Convertible Safety Harness Webbing for Rapid Full-Body Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Workers often face challenges in quickly transitioning from a Class 2 seat-style safety harness to a Class 3 full body harness during changing situations, as the process is complex and time-consuming, increasing the risk of improper donning and life-threatening errors in chaotic conditions.
Innovation Solution
An upper body harness portion with elongated webbings and connectors allows for rapid conversion from a Class 2 seat-style harness to a Class 3 full body harness, featuring adjustable webbings and snap hooks that can be easily secured to the waist belt, enabling quick and correct donning without assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a worker removes a Class 2 seat-style harness and puts on a Class 3 full body harness, then the worker can comply with safety requirements for more dangerous situations, but the process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a Class 2 seat-style harness and a Class 3 full body harness into a single convertible harness system. The harness integrates both seat-style straps (waist belt and leg loops) and full body straps (torso straps and shoulder straps) that can be configured together, allowing workers to transition between harness types by reconfiguring the same equipment rather than swapping between separate harnesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The harness employs dynamic, adjustable components including slideable adjusters on webbings that allow workers to quickly reconfigure the harness from seat-style to full body configuration. The adjustable nature of the straps and connectors enables rapid transformation between harness types to adapt to changing work conditions without time-consuming removal and replacement.
2Productivity
If a worker transitions quickly between harness types in chaotic situations, then rescue time is saved, but the risk of improperly donning the harness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The convertible harness is segmented into distinct functional components (seat-style portion with waist belt and leg loops, full body portion with torso and shoulder straps, and connecting webbings with adjusters). This segmentation allows workers to systematically configure each component in the correct sequence, reducing the risk of improper donning even during rapid transitions. Each segment can be independently adjusted and secured, providing built-in verification of proper installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The harness includes self-adjusting features such as slideable adjusters and automatic locking mechanisms that allow workers to quickly and reliably configure the harness themselves without requiring assistance or complex manual procedures. The design enables workers to independently and correctly don the harness in various configurations, ensuring proper fit and security even during rapid transitions in chaotic situations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a full body harness is worn over a seat-style harness, then the worker is protected in both harness types, but the complexity and time required to don the harness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The convertible harness is designed as a universal system that provides both Class 2 seat-style and Class 3 full body harness functionality within a single device. The same waist belt, leg loops, torso straps, and shoulder straps can be configured to provide either seat-style or full body protection, eliminating the need for workers to carry or don separate harnesses for different work conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The harness utilizes dynamic, reconfigurable components with slideable adjusters and movable connectors that allow the same structural elements to serve multiple functions. The webbings and straps can be dynamically adjusted and repositioned to create either seat-style or full body configuration, reducing structural complexity compared to having two separate fixed-function harnesses while maintaining dual functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An upper body harness portion for converting a seat-style harness to a full body harness. The upper body harness portion includes a front lower component, a rear lower component, and an upper torso component having elongated first, second and third webbings. The ends of the first and second webbings are detachably securable to opposite sides of the front and rear or side portions of the seat-style harness waist belt, respectively. The third webbing forms a closed loop which, when worn, extends over a wearer's shoulders on opposite sides of the wearer's head. First and second connectors are slidably connected to the third webbing, with the first connector also being slidably connected to the first webbing adjacent the front of a wearer and the second connector being slidably connected to the second webbing adjacent the back of a wearer.