon of a particular width and a second set of fibers arranged into a second ribbon of a particular width, and the two ribbons are woven into a biaxial braid to provide the hollow body. The restraint also includes coupling mechanisms that retain the ends of the body and attach these ends to the towing vehicle and to the towed vehicle.