Elastic Cord Strap Keeper for Ratchet Tie-Downs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ratchet straps during transportation often have excess material that can become damaged or entangled due to lack of securement, and when not in use, the rolled straps tend to come undone and become untidy.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising two hooks connected by an elastic cord, where each hook is oriented 180 degrees relative to the other, allowing secure engagement with the strap to prevent unwanted movement and entanglement, using a flat member, a crook, and a resilient second member for frictional engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If excess strap material is left unsecured during transportation, then the ratchet strap can be quickly adjusted and used, but the excess material becomes damaged or entangled due to wind and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a strap keeper as an intermediary device that captures and secures the excess strap material. This keeper acts as a mediator between the strap and the harmful environmental factors (wind), preventing direct interaction that would cause damage or entanglement while maintaining the ease of strap adjustment and use
2Ease of operation
If rolled ratchet straps are left unsecured when not in use, then storage is simple and quick, but the straps come undone and become untangled
Solution Approach 1:
The strap keeper is designed to be positioned around the rolled straps before they are fully stored, performing the preliminary action of securing them in place. This preliminary securing prevents the straps from coming undone during storage, maintaining their organized state without adding complexity to the storage process
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a device is added to secure excess strap material, then damage and entanglement are prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strap keeper is designed as a separate, extractable component that can be independently attached to the strap. By extracting the securing function into a separate device rather than integrating it into the strap itself, the solution prevents damage and entanglement while keeping the overall system modular and relatively simple
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 device effectively secures excess strap material during use and keeps ratchet straps organized and tidy when not in use by preventing them from coming undone.
Implementation Method 1
the resiliency of the second member permitting frictional engagement of the hook thereto
Implementation Method 2
The second member is spaced-apart from, and resiliently flexible relative to, the first member
Data Source
AI summary
A device for retaining unused portions of a tie-down strap comprises first and second hooks attached to opposing ends of an elastic cord. Each hook, oriented 180 degrees relative to one another, is for receiving selected portions of the tie-down strap. The hooks each include a first substantially flat member attached to the respective end of the cord, a second member disposed opposite the first member, and a crook connecting the first member and the second member. The second member is spaced-apart from, and resiliently flexible relative to, the first member. Disposing either hook onto the selected portion of the tie-down strap frictionally engages the hook. The device is disposable about the unused portions of the tie-down strap, wherein each hook disposes onto a portion of the strap, and the cord prevents the straps from coming undone.