Dual-Pin Fall Arrest Connector With Redundant Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fall protection systems for workers at heights lack reliable and user-friendly connectors that can securely attach fall arresting devices to safety harnesses, posing risks due to potential disconnection during falls.
Innovation Solution
The development of connectors with dual pin mechanisms and locking notches that securely engage with fall arresting devices and safety harnesses, featuring a base with multiple receiving portions and locking mechanisms to prevent accidental disconnection, allowing for easy attachment and verification of proper assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If simple connectors are used for attaching fall arresting devices to safety harnesses, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of connection is compromised due to potential disconnection during falls
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into multiple functional components: a base portion with receiving portions, multiple pins with locking notches, and locking mechanisms. Each component performs a specific function - pins provide structural connection, locking notches prevent accidental disengagement, and locking mechanisms secure the pins in place. This segmentation allows the complex connector to be manufactured and assembled from simpler individual parts while achieving high overall reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The locking notches and locking mechanisms are designed to engage before any fall event can occur, creating a pre-prepared safety system. The redundant locking features ensure that connection reliability is established in advance, cushioning against the potential harm of disconnection during falls by having multiple layers of security already in place
2Reliability
If connectors with redundant locking mechanisms are used, then the reliability of connection is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to more complex attachment and detachment procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The locking notches are pre-formed on the pins, and the locking mechanisms are pre-positioned in the base portion. When the pin is inserted into the receiving portion, the locking features automatically align and engage with preliminary action, reducing the manual effort required. The system performs part of the locking action automatically upon insertion, making the redundant safety features easier to operate than they would appear
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design allows the locking mechanisms to self-engage with the locking notches when the pin is properly inserted. The redundant locking features serve themselves through the mechanical interaction of the pin and base portion, reducing the need for complex manual operations while maintaining high reliability through multiple locking points
3Strength
If pins extend through all receiving channels in fully closed configuration, then the connection strength is maximized, but the device complexity increases due to precise alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving portions are designed with asymmetric features that guide the pin into proper alignment during insertion. The locking notches are positioned at specific asymmetric locations on the pin that correspond to asymmetric features in the base portion, ensuring automatic alignment. This asymmetric design simplifies the alignment process by providing natural guiding features rather than requiring precise manual alignment, while still achieving maximum connection strength when fully engaged
Data Source
AI summary
Connectors for coupling fall arresting devices to a safety harness. The connectors may include a first pin configured to lock into a first side of a base portion using one or more locking mechanisms. The first pin may be used to engage with one or more fall arresting devices to attach the one or more fall arresting devices to the connector. In some such examples, the locking mechanisms may be positioned within interior portions of the first side of the connector so as to allow the one or more fall arresting devices to pivot freely about the ends of the connector. In some examples, the connectors may include a second pin configured to lock into a second side of the base portion using one or more locking mechanisms. The second pin may be used to conveniently and releasably attached the connector to a safety harness of a worker.