Elastic Strap-Retainer for Cargo Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fabric straps used for cargo retention are non-elastic and prone to slack formation during transport, leading to instability and potential dislodgment of cargo due to lack of elastic behavior and high break strength.
Innovation Solution
A strap-retainer system comprising a hook end, a clamp end, and an elastic portion that stretches between the hook and clamp, providing tension to the strap and preventing slack formation, with a clamp design featuring a protrusion and aperture configuration to securely hold the strap and a ratcheting mechanism to increase retention force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a non-elastic fabric strap is used to secure cargo, then the strap provides high break strength and low elongation, but the strap becomes slack when cargo moves, leading to instability and potential dislodgment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates an elastic portion within the strap structure that is nested between the first and second non-elastic portions. This nested elastic element allows the strap to maintain its high strength characteristics while introducing elastic behavior that prevents slack formation, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The strap is constructed as a composite structure combining non-elastic fabric portions with an elastic portion. This composite design integrates the high strength properties of the non-elastic fabric with the elastic recovery properties of the elastic portion, enabling the strap to maintain tension and prevent cargo dislodgment while retaining high break strength
2Device complexity
If a simple hook attachment is used for the strap, then the device complexity is low, but the strap can dislodge from the fixed point when cargo moves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic retention mechanism where the elastic portion continuously exerts tension on the strap, creating a self-adjusting system that maintains contact between the hook and the fixed support. This dynamic tension prevents dislodgment during cargo movement without requiring complex mechanical retention structures
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic portion is pre-tensioned within the strap structure, creating preliminary tension that keeps the hook firmly engaged with the fixed support before any cargo movement occurs. This preliminary action ensures the strap remains securely retained even when cargo shifts during transport
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 strap-retainer system effectively maintains tension on the cargo strap, preventing slack and ensuring stable cargo retention even during jostling or tilting, by utilizing an elastic portion that returns to its original length, thereby enhancing the retention force and preventing dislodgment.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic portion is configured to be stretched between a hook secured to a support and the clamp attached to a strap. The elastic portion provides a tension force on the strap and prevents slack from forming in the strap.
Implementation Method 2
This curved configuration of the strap, along with the friction and any force exerted by the protrusion and the walls of the aperture, retain the strap within the clamp.
Data Source
AI summary
A cargo retainer system incorporates a load-bearing strap that extends over a cargo element, and a strap-retainer having an elastic portion that is stretched to a stretched length and attached to the load-bearing strap. The strap-retainer has clamp that attaches to the load-bearing strap and a hook on an opposing end to secure the strap retainer under tension, or with the elastic portion stretched. The strap-retainer provides an elastic retaining force on the load-bearing strap wherein the force exerted on the load bearing strap increase when the cargo shift away from strap-retainer and the force decreases when the cargo shifts toward the strap-retainer. A cargo retainer system may incorporate a strap-retainer on either side of the cargo element to provide complimentary and corrective elastic retaining forces on the load-bearing strap.